The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1917-04-19
STATE ENLISTS
IN FOOD BATTLE
Wisconsin Taking Lead IN Civic
Preparedness,
GOV. Phillip IN PROCLAMATION

Program Calls for Largest Production
OF Foodstuffs In History of State.
Battles Cannot Be Won With Emp
ty Commissirat, Declares the Gov
ernor-urges That Every Foot Of
Soil BE CuItivated-"None too Poor
to Raise Something"
Madison, Wis. Especially Governor
r. Il. Philip has signed the bill Gre
ating a state council Of defense, and
this body has outlined the most com.
prehensive program of civic prepared
ness ever attempted in this or any
other state in the union. The defense
body will cooperate with the national
council of defense in the mobilization
of resources, and machinery now in
motion spells statewide cooperation,
with the business man, the banker,
the manufacturer, the farmer and the
women of Wisconsin all taking part
The outstanding feature of the civic
preparedness program at this time
calls for the production of more food
stuff than Wisconsin has even pro.
duced Governor Philip has issued a
proclamation in which he says the
man with the hoe will be rendering a
real patriotic service in this war. He
says that soldiers alone cannot carry
on war successfully; that battles
cannot be won with empty commits
saries, and he is appealing to the far
mers to cultivate every foot Of their
soil; none of it is too poor to raise
something"
He also recommends that labor be
conserved for agricultural pursuits
and necessary industries, and that
public work, so far as 1t is possible,
be deferred He asks the citizens to
practice all reasonable economy in the
conservation Of food, bearing in mind
that under present conditions food
was%Sd is food taken from someone
who needs it,
The governors proclamation, which
will be spread broadcast, follows:
I'm so much as our country is now
engaged in a war with the central
powers of Europe, the possible magni.
tude Of which we must not underesti.
mate, feel 1t my duty to call the at
tention of the people of the State OF
Wisconsin to the sacrifices that we
must make and the responsibilities
that we must assume in order that we
may fully cooperate with the national
government in upholding the arms Of
our nation. Whatever disagreement
there may have been about the neces-
sity or advisability of engaging in the
war is now thing of the past War is
upon us and I call upon every citizen
OF the State OF Wisconsin to aid in
the preparations that must be made
90 meet every emergency and to en-
able our state to do its full share in
the support of our government.
military preparations must Of nee
ecessity be controlled by the United
States government. We shall be called
upon to provide our quota Of troops
and feel confident that Wisconsin's
sons win respond to the call OF the
President of the United STATES will
ingly and promptly and with the same
spirit of patriotism that has character.
ized our soldiers in the wars of former
years
Can't Battle With Empty Larders.
Soldiers alone cannot carry on a
war successfully. Battles cannot be
won with empty commissaries. Troops
must be equipped Armies must be
fed. No soldier can endure the hard.
ships Of campaign unless he is pro.
perly nourished. 1t is with view of
awakening our civilian population to
full realization of their duty in the
present situation, therefore, that ad.
dress this message to the people Of
wisconsin
"Fhe most important problem that
confronts us now, and which must be
met in no uncertain way, is to provide
a supply Of food The high cost Of liv.
ing has been source Of complaint in
our industrial centers for more than
two years. The available stocks of
food have been gradually depleted I'm.
til we find ourselves practically with
out any surplus I'm our own country,
and absolute shortage seems to exist
all over Europe. The price of some
commodities, because of this shortage.
has risen so high as to place them ont
Of reach OF the masses of the people.
ITO add to the seriousness of the
situation is the fact that the South
American grain crop is partial fail,
ure and that vast acreage of wheat
in our country has been winter killed.
In the Canadian northwest there
exists a shortage Of labor, which VIII
materially reduce the acreage Of
wheat in that section. The fact that
we shall enlist large army of alb.
bodied young men and take them out
of production, coupled with the fur.
Their fact that large numbers Of la.
boring men viii be required in the
factories that will produce the mum.
tons and other supplies for our army.