Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1917-04-26
eaowMsvllE oAly HERALD: IHyaspAy, APRIL 2s, Is7.

would require more. men o. enforce Il re-
s,trleted diet han it woald 10 proIlcc
cnouh 10 turn Il scarcity into an abund-
ance.
america has acres enough if reasona-
bly, well worked to feed both herself and
western Europe. Here lies herstrength in
the present struggle, ii only she is wise
enough to know il before she throws away
her one great and peculiar opportunity.
"But it vii mot take care of itself. II
enlistment for service at the front Is TO
be made unfortunately and without
plans to definitely increase labor OF the
land, then it is inevitable that food will
droi 10 "A level that par y oasily prove Is
a%strous.
but il VIII u [ :akc care of itself. II
of labor for general manufacture! As
suredly it will, but now j. a tine to cut
ont Injuries of drasa> and display, IL nee
essary, and get down TO the serious bust
ness of meeting the exigencies involved IN
war. In times iist ahca1, the man or
the women that INDUCES in excessive lux
ury is helping by Just that much to defeat
the country. That he has the money to
pay for it. has nothing 10 do with the ques-
ton. When men are needed not only at
the front but in the eornfields in order that
those fighting or liberty and their little
ones shall ~starve, no man or woman has a
right to absorb the time and strength OF a
dozen able bodied men in unnecessary ser
vice.
"This and all other service not needed in
the serious business of war and the nece--
sary business of living is needed o n the
land, and the University of lllinos pro-
poses definite enlistment, in what may be
called the civil mihtary service of men
who are permanently or temporarily dis
qualified for military service at the front
and of boys fourteen to eighteen years of
age, especially those looking to active SER
vice later on.
"These men and boys should all receive
the regular military pay, be uniformed, or
gained and in every way recognized a in
the public service. They should be quar-
tered ut agricultural camps located ut con-
%venient points upon land rented by the
government and suitable for the growth of
small fruits, vegetables, cotton and to-
bacco-crops that require much hard labor
under conditions that make supervision
feasible.
Every attempt should be made 10 place
as many of them AZ possible upon actual
farms. under furlough and off govern
ment pay, the workman-soldicr to be paid
by the farmer the going wage of the To-
cality il being understood that if d~issatis-
faction arises, the man shall return TO
camp and the lower wages.
THE camp should be under military dis
cipline and frequent but not exacting drill,
for the first business is food production.
and for this purposes the little army
should he under agricultural leaders skill
ed in the production of the special crops TO
be grown at the particular camp. There
should also be located in connection with
these camps facilities for drying and 9th
erwise preparing food for preservation and
transportation.
"In this way shortage of food may be
avoided. Not only that the machinery is at
hand for pushing the supply to any desired
level. and that too while men and boys are
getting a degree of military training. which
will be of value to those who later may
enter the regular service. The only real
question Is: Will the United States mobil-
ize a definitely for food as il will for
fightingi In considering this question, it
l. hardly necessary To point out the i'm
portance of having n more food riots in
this country while the war lasts.
"A prominen. Englishman was right
VIXEN he =aid that food is Americas great
ct possible contribution 20 ihe war.'