The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1917-05-11

and the peoples now at war, the whole
great enterprise upon which we have
embarked will break down and fail.
The worlds food reserves are low.
Not only during the present emerg-
ency but for some time after peace
shall have come both our own peO-
pie and large proportion of the peo-
pie of Europe must rely upon the
harvests in America. Upon the farm
ers Of this country, therefore, in large
measures, rests the fate of the war
and the fate Of the nations. May the
nation not count upon them to omit
no step that will increase the produc-
ton Of their land or that will bring
about the most effectual cooperation
in the sale and distribution of their
products? The time is short. 1t is of
the most imperative Importance that
everything possible be done and done
Immediately to make sure of large
harvests. call upon young men and
old alike and upon the able-bodied
boys Of the land to accept and act up
on this duty,-to turn in hosts to the
farms and make certain that no pains
and no labor is lacking in this great
matter.
An Appeal to Farmers Of the South
I particularly appeal to the farmers
Of the South to plant abundant food
stuffs as well rs cotton. They can
show their patriotism in no better or
more convincing way than by resist
the great temptation of the present
price of cotton. and helping, helping
upon a great scale, to feed the nation
and the peoples everywhere who are
| fighting for their liberties and for our
own. The variety Of their crops will
be the visible measure of their COM
prehension of their national duty.
Government to Assist Agriculture
The Government of the United
States stand ready to cooperate. They
will do everything possible to assist
farmers in securing an adequate sup
ply of seed, an adequate force Of la
borers when they are most needed, at
harvest time, and the means of ex-
pediting shipments of fertilizers and
farm machinery, as we'll as of the
crops themselves when harvested
The course of trade shall be as un-
hampered as it Is possible to make II
and there shall be no 'unwarranted
manipulation of the nations food sup
ply by those who who handle 1t on Its
way to the consumer. This is our
opportunity to demonstrate the eff
ficiency of a great Democracy, and
We shall not fall short of it!
This let me say to the middlemen
of every sort, whether they are hand
ling our foodstuffs or our raw ma
terials of manufacture or the prod
ucts Of our mills and factories: The
eyes Of the country will be especially
upon you. This Is your opportunity
for signal service, efficient and dis.
interested. The country expects you
as 1t expects all others, to forego un.
usual profits, to organize and expedite
1 shipments Of supplies of every kind
but especially Of food, with an eye
to the service you are rendering and
in the spirit of those who enlist In
the ranks, for their people, not for
themselves. shall confidently ex-
pect you to deserve and win the con.
fidence Of the people of every sort
and station.
For Every Household
Let me suggest, also, that everyone
who creates or cultlvates a garden
helps, and helps greatly to solve the
problem Of the feeding of the nations
and that every housewife who prac.
tees strict economy puts herself In
the ranks Of those who serve the ma
ton. This 70 tho time tor America
to corpot her objectionable fault Of
wastefulness and extravaganza. lie,
every man and every woman assume
the duty OF careful, provident use ant
expenditure as q public duty. o. q die
tate Of patriotism which no one car
now expect ever to DO excused or for
given for ignoring.
TO Puhllsherx and Advertisers
In The hope that this statement o
the nseds Of re nation and Of IN
world n this hour d supreme csisI
nay elInnlAle lhoss n whom teoms
Z = R|al ~ she ~ f1nIr,rr !