The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-04-16

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lconducting the fight for peace and
freedom just as truly and just as EN-
GENTLY as the men on the battleflelds
| or in the trenches.
The Industrial forces of the coun-
try. men and women alike. will be
great national. great international
service army-a noble and honoreo
host engaged in the service of the ma
ton and the world, the efficient friends
and saviors of free men everywhere
| Thousands, nay, hundreds of thou
sands of men otherwise liable to mill
tary service, will, of right and of ne
cessity, be excused from that service
and be assigned to this fundamental
work.
World Food Reserve Low.
THE supreme need is an abundance
| of supplies and especially of food
stuffs. The importance of an adequate
food supply, especially for the present
year, is superlative. Without abund-
ant food the whole great enterprise
upon which we have embarked will
break down and fall. The worlds food
reserves are low. Not only during the
present emergency but for some time
after peace shall have come both our
own people and a large proportion of
the people of Europe must rely upon
1.-THE harveSts in America. Upon the
farmers OIL this country, therefore, in
large measures, rest the fate of war
and the fate of the nation. The time
is short. It is of the most impera-
tive Importance that everything pos
sible be done to make sure of large
harvests. ! call upon young men and
old alike and upon able bodied boys to
accept. and act upon this duty and
make certain that no pains and no Ia
Dor is lacking in this great matter.
Il particularly appeal to the farm
ters of the south to plant abundant
foodstuffs as well as cotton. They
can show their patriotism in no bet
ter or convincing way than by resist
ing the great temptation of the pres
ent price of cotton and helping upon
a great scale to feed the nation and
the peoples everywhere who are
fighting for their liberty and for our
own. The variety of their crops will
be the visible measure of their COM
prehension of their national duty.
Federal and States Cooperate.
1.-The federal government and the
governments of the several states
stand ready to cooperate. They will
do everything possible to assist farm
ers in securing an adequate supply of
seed, an adequate force of laborers
when they are most needed at harvest
time, and the means of expediting
shipments of fertilizers and farm ma
chinery as well as of the crops them
selves when harvested. The course
of trade shall be as unhampered as it
is possible to make it, and there shall
be no unWarranted monopolization Oh
the nations food supply by those who
handle it on its way to the consume.
This is our opportunity to demon
strate the efficiency of a great demo-
cracy and we shall not fall short of 1t.
This, let me say to the middlemen
of every sort: The eyes of the coun-
| try will be especially upon you. This
is your opportunity for signal serv-
ice. The country expects you to fore
go unusual profits, to organize and
expedite shipments. especially of food
with eye to the service you are
| rendering and in the spirit of those
who enlist in the ranks for their peo-
pie, not for themselves. 1 shall conf
IDENTITY expect you to deserve and win
the confidence of the people.
No Obstruction to Railroads.
ITO the men who run the railways
of the country, whether they be MAJ
| ayers or operative employees let me
say that the railways are the arteries
of the nations life and that upon
: them rests the immense responsibility
| of seeing to it that these arteries SUI
fer no obstruction of any kind, no ir-
efficiency or slackening power. To
the merchant let me suggest the
motto: Small profits and quick .serv-
ice;' and to the ship builder the
thought that the life of the war de-
ponds on him. The food and war
supplies must be carried across the
seas no matter how many ships are
those that go down must be supplied
and supplied 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,
armies and, statesmen are helpless
: The manufacturer does not need to
5 be told, I hope, that the nation looks
to him to speed and perfect every
5 process, and I want only to remind hiS
employees that their service is ade-
, quately indispensable.
Even the Humble Garden.
Let me suggest also that every one
/, who creates or cultivates a garden
. helps greatly to solve the problems OF
!, feeding of the nation; and that every
housewife who practices strict econ
omy puts herself in the ranks of those
who serve the nation. This is the time
able fault of wastefulness and extrav-
for America to correct her unpardon-
agance. Let every man and every
4 woman assume the duty of careful
e provident use and expenditure as a
1 public duty, a dictate of patriotism
= which no one can now expect ever to
= be excused or forgiven for ignoring.
In the hope that this statement OF
I the needs of the nation and of the
I world in this hour of supreme crisis
r may stimulate those to whom it comes
and remind all of the solemn duties
= of time such as the world has never
seen before, l beg that all editors and
pubnSnerSi everywhere Will give as
prominent publication and wide
circulation as possible to this appeal
l venture to suggest, also, to all adver-
Using agencies that they would per-
haps render a very substantial and
timely service to the country if they
would give it widespread repetition
f And 1 hope that clergymen will not
think the theme of it an unworthy OF
inappropriate subject of comment and
hornily from their puIpits.
The supreme test of the nation has
!, ! come. We must all speak, act anC
u serve together.
(Signed) WOODROW WILSON"