Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-04-13
MOBILIZE FOR
; PRODUCTION OF
FOOD, IS PLAN
Dean Davenport of Illinois
Agricultural College Has
Plan for Service.

Chicago. April 13.-America should
for the production Of food as
we'll as for fighting. declared Eugene
dean Of the University of
Illinois college Of agriculture in q
which he has issued defin-
ing a plan Of the university to organ
lie a civil-military service to be COM
posed Of men disqualified for military
service at the front and of boys, to
work on farms rented by the govern
ment.
To show the necessity for enlist
ment in this service. Dean Davenport
asserted that there is not now enough
what America should consume and
that unless this farm labor is increas-
ed the food supply twill drop to a
level that may easily prove disas-
trous."
Waste Sometimes Cheaper.
In his statement, Dean Davenport
said:
For generations food has been so
abundant that it has often been ac-
tually cheaper to waste than to save.
But conditions have suddenly changed
over night as it were-and we are
having food riots not only in hungry
York, but in Chicago. the very heart
Of the greatest food-producing region
in the world. These riots are attribut-
ed to high prices, but high prices
mean something. They do not come
OF themselves, nor when there is an
abundance of food. Therefore, when
the police are called out to put down
the riots. it is we'll hat statesmen and
those in authority inquire into the
causes. particularly now as we enter
the greatest struggle in all history.
People do not generally know that
a a shortage of food exists. They
do not know that the last w years
have been lean years upon the land,
and that as matters stand today, un-
less the coming season should be ex-
tremely exceptional, a serious situa-
supply of Europe was cut down by
war. they-the allies at least-could
look to importation, but nj such pros
pect is held out in America. We are
at the end Of the line, and IL we fail
that ends it.
Labor Deserted Land.
"People generally do not realize the
extent to which labor has been de-
sorting the land for the last half dozen
years and erecting conditions Of en-
ployment that tend. strongly to cut
off the food supply. for the farmer
cannot operate his farm on the eight
hour plan nor according to union
rules. BY the use Of large and still
done the best he could to make good
the loss. He has worked his boys
early and late and still he cannot
work his acres for high yields. Some
lands are being abandoned and turned
into cheap pasturage. The writer has
seen crops plowed under. while he
knows of harvests u~ngathered because
10 h0r Gould no$ hn lAA R~~ <h> -okh>.
ing. No wonder the farmer works
twelve to sixteen hours . day. and
no wonder a considerable number are
forced back into the self-sufticing
system with no hope of working the
land to the best advantage.
AS we go into the greatest war Of
all time. and as our mind is on en-
tine for service at the front, let
every American citizen understand
and realize what 1t means II he car
that there is not now enough labor
left upon the land to produce what
we ourselves should consume. What
then OF western Europe, whose fields
are devastated? Shall we then be
driven to Importation? Very we'll,
from whom shall be import? and
what? Argentina has already placed
dian yield must decline. for lmany a
man that ran q tractor on the plains
Of Alberta and Saskatchewan two
years ago is now but q bundle Of
bones on the battlefield Of France.
Must Not Iduit Supply.
shall we then limit the food JUDI
ply of the people7 How then can we
expect to win, for ensrgy ana power
come only from food. "A hungry peo-
pie never has been and never can be
q Victorious people. besides It would
require more Non TO enforce a re-
stricted diet than It would to produce
enough to turn y scarcity into an
'Amsrjoa has acrss snouSh IL real