El Nuevo mexicano., 1917-05-03
Don't Rob the Cradle

Uncle Josh, as is we'll known. made the
mistake Of planting his potatoes and onions
too close together, and the onions got In
the potatoes eyes, so that they couldn't
see to grow. This Is one thing we should
beware of when planting our potatoes. An
other thing to be cautious about is plant
ing our potatoes in the wrong place. They
MOULD not be planted IN our, stomachs. 1t
. Just the same as eating the goose that
mid the golden egg.
In connection with the propaganda to
giant the placid and precious potato in the
phenomenally productive and plethoric spots
\ OF the pine-clad plateaus in New Mexico
and let's do it quick--the following warn
ing against cradle-robbing and child murder
in the Chicago Tribune is well worth read
ing: eME
1.-THE chief danger that a nation has OF
eating itself to death is that it puts into its
stomach what ought to be put into the
ground. At present every potato eaten is a
potato which ought to be used as the mother
of a family. aIu
Potato eating is cradle robbing. 1t is
worse than cradle robbing. Every potato on
the market ought to be an ancestor, not a
food. The potato eyes are the providers for
next year and we have so diminished the
supply that unless we cease eating potatoes
now we shall not know anything of potatoes
next year.
1.-THE potato is iife's most nutritious tuber,
bad for fat folk to eat but sustaining for
' the human race to have. II, had a difficult
time establishing itself in Europe and there
is a ceremonial in France connected with
the memory of the man who added this
tuber to the sustenance of a nation.
Next to wheat it is the mainstay of
human sustenance, and when what ought
to- go into the ground goes into the stom-
ach there are likely to be empty stomachs
later. Volunteers for potato saving may
now spring to the table. We doubt the
validity of springing to arms, but springing
to- diets may be effective.
This does not. require much heroism and
gets no brass bands. 1t is atcommonplace
bit of untheatric self-denial, important to
the sustenance and therefore to the security
of the nation.
Thrift is needed for the security of the
republic, and especially; just now, in pota-
toes, Patriotism may be indifferent to so
small an incident in the economy OF the
nation. But II it is Indifferent it is not pa
triotism. s.
"A potato saved now may mean three full
meals earned next October. This war may
be decided by national capacity to supply
the most meals. Nations may be able to
keep on producing high explosive shells and
fail in producing the three squares upon
which nations live and flourish.
Men cannot eat explosive shells and they
may be unable to fire them unless the po-
tato be ready for their sustenance, the po-
tato or some other main sustaining food
which will keep life alive while it is de-
stroying life.
The war may not be decided by destruc-
ton but by production. Destruction and pros
duction are twin sisters, working by seem
ingly opposing methods to the end. A po-t
tato saved is as powerful as a three-inch
shell. coo a Ba
Therefore save, especially potatoes, be-
cause they are needed for seed and not for
pot roasts and salad. Patriots will not eat
potatoes. Potatoes must 60 back into the
ground. They are needed as ancestors, not
as provender."