Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-04-19
FARMING FOR TINE HUMAN RACE.

FARMING FOR the HUMAN RACE.
Here in Iowa. close to the farms, we
are farthest from starvation. lowans
| ind it hard to realize that the scarcity
! of food supplies tor the world and for
this country itself is pressing and
alarming That this country should be
short of food is tn ne farming dis
;ricts and states largely Incompetent
sible. We are so used TO plenty and
TO spare that conditions that tend to-
ward famine are beyond common UNI
Outstanding
1t was so in Iowa during the panic
Of 1907. About all that panic did to
US of Iowa was to force US to write
two checks if we desired to get $50
out of bank. But that panic and its
effects were plainly observable in tho
cities and farther east. People de-
pendent upon daily labor for daily
bread were hungry and begging in
the stretes for the means to buy food.
SlS VI l"SINe I.uS OiOuSHl lA-
Iowa into touch with conditions the
average Iowa did not know existed.
Conditions this spring are most
alarming. Iowans should realize thi;
and do the most that can be done to
| correct them. We who may must raise
| the food that we and others may eat.
The National City Bank of New
York in a paragraph sets forth the
wheat conditions and the scarcity Of
| that common necessity thus:
| All Of Europe-neutrals as well as
warning coUntries--has been placed
upon food rations to exc out supplies
until the new crop Is harvested. This
country entered the present crop year
| !ast July with l64,000,000 bushels OF
wheat carried over from the crop Of
1915, and in 1916 produced 49,, 100000
| bushels Of winter wheat and l5S,000, 900
! OF spring wheat; total supply, SO4,0Q0,-
| 600. This year there will be practical
| ly no wheat carried over and the gov
ernments estimate upon the winter
| crop forecasts a yield Of only 400, 0O0,-
600. On this basis thes pring wheat
| crop must be 2l4,O00,00O bushels larger
| than last year in order to give us
wheat supply equal to what we will
export and consume in the crop year
now closing. This is an alarming out
look. The spring wheat crop is notori-
ously subject to weather conditions.
More spring wheat should be sown, bu:
it is doubtful If the wheat shortage
IN T.L
| must be crops must be grown to meet
the deficiency.
| This country is now at war; and our
, allies. Belgium, Great Britain, France
and italy are dependent upon us for
food. They will have no reserves, and
must have more from us in the coming
year than in the past, or they will
not be able to feed al their people.
Added to the appeals Of starving hui
mainly will be military reasons max
| ing it impossible for US to put an en-
barge upon the expectation Of food
We must divide what we grow this
year with these countries and with
the neutral countries-Holland. Den
mark, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland
and Spain--which are not self-sus-
tanning In grain supplies. And not only
must we supply enough to keep these
peoples from starving, but enough to
cover the heavy losses at sea which
result from the submarine warfare
If We grow no more food than we did
last year-and so far the outlook Is
for less-there is danger of a food stu
alton such as the world in modern
times has not dreamed Of. No other
country has the resources in land and
population to meet this emergency but
the United States. There Is no busi-
ness upon which all other business
depends as upon this Of growing big
crop in America this year. And the
work must be started Immediately.
Get the picture Of congested popuIa-
tons of the great cities deprived OF
food, Mr.. Farmer. Look around on
your own family and the prosperous
neighborhood and imagine millions de-
. pendent upon your farms for the food
to sustain life. See that picture well
After that count your profits, for great
as they must be they are and should
be subsidiary in your mind to proven
ton Of famine conditions among the
helpless people of the congested cen.
; tiers.
1t is up to you to work for the world
The world has been working for yol
for the last decade. OF all classe!
} yours has been most prosperous. 70,
: are emancipated from the old tim'
servitude Of the farmer and the farm
ing interests VIII never again decline
fPay your debt CIT busy. And tax
luyour PROFIT yyith Ne thsrkp offs worl'