Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-04-20
The Flag and the PlOW.

That is a wise and stirring slogan which the
farmers OF Ben Hill and Irwin counties nave
adopted:
Mail 3 flag to your pIow, and work Tor
your country as you would fight for her.
What is more the precept is being put INTO pra0'i
literally and with overwhelming enthusiasm
T-on, hundreds Of pIowshares throughout that sec
ton of Georgia. the Stars and Stripes are flying
and the loyal regiments of the soil are going for
w.rd in the nations cause. This is workmanly
natrtottsm II Cincinnatus with us today we
doubt very much that he would leave the furroW
70 follow the flag hungry though his heart would
be for the fight. Instead, he would dedlcate MS
farm with all his strength and soul to the repuo-
Hes needs and turn his plowshare toward the de-
feat of the Hohenzollern sword. Certainly the
farmers OF the South. as President Wilson says
can give no better more useful proof OF their
patriotism than ''by helping. and helping upon a
great scale to feed the nation and the peoples
everywhere who fighting for their liberties
and for own own"
The outcome of the war depends largely on the
daprea of fatthfulness and efficiency with which
American farmers respond to the Presidents ap-
peal It is chiefly to this country that England
and France, whose men already are in the HELD
fighting our battles, look for their supply OF grain
and meat and other necessaries. Their own ener-
gies are absorbed in the grim business OF pressing
forces
spending their life blood in the on which our
weI-being no less than theirs depends. The least
then that we can do In justice and honor is to take
over as far as possible the task of provisioning
their heroic armies and selfsacricing people. That
is the fundamental need the fundamental duty
which our common cause with the Entente democ-
racies presents. If fail in that all our military
plans and efforts will be woefully hampered IL not
entirely unayafling. An American army in France
would be more OF a burden than an aid If it in
creased the drain upon that countys all too slen-
der supplies Of food. Our projected campaign
against the U-baats would be but half successful
il we were unable to fill ships with food cargoes
after the submarine menace had been broken. Our
prospective loan of three billion dollars to the AL
lies would serve only part of its purpose, If we
were unprepared to furnish them the food necessa-
ries without which all the gold in the world would
be useless. A bountiful production OF foodstufs
therefore is essential to the success of all else
that we shall undertake. it is essential to endur-
ance OF allies and to the victory OF our cause.
The production must be bountiful beyond prece-
dent to meet those urgent needs and at the same
time take care OF our own people The task would
be a heavy IL it only to overcome the
present shortage in the American supply OF grain
and meat and kindred staples; but besides doing
that we must overcome a world shortage. YET
when patriotism is breathed into this country's
wondrous energies and resources. the task is in
wise discouraging one. When the flag is nailed
TO the pillow, and farmers work for their nation as
they would fight for IT, we shall witness bringing
forth OF harvests the like of which this land with
all its fruitfulness has never known. We shall
find Georgia, and other Southern States which here
tofore have depended distant sections for their
food supplies, virtually self-sustaining Our duty
to ourselves and allies will be fulfilled, and
once again Americas "embatted farmers" will have
fired q shot heard round the world
Now for getting out the shovel and the hoe.