[no source, March 2, 1941]
ROOSEVELT ASKED TO
“COMMAND” WAR DEPT. TO EXERCISE OPTIONS
[Handwritten: March
2]
TNT PLANT SITE OWNERS
SEEK PAYMENT
350 At Mass Meeting
Counseled Against Taking Any Drastic Action To Settle Problem.
Counseled
against taking any drastic action in the settlement of their differences with
the Federal Government, 94 farmers among a crowd of 350 who attended a mass
meeting at Weldon Springs last night directed a petition to President Roosevelt
asking him to “command” the War Department to honor options on their lands in
the TNT area. The signers were that portion of the crowd which so far has not
been paid for land occupied by the War Department.
The
meeting, held within eyesight of the brilliant lights which mark the entrance
to the TNT area at Weldon Springs, almost from the start showed the spark of
drama. Beginning with the group-singing of “America” and a prayer by the parish
minister, the sober-faced crowd of men, women and children looked expectantly
toward the small stage for encouragement and some sign of hope for redress.
A show of
hands revealed that more than one-third of those in the audience had not yet
been paid by the government for their lands and homes. Faced with what they
termed in their petition, “financial embarrassment and a dire need” to
rehabilitate themselves, the crowd cheered loudly when a telegram from Congressman
Clarence Cannon was read in which he stated, “Referring to action of War
Department in holding up payments for land in Weldon Springs area. This is an
outrage and a violation of contract. Have just returned from Department and
while there decision is still unfavorable. Am working on it from another angle.
Am doing everything I can from here to arrange for government prompt compliance
with its agreement. Hope to be able to get results.”
Reviews Happenings
The
petition to the President reviewed occurrences in the TNT area since last
October. It pointed out that after options to their lands had been accepted,
the farmers and businessmen sacrificed their livestock, farming equipment and
stocks of merchandise. It stated that checks for their property were in the
hands of the Kansas City Title Insurance Company when the company received a
communication from the War Department instructing it to held up all payments
pending the investigation of the process of land acquisition.
Declaring
that the contracts with the government are “binding and can be enforced,” the
petitioners state they are putting “implicit reliance” upon the government to
carry out the terms and promises of its contracts.
Fred C.
Hollenbeck, Superintendent of Schools of Consolidated District No. 2, who acted
as chairman, told his audience “we can’t accuse the government of being unfair.
It’s not the government we are seeking to blame. It’s possibly some agent. ” He
said that the situation may have grown out of some “misunderstanding.”
“Many of you
husbands and wives, strong people, cried when you left your homes,” he said.
“That’s worth a great deal. We could almost grant that you were not paid too
much. You were giving up your homes, your churches, your schools and crops. I
believe we have friends who will watch after [one or more lines missing]
the TNT area yesterday afternoon. He concluded his talk by
saying: “I wouldn’t have thought that this government would have made refugees
of its own citizens. That is just what happened, temporarily, I hope.“
Dr. O. L.
Snyder, a medical doctor; Morris Muschany, undertaker; Elton Pitman, a well
driller; George Hackman, farmer and Earl Sutton, circuit clerk, were appointed
on a committee to look after the farmers’ interests in the event the government
follows its decision to condemn the land in the TNT plant area.
The meeting
decided to send copies of the petition to Senators Bennett Champ Clark, Harry
Truman and to Davis.
“Wasn’t it
Bennett Clark who started all this delay in the first place?” someone in the
audience asked.
“I think he
did,” responded Dr. R. L. Snyder, who at that time was acting as chairman of
the meeting, “but it might be a good idea to send him one anyway, so that he
will know what we are thinking about.”
