Statement by the President Upon Signing Bill Amending the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938.

I HAVE TODAY approved H.R. 6665, "To amend the Agricultural Adjustment Act of 1938, as amended."

The principal purpose of the bill is to alleviate the great hardship on many cotton farms that would result from the severe production adjustments required under existing legislation. This is accomplished by increasing the national acreage allotment and modifying the method of apportioning that allotment to farms.

The bill also would permit the Secretary of Agriculture with respect to the 1954 and 1955 crops of wheat to increase acreage allotments and marketing quotas for any class or subclass of wheat determined to be in short supply. At the present time, there is a shortage only of amber durum wheat, which is used in the milling of semolina. Semolina is a type of wheat flour that is used exclusively in the manufacture of macaroni, noodles, and spaghetti.

Finally, this legislation removes the prohibition against the use of funds provided under Section 32 of the Agricultural Adjustment Act for extending assistance to the potato industry. It must be clearly understood that this action provides no basis for a program which might result in the dumping or destruction of potatoes. This is as it should be.