The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1917-04-16

aged and better adapted to the par ticular requirements of our task than they have been; and what I want to say is that the men and the women who devote their thought and their energy to these things will be serving the country and conducting the fight for peace and freedom just as truly and just as effectively as, the men on the battlefield or in the trenches. The industrial forces of the country, men and women alike, will be a great na- tional a great international service army-a notable and honored host engaged in the service of the nation and the world, the efficient friends and savious of free men everywhere. Thousands, nay, hundreds of thou sands, of men otherwise liable to mil- itary service will of right and of ne- cessity be, excused from that service and assigned to the fundamental sus- taining work of the fields and facto- ries and mines, and they will be as much part of the great patriotic forces of the nation as the men under fire.
 T take the liberty, therefore, o1 addressing this word to the farmers ot the country and to all who work or the farms: The supreme need of our own nation and of the nations with which we are cooperating is an abundance of supplies, and especially of foodstuffs. The importance of all adequate food supply, especially fol the present year, is superlatiye. With out abundant food, alike for the arm ies and the peoples now at war, the whole great enterprise upon which we have embarked will break down and fail. The worlds food reserves are low. Not only during the present emergency, but for some time after peace shall have come, both our, own people and a large proportion of the people of Europe must rely upon the harvests in America.
 Upon the farmers of this country therefore, in large measure rests the fate of the war and the fate of the nations May the nation Lot count upon them to omit no step that wifi increase the production of their land or that will bring about the most eff fectual cooperation in the sale and distribution of their products? The time is short. It5is of the most i'm perative importance that everything possible be done, and done immediate ly, to make sure of large harvests. I call upon young men and old alike and upon the able bodied boys of the land to accept and act upon this duty ito turn in hosts to the farms and make certain that no pains and no la
 bar is s lacking in this great mat ter.
 T particularly appeal to the farm CTS of the South to plant abundant foodstuffs, as we'll as cotton. They can show their patriotism in no bet ter or more convincing way than by resisting, the great temptation of the present price If cotton and helping, helping upbn a great fscale. ito feed the nation and the peoples everywhere who are fighting for their liberties and for our OWL The variety of ure of their Comprehension of their national duty. ..s. ! .s s.....
 'The Government of x the United States and the Governments' of the several states stand ready to cooper ate. They will do everything possi- ble to assist farmers in securing an adequate supply Of seed. an adequate force of laborers when they are most needed, at harvest time, and the means of expediting shipments of fer tiizers and farm machinery, as we'll as of the crops themselves when har- vested. The course of trade shall be as unhampered as 1t is possible to make it, and there shall be no un- warranted manipulation of the na- tons food supply by those who han de it on it's, way to the consumer. This is our opportunity to demonstrate the efficiency of a great democracy, and we shall not fall short of it!
 Thus let me say to the middlemen of every sort, whether they are hand ling our foodstuffs or our raw ma terials of manufacture or the products of our mills and factories: The eyes of the country will be especially upon you. This is your opportunity for signal service, efficient and disinterest- ed. The country expects you, as it expects all others, to forego unusual profits, to organize and expedite ship ments of supplies of every kind, but especially of food, with an eye to the service you are rendering and in the spirit of those who enlist in the ranks, for their people, not for them selves shall confidently expect you to deserve and win the confidence of people of every sort and station.
 f''To the men who run the railways of the country, whether they be man agers or operative employees, let me say that the railways are the arteries of the nations life and that upon them rests the immense responsibiI- ity of seeing to it that those arteries suffer no obstruction of any kind, no inef1ciency or slackened power. To the merchant let me suggest the mot to, Small profits and quick service '' and to the shipbuilder the thought that the life of the war depends upon him. The food and the war supplies must be carried across the seas, no matter how many ships ar esent to the bottom. The places of those that go down must be supplied, and supplied at once. To the miner let me say that he stands where the farmer does: the work of the world waits on him If he slackens or fails, armies and statesmen are helpless. He also is enlisted in the great Service Army. The manufacturer doeS not need to be told, hope, that the nation looks to him to speed and perfect every pro- cess; and I want only to remind his employees that their service is abso- lutely indispensable and is counted on by every man wko loves the country and it's liberties. @ots|
 "Let me suggest, also that every one who creates or cultivates garden helps, and helps greatly, to solve the problem of the feeding of the nations; and that every housewife who prac- tices strict economy puts herself in