Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-04-03
LARGE Attendance Looked
For at Food Conference
In Atlanta Next Thursday

Grower, have promised their cordial CO.
| operation.
DIR. A. NJ. Soule, president OF the Geor-
| gia State College of Agriculture at
Athens, will take a prominent part IN
4 the conference, being a member Of the
subcommittee of three appointed to for
mulate planting schedule for food
! crops.
The purpose of the conference, as pre-
viously announced, is to organize the
farmers, supply merchants and bankers
Of the southeastern states in a move
ment TO raise enormously increased
yields Of food in this territory this year.
The date of the conference was fixed
early on account of the fact that plant
ing time is at hand Unless the farms
ers plant food crops in the next few
weeks 1t will be too late.
Necessity for planting food crops
arises from the fact that the United
States is about to enter the war and
raise an army of probably 100000
men. This army will absorb the entire
surplus of food crops grown In the west,
after shipping as much to the allies as
the United States can spare. The south
will be left without any food except
the food 1t grows at home. Unless
southern farmers raise enough to feed
themselves and sell to the non-producing
classes of the south, this section Of
the country will confront the worst food
shortage since the Civil war.
To meet this alarming situation the
United States department of agricul-
ture will cooperate with the food con-
ference next Thursday. Representa-
tives OF the department will be here to
confer with the farmers, supply mer-
chants and bankers. Secretary -Hous-
ton himself will probably attend.
~Nr1,$ tIaIi
yesterday to as many newspaper edi-
tors in the southeastern states. urging
them to cooperate I'm securing a large
and representative attendance at the
conference. With the letter was sent
he following presentation of the stu
axiom which the south Is facing with
the certainty of war:
ALARMING SITUATION.
I'VE call your attention to the ca
lamity which threatens the south.
In war the problem is one not sole
ly of men and munitions, but Of food
supply. The south can furnish men,
and, to a certain extent, munitions. but
in the matter of food supply we are
helpless, unless there is a heavy in
crease of food crops at once. We do
not even feed ourselves. AS matters
now stand, we are fed from the hog
pens and the stock farms and the
granarles Of the west Many people in
the south have felt It necessary to
deny this or gloss it over. This may
be all very we'll in times of peace. but
when this war comes the truth will
lie exposed. We viii be face to face |
with absolute want. Not only will we |
be unable to furnish food for the
armies, but we Will be unable to feed
our people at home. We will become |
burden upon the nation, because the |
nation will find it necessary to supply |
US with something to eat.
at has been estimated tina; OO,OOO,- |
600 of foodstuffs. including animal
products are brought into the south
each year In addition to what we, our
selves, produce. When all this food is
needed for the armies and for the CT
lillian population in other sections of
the country, TO say nothing of the ex-
p0ris to Europe. how are we to be fed?
There is but one answer to this ques-
ton We must take immediate steps |
u produce upon our own farms some
thing that will support man and beast !
% we shall suffer. This issue can be
avoided no longer. We must face it
and face II at once.
Every well informed man knows
that food is scarce the world over, and
food crops under these conditions are
sure to bring high prices. Corn is sell
ing at the highest price ever known in
H. MS, DRY OF the country.
"A man in position to know predicts
that no wheat will be available in this
country by July l for any purpose
whatever 1t will be we'll nigh crimi- |
nal for our farmers and for the men
who control the great plantations, and
for he bankers who hnance these men,
and for the merchants who have been
accustomed TO supply them to follow
out their present plans and put every !
available acre IN cotton.
Our grain crops were practically de-
stroyed by the cold wave a few pnonths
ago 1t is understood that farmers
have determined to plant all this oat
and wheat land in. cotton. Every means .
should be exerted to prevent this. The
big farmer and the little farmer .
throughout the south ought TO be
shown that II is his patriotic duty to .
grow sufficient foodstuffs upon his
farm not only to feed his own family .
and his own stock, but to give some
assistance at least to the government /
I'm taking care of the. men in the army
and the navy. Let II not he said that
in these critical times the south has
become a burden upon the nation, is
unable to sustain herself and unable
to be OF any service 70 the country"
GOVERNORS STATEMENT.
In connection with the conference, the
Georgia chamber Of commerce has given
out statement from Governor Harris
in which he is quoted as favoring ag-
gressive action in waging a food crop
campaign for two outstanding reasons
the near approach Of the war and the
near approach Of the boil weevil
The statement says:
During the Civil war Georgia was