The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-03-26
MONDAY MORNING, MARCH 2e, 1917.
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The United States is entering upon a great war
Some Of our people do not yet seem to realize the
fact. How long it will last. how far reaching will
be the consequences, no man can now foretcll.
The government is already making big prepare
ton for the coming conflict This morning dis
patches tell the story OF placing the navy
footing and the calling into of several reg
ments of the national guard.
One week from today congress will convene in
extraordinary session and week from tomorrow
Joint resolution will be passed, declaring that a
state Of exists between the United states and
Germany. The weeks following will probably bring
forth universal military training law, under which
the millionaire the ditch digger will alike
in the training camps and at the front
We are immeasurably rich in men, money and
munitions of There is. however one weak
spot in for the national defense-food
The reserve supply of food for the world is prac-
tically exhausted The fighting nations Of Europe
and the few surrounding small neutral countries
are barren Of food supplies. England, Germany.
France and Austria have reached the point where
actual starvation threatens.
Under the stimulation of high prices, the United
States Canada and the Argentine have been drained
of food supplies, until the situation in these coun-
tries has at least become acute.
The production of sugar has ceased in all Europe;
these countries have devoured most of their tile
sheep and hogs; the grain that will be in Eu-
rope this year will not supply one half OF their de-
mands, even with the strong arm Of government
itself doleng out the daily allowance.
With our own depleted reserves of grain. sugar
and meats and the extra demand that will come
from provisioning army and navy of a million
men, record breaker crop this year in this coun-
try will little more than supply needs, with
scarcely nothing left for export.
The Mssoulian has several times urged the plant :
ing to crop this spring Of every available in
western Montana. This year will be the banner
year for tho with few acres of land a plow
and team of horses.
II the farmers will ordinary business
judgment and seed every nook and corner Of their
land they will have more money November
than they have ever heretofore possessed
Western Montana can easily double its last years
ontput-if we viii only get down to real business,
Potatoes, sugar bccts, wheat, oats. barley hay
everything.
There is ordinarily enough waste in these
west side counties, uncutiva,cd and unwatcrcd to
feed half the people in Montana.
There enough barren town lots and back
yards in Mssoula, if planted month, to 20
t'tocs cabbage, turnps tomatoes onions, Dcets
cucumb'rs caulflowcr, rhubarb and r,dishcs tc
half feed the $1,000 PEOPLE living here next winter
And we going to stand sadly in need Of these
things before another month Of March roll.
around. The high cost of living is going still higher
during the coming II months. The in Mis-
soula. with vacant lot or ground enough for ;
backyard garden who does get out his spad
and hoe and this spring and invest a few
dimes in seed potatoes and other vegetables vii
have one to blame but himself fan an,
winter when the monthly bills mount higher an
higher
The trouble with is that things have com
too easy for US. Most Of prefer going dow
town" and talking politics and playing Stuff an
pnochle to spading up gardens and hocing pc
tatoes.
If the eighth grade boys and the high school ba
tallion were mustered into q potato campais
alone for one hour each afternoon this spring ar
summer Mssoula could easily raise every bushe
potatoes consumed in the town year and tn.
have some to sell at the prices that sure
going to prevail
If the eighth grade boys in the country schot
in these west side counties would each plant ju
one acre of sugar beets this spring they could ca
have slo0 dollars in cash next october. Such