New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-17
By Ray Stannard Baker

On the other hand, | have met a gooG
many people, especially among the leaders Oh
war organizations of various sorts, 10 wh'h
the popular attitude is not only irritating ouI
dangerous. They feel that the people are not
fully awakened TO the emergency. that they
do not realize that the country is really at
this moment at war; and that unless America
meets with more enthusiasm and more speed
the problems OF raising money, producing
food and hurryng the transit oil men LOT
armies in France the war may result IN dis
aster In their view the country must some
how be Jared out of its sense OF security ana
made to feel the war.
| have tried especially to get the point oil
view of the farmers in these great tood-pro-
ducinc states. I have not only talked with
MANY farmers ard country merchants and
bankers, but have visited the agricultural
colleges Of three states where the connec-
lion with farm life was very close. c"un-
try banker of Wisconsin, who lives in one OF
the important producing counties, took the
pains of writing down for me his deliberate
Judgment of the sentiment Of the farmer
neighbors.
The Farmers Point of View
"Registration for military duty and the
canvass for the Liberty Loan he SAID VIII
perhaps bring the fact OF the existence Oh
,bo war 70 the consciousness OF our people
The real issues involved seem TO be very May
in the minds OF fairly intelligent farmers
They do not realize that 1t IS coni'let d.
tween autocracy and democracy, ana laS'-
stand fight at that, but seem to think there
was fight between England and Germany
with which Uncle Sam was not concerhef !"
arv wav-but that he was simply an innocent
bvstander who happened 10 be IN range anu
cot hurt-auite as much BY the iauit oil Eng
land as of Germany"
While this describes the view OF nelgh-
borhood made up largely OF Scandinavia
farmers with a sprnkling OF old American
and Scotch stock, it is not unlike what
found in pure American neghborhood5 III
other states
Tho fact is. the war has not yet got TO
the farmer as a reality. France is long
wav off Our people arc not warlike, and the
hatred of mlitarism is great. Moreover, the
traditional policy Of America of avoiding en-
tangling alliances and keeping out Of Europe
an politics has still powerful hold upon
the people. A great many of the foreigners
also. came 10 America expressly TO escape
military service and are inStlnctyely against
war and against the draft. ] met well-to-do
farmer on train in Kansas, and this IS the
way he put it to me:
"If we'd minded our own business we
wouldn't have got into this war. Why should
VIC be lighting the battles Of England
Old American Sentiment
To many people the action OF certain Sena-
tors and representatives in Congress upon
the declaration of war and upon conscrlptlon
has seemed incomprehensible; but the laco
is that Stone and Champ Clark and La FOL
lette. Norris, Gronna, Cummings and others
trulv represented a considerable element OIL
the population of the Middle West. And 1t
was not a pro-German sentiment el'her'
though there were strong pro-German ere
ments in il. but a widespread old American
sentiment. based upon traditional and an
stirred American policies. large part OF
this country mas never had any international
interests or international consciousness.
Their, k an immense inertia of conservatism
upon all matters relating 20 foreign AFFAIRS
and il is not surprising that 1t should be So
And vet in the very statement OF his point
Of view feel that am doing the farmer an
Injustice. for no matter what his opinion may
be. or how hay or doubtful he may be about
the war. there is 10 class of citizen anywhere
which is responding more faithfully than he
ia the exigencies Of the situation. Nothing
could be more remarkable than the way in
which the farmers Of this Middle West are
taking hold OF the actual and practical prob
lens of producing more food. In later ar
ticle hope TO describe some OF the methods
of organization more at length There are
everywhere large increases in acreage IN
corn. beans, potatoes and other food crops.
All the forces of agriculture have been mob
lized; the boys from the schools and colleges
have gone back TO the farm By thousands, re-
tired farmers have been drafted clerks in
small towns and city people have zen
brought in. The food director OF Indiana, Mr..
Christie, told me that he hoped, as result
OF improved methods and increased acreage.
that the corn crop OF Indiana would be
doubled this year. Mr.. Orr, president OF the
Michigan Bean Jobbers' Association. told me
that the acreage planted to beans in Michigan
in 1916 was 100000 acres, and that the area