Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1917-04-18
STATE ENLISTS
IN FOOD BATTLE
Wisconsin Taking Lead in Civic
Preparedness.
GOV. Philip IN PROCLAMATION

WIZ bAGi Tvs tiSS@.fNsshh'~
Program Calls for Largest Production
of Foodstuffs in History of State.
Battles Cannot Be Won With Emp
ty commissirat, Declares the Gov
ernor-Urges That Every Foot Of
Soil Be cutiVated.-"None too Poor
to Raise Something"
Madison, Wis. Especially .--Govefnor
E. L. Philip has signed the bill Gre
ating a state council of defense, and
this body has outlined the most COM
prehensiye program of civic prepared
ness ever attempted in this or any
other state in the union. The defense
body will cooperate with the national
council of defense in the mobilization
of resources, and machinery now in
motion spells statewide cooperation,
with the business man, the banker,
the manufacturer, the farmer and the
women of Wisconsin all taking part
preparedness program at this time
calls for the production Of more food
stuff than Wisconsin has even pro-
Guced. Governor Philip has issued
proclamation in which he says the
| man with the hoe will be rendering a
real patriotic service in this war He
says that soldiers alone cannot carry
on war successfully; that battles
cannot be won with emDty commits
sares, and he is appealing "a the far
mers to cultivate every foot of their
soil; none of it is too poor to raise
something"
He also recommends that labor be
conserved for agricultural pursuits
and necessary industries, and that
public work, so far as it is possible,
be deferred. He asks the citizens to
practice all reasonable economy in the
conservation of food, bearing in mind
that under present conditions food
wa.$. d is food taken fIom someone
who needs it.
The governors proclamation. which
win be spread broadcast, follows:
'In so much as our country is now
engaged in a war with the central
powers of Europe. the possible magni
tude> of which we must not underesti-
mate, l feel it m duty to cali the at
| tenton Of the people of the State of
Wisconsin to the sacrifices that we
must make and the responsibilities
that we must assume in order that we
may fully cooperate with the national
| government in upholding the arms Of
our nation, Whatever disagreement
there may have been about the neces
| sity or advisability of engaging in the
war is now a thing of the past. War is
upon us and call upon every citizen
| of the State of Wisconsin to aid in
the preparations that must be made
to meet every emergency and to en-
able our state to do its full share IN
the support of our government.
Military preparations must of nee
ecessity be controlled by the United
l States government. We shall be called
upon to provide our quota of troops
and feel confident that Wisconsin's
sons will respond TO the call of the
President of the United States will
ingly and promptly and with the same
spirit of patriotism that has character
lied our soldiers in the wars of former
years.
Can't Battle With Empty Larders.
Soldiers alone cannot carry on a
war successfully. Battles cannot be
won with empty commissaries. Troops
must be equipped. Armies must be
fed No soldier can endure the hard
ships of campaign unless he is pro,
perly nourished. 1t is with view of
awakening our civilian population to a
| full realization of their duty in the
present situation, therefore, that I ad-
dress this message to the people of
Wisconsin.
''The most important problem that
confronts us now, and which must be
met in no uncertain way. is to provide
supply of food. The high cost of liv-
| ing has been source of complaint in
our industrial centers for more than
two years. The available stocks Of
| food have been gradually depleted IN
| til we find ourselves practically with
out any surplus in our own country.
and absolute shortage seems to exist
| all over Europe. The price of some
commodities, because OF this shortage.
| has risen so high as to place them out
of reach of the masses of the people.
"To add to the seriousness of the
situation is the fact that the South
American grain crop is a partial fail
ure and that vast acreage of wheat
| in our country has been winter killed.
| IN the Canadian northwest there
exists a shortage of labor, which will
materially reduce the acreage of
wheat in that section. The fact that
we shall enlist a large army of able
bodied young men and take them out
of production, coupled with the fur
Their fact that large numbers of la
boring men will be required in the
factories that will produce the mum.
tons and other supplies for our army,
may produce a similar shortage of Ia
Dor in our agricultural districts.
81 regard this as serious situation.
particularly in view of the fact that
we must feed an army In addition to
our Industrial population, and also
provide food supplies to the people Of