The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1917-05-01
We Need the Help of
the Farmer-Here's Way
4 For Us 10 Help the Farmer

The Times has a letter from Clifford
Pinchot.
Pinchot's letter is alarming, but he In
sists he is no alarmist.
He insists that the safety of our coun-
try just now is in the hands of the farm
ers.
What he insists has always been pretty
much can accepted fact. but Pinchot
writes from the standpoint Of war and
INVASION by Germany
"Many a man viii make light Of the
picture until he has thought the matter
over" he says, "but Z venture to say
that few will treat it lightly after care
full thought
Here is Pinchot's line of reasoning:
The safety Of the United states against toreign
invasion hangs on The decision Of ne farmers
Of the fortyeight states
The two great weapons In this war are arms
and starvation The war against German arms
will be won or lost in France-the war against
starvation will be won or lost ia America. The
Kaiser cannot whip the French and English arm
les and the English navy while England has
food But It is still possible that the German
submarines may be able TO keep food enough
from reaching England to starve her into sub
mission.
II the submarines win, the first item IN the
Kaisers terms of peace will be the English feet
With the English feet in his possession. the
Kaiser will be master of the world.
What will happen 10 Us then? Every man
who stops 10 think Knows the answer We shall
have money. food. labor. and.-everything that
Is desirable in the world except the power 70
protect what we have. Experts estimate that
Il will take us nine months 10 get ready 10 meet
q German army OF even 10000 men. with mod.
srn artillery. Under such circumstances, would
the Germans treat us better than they have al
ready treated Belgium and France2
Even II the Armies Of our Allies should crush
the German military power this summer, before
the shortage Of food can reach the point OF want,
The world would still need vast quantities OF
American food. But Il they do not only one
course can make US safe, and that is 70 grow
food enough on our farms fOr ourselves and our
Allies, and to put ships enough on the sea 10
carry the food in spite of the submarines, TO the
men who are fighting our fight.
II the war lasts beyond this summer, II will be
the American farmer who will win or lose the
war, who will overcome militarism and auto
cracy, or allow them 10 spread and control the
world ourselves included.
The clear duty Of the nation is TO guarantee
the farmers a fair price for their crops when
grown, and reasonable supply Of labor at har
vest. The clear duty OF the farmer Is 70 raise
food enough to win this war for democracy
against Kaisersm.
No such responsibility has ever rested on any
class of men since the world began as rests today
on the farmers OF America.
In his fear of invasion of our country
by Germany, Pinchot is not alone.
In his theory that the American farm
err has an important part to play, PincHot
is not alone.
In his plea that we must not only
grow but CONSERVE food, Pinchot is
not alone.
We have suggestion to make, sup
porting Pinchot but in making it, insofar
as there seems to be hope of its imme-
date adoption in Washington is con-
cerned, we feel very MUCH alone.
They are calling on the farmer to help
the government.
We want to suggest how the govern
ment can help the farmer
We want to suggest a plan for con-
serving the wheat supply, so that it can
be made to go farthest.
We want to suggest that there will be
more wheat, from which to make -four
and bread, and that there will be less
likelihood of a German invasion follow
ing defeat of the Allies thru starvation,
if our government will INSIST upon all
wheat being used for food, and make
sure that it IS used for food by stopping
at once the manufacture from II Of IN
TOXICATING LIQUOR.
--------