New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-12-09
American Farmers. and the War
DEFENCE Of the American farm

not dong MS duty IN the war, IL
made by 1.-THE Prairie Farmer" Chicago
publication, in its issue Of November 3'
"The city dalies," says the editor, ARE
full Of criticism of the farmer, and city
business men have denounced him as an
unpatriotic citizen who seeks only to com
wealth out Of the suffering of hungry
world" Three striking charges, one by
banker Of national reputation, another by
the chairman Of an exemption board, ana
a third by "The Chicago Tribune are
given as a basis for the defence OF the
farmer;
"They will not buy Liberty bonds, pay
taxes. sell their produce, or fight. They nave
profted throughout the entire period OF the
war. but are unwilling to help the govern
mcnt in any Of the four ways mentioned
"The farmer thinks little of his duties az
a citizen, of liberty, humanity, or anything
else save desire TO hoard his crops for inc
purpose OF getting an exorbitant price ior
them"
"Now. in war time, critics of the farmer,
who base their criticism on investigation
find him aIoof. self concerned, indifferent TO
national efforts, and unwilling to exert nm
self for the accomplishment Of national
purposes"
Those are serious charges, to which the
editor replies categorically. in response
10 the Presidents message to the Amerl-
can farmer, the farmer worked harder
and put in longer hours than he had ever
done before. By herculean efforts he
brought waste land under cultivation and
cultivated the old land more intensively.
He borrowed money to buy fertilizers and
machinery at war prices. lie found ms
help lured away from him by the NUM-
ton plants, which offered wages that no
farmer could afford TO pay, even IN war
times. lie filled their places with mex
perienced help, and strOye desperately 10
work effectively with such help. In many
cases his wife and daughter went into the
fields to do their bit in producing the
crops the nation so imperatively de-
mandcd.
During the summer golf courses we're
as crowded as usual with city bankers and
business men. The ball parks were filled
every afternoon Bridge clubs met with
their usual regularity. Coal miners, rail-
road men and shipbuilders struck with
more than usual frequency"
Nevertheless the farmer turned in the
greatest crop the United States has ever
grown, the corn crop alone being "a per
cent larger than that of 1916.
In regard to Liberty bonds, the farm
ers defender admits that farmers gen
orally did not subscribe literally TO the
first loan. There were, however, two good
reasons for this:
"In the first place, farmers generally OPP
crate their farms with smaller amount OF
working capital than is considered necessary
in any other business Of similar proportions.
The first loan came at time when the task
of increasing food production occupied the
farmers tine and strength TO the exclusion
of everything else He needed every cent
he had for seed and labor and fertilizers and
machinery. In most cases he found 1t neces-
sary to supplement his own funds by borrow
ing extensively Without this capital the
production Of this years bumper crops would
not have been possible.
"The second reason-and this applied more
particularly to the first bond issue-was that
the matter was not properly presented to the
farmers. Few city people went voluntarily
TO the banks to buy Liberty bonds. They were
canvassed repeatedly by expert bond sales