Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1917-04-19

foodstuffs.
without abundant food, alike for
the armies and the peoples now at
war; the whole great enterprise on
which we have embarked will break
down and fail. The worlds food re-
serves are low. Not only during the
present emergency, but for some time
after peace shall have come both GU
own people and a large proportion of
the people Of Europe must rely upon
| the harvests in America.
"On the farmers of this country,
therefore, in large measure, 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 production of their land
or that will bring about the most ef-
fectual cooperation in the sale and
distribution of their products. The
time is short.
ct is of the most imperative i'm.
portance that everything possible be
done and done Immediately to make
sure of large harvests.
Appeal to Young and OId
II call on young men and old alike
and on the a%blebodied boys of the
Fland to accept and act on this duty
to turn in hosts to the farmers and
make certain that no pains and no Ia
Dor is lacking in this great matter.
"The government of the United
States and the government of the sew.
eral states stand ready to cooperate.
They will do everything possible to
assist farmers in procuring an ade-
quate supply of seed, an adequate
force of laborers when they are most
needed at harvest time, and the
meal of expediting shipments of fer.
tilizers and farm machinery, as we'll
as of the crops themselves when har-
vested.
"The course of trade shall be as un-
hampered as it is possible to make it,
and there shall be no u~nwarranted
manipulation of the nations food sup
ply by those who handle it on its way
to the This is our oppor-
tunity to demonstrate the efficiency Of
a great democracy and we shall not
fall short of it.
This, let nj say to the middlemen
of every sort, whether they are han
ding our foodstuffs or our raw mate
rails of manufacture or the products
of our mills and factories: The eyes
of the country will be especially upon
you. This is your opportunity for
signal service, efficient and disinter-
ested.
"The country expects you, as it ex-
poets all others, to forego unusual
profits, to organize and expedite ship
ments of supplies of every kind, but
especially of food, with an eye to the
service you are giving and in the spirit
of those who enlist in the ranks, for
their people, not for themselves.
Appeals to Railroad Men.
81 shall confidently expect you to de.
serve and win the confidence of people
Of every sort and station.
"To the me who run the railways
of the country, whether they be man
ayers or operative employees, let me
say the railways are the arteries of
the nations life and that upon them
rests the immense responsibility of
seeing to 1t that those arteries suffer
no obstruction of any kind, no inefi-
cheney OF %slackened power.
"To the merchant let me suggest
the motto: Small profits and quick
SERVICE and to the shipbuilder the
thought that the life of the war de-
ponds upon him.
"The food and the war supplies
must be carried across the seas no
matter how many ships are SEN to
the bottom. The places of those that
go down must be supplied and sup
piled at once. To the miner let me
say that he stands where the farmer
does. The work of the world waits
on him. If he slackens or fails, ar
mics and statesmen are helpless. He
also is enlisted in the great service
army.
THE manufacturer does not need to
be told, hope, that the nation looks
to him to speed and to perfect every
process: and l want only to remind
his employees that their service is alb
solutely Indispensable and is counted
on by every man who loves the coun-
try and it's liberties.
Cultivate the Garden.
Let me suggest also every one who
creates Or cultivates a garden helps
and helps greatly to solve the prob
lem of the feeding of the nations; and
that every house wife who practices
strict economy puts herself in the
ranks of those who serve the nation.
This is the time for America to cor
rect her objectionable fault of waste
fulness and extravaganza.
Let every man and every woman
assume the duty Of careful, provident
use and expenditure as a public duty,
and a dictate of patriatism which no
n a now expect to be excused or
forgiven for ignoring.
'In the hone this Statement of tho