The record., 1917-10-25
RIGHTS OF AMERICAN AGRIcUL
TURlsTs ENDANGERED BY
EUROPEAN WAR.
SHOULD BE FIRST TO HELP
Every Purchase Of Liberty Bond Is
Blow at German Autoeraey and
Adds Strength to Boys Fight
ing for Democracy.
BY HERBERT QUICK
Member Of the Federal Farm Loan
Board,

Member Of the Federal Farm Loan
Board.
When l am asked why a farmer
should buy Liberty Bonds l wonder
what l should say. 1t is so clear that
the farmer, of all persons, should
make himself the greatest buying
class in the world.
II all the other classes in the United
States should lie down and refuse to
buy, the farmers should rally to the
flag and buy. buy, buy these bonds as
long as they had a cent to invest.
| do not wish to appeal to farmers
to buy bonds because they are good
investments. They are good invest
ments, as any good business man can
see They are safety itself. Nothing
can ever throw doubt on them as in.
vestments. Many farmers are hold
ing lands which do not pay them more
than 2 to per cent after the rents
are collected, the repairs kept up, in
surance paid and taxes settled. II all
the actual and retired farmers in the
United States would put in Liberty
Bonds the money they could get for
lands which pay them less than the
Liberty Bonds will pay, they alone
could buy all the bonds to be issued.
Liberty Bonds pay 4 per cent. They
are the best security for loans at the
banks when the owner wants loan.
They are cheaper to carry than the
land. A man may buy Liberty Bonds
and forget about them except to col
lect the interest every six months.
But that is not the main reason why
We should buy, and buy, and keep on
buying as long as any are offered. The
farmer should buy Liberty Bonds be-
cause the value of his farm, the
chance to make peaceful American
living, the very right to an independ-
ent life is staked On this war.
The German empire threatens the
world. 1t seeks to take from US the
very thing that makes our farms val
liable. What is the value of a farm,
anyhow, except the privilege of liv-
ing free American life on a particu-
lar piece of land? Take that away,
and your farm becomes a thing which
is worthless.
Germany is out to conquer the
world. Germany still has the chance
70 crush Russia, France, Italy and
Great Britain. II she brushes them,
she oFusllas us; fox we are in the war
until the finish.
II Germany wins, our lands will at
once be mortgaged for all the terrible
struggle which will then be upon US
to save ourselves from invasion. She
will demand of US that we pay her
indemnities running into the tens and
perhaps hundreds of billions of dol
lars. All these indemnities, if Ger
many could defeat us, and the fight
against them in case we alone are
able to defeat her, will be a mortgage
on every acre of farm land in the
United States.
Germany is half licked now. We
have fighting with US the mightiest
nations of the world. If We cannot
whip her with their help what will a
farm be worth in the United States
when We face her alone?
Buy bonds, farmers, and help make
the world safe for our kind of life
the life of democracy. Let us strike
for freedom as did the farmers of New
Engiand At Lexington and Concord.
and the farmers Of the South at
Kings Mountain.
Let us finish Germany now. while
We have help.
Let it never be said that the farm
ers Of the United States refused their
'l1n,9pey while our young men are CIV
ing their lives for the hottest cause
ever fought for. Let us strike for our
affairs and our fires-and Cor the farms
we love. All these are at stake in
this the greatest of all wars. Don't
'let your dollars be slackers.