Trouble in Food

High-domed Herbert W. Parisius, a man who believes the food situation is too serious to permit fooling with politics and pressure groups, last week threw up his five-week-old job as Food Boss Claude Wickard's Director of Food Production.

"Parse" Parisius had a good and tested idea: to draw a million small farmers into the nation's critical food production battle by providing them supervision and credit for needed equipment, feed and fertilizer. Twice Parisius submitted such plans to Claude Wickard. Twice the Food Boss agreed, only to change his mind in the knowledge that the big farmers' lobbyists insist production increases can come only through higher prices.

A man of guts, Parse Parisius finally exploded: "We in Agriculture have a job to do that calls for courage and wisdom and action. You have placed upon me great responsibility for that job. But neither I nor anyone else can do that job unless his authority to operate is clear."

Blandly Claude Wickard named as Parisius' successor M. Clifford Townsend, onetime Governor of Indiana and a man acceptable to the farm bloc.

And from the White House came another significant appointment. To be his adviser on food problems, Economic Stabilizer James Byrnes picked Federal Judge Marvin Jones, onetime (1931-40) chairman of the House Agriculture Committee. Jones last December refused to become Food Administrator as long as Claude Wickard remained Agriculture Secretary. Now Washington wiseacres speculate that Marvin Jones is again being groomed to be food boss, on his own terms.

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