The midland journal., 1917-05-04
SAFETY OF NATION IN HANDS OF
FARMERS.

FARMERS.
Clifford Pinchot Reviews Situation
Arms and Starvation the Two
Great Weapons In
Present War.
April 26, 1917.
Ewing Brothers.
The Midland Journal.
Rising Sun, Md.
Dear Sirs:
In this great time, when every
citizen must do his part, the Presi-
dent has made his chief appeal to
the men who live on land. He is
right in doing so, for the saftey OF
our country just now is in the hands
of our farmers. What mean is not
merely our safety and the safety of
our Allies in the matter of food.
mean that the safety of the United
States against foreign invasion
hangs on the decision of the farmers
The two great weapons in this
war are arms and starvation. The
war against German arms will be
won or lost in France---the war
against starvation will be won or
lost in America. The Kaiser can
not whip the French and English
armies and the English navy while
England has food. But it is still
possible that the German submarines
may be able to keep food enough
from reaching England to starve her
into submission.
If the submarines win, the first
item in the Kaiser's terms of peace
will be the English fleet. With the
English fleet in his possession, the
Kaiser will be master of the world.
What will happen to us then?
Every man who stops to think knows
the answer We shall have money,
food; labor, land,-everything that
is desirable in the world except the
power to protect what we have.
Experts estimate that 1t will take US
nine months to get ready to meet a
German army of even 100000 men,
with modern artillery. Under such
circumstances, would the Germans
treat US better than they have al
ready treated Belgium and France"
Even If the armies of our Allies
should crush the German military
power this summer, before the short
age of food can reach the point Of
want, the world would still need vast
quantities of American food. But
if they do not, only one course can
make us safe, and that is to grow
food enough on our farms for our
selves and our Allies, and to put
ships enough on the sea to carry the
food, in spite of the submarines, to
the men who are fighting our fight.
If the war lasts beyond this sum-
mer, it will be the American farmer
who will win or lose the war, who
will overcome militarism and auto
cracy, or allow them to spread and
control the world, ourselves includ-
ed.
This is no fanciful picture, but
sober fact Many a man will make
light of it until he comes to think it
over, but 1 venture to say that few
will treat it lightly after careful
thought. 1t is no more impossible
than the great War itself appeared
to be, only few days before it be-
gan.
It is true that we can greatly i'll
crease the available fooG supply out
of grain now used in making liquors,
and By reducing household waste.
But when these two things are done,
and done thoroughly, they will no.
be enough. The final decision will
still rest in the hands of the men
who raise our food in the first place.
The clear duty of the Nation is to
guarantee the farmers Il fair price
| FOR their crops when grown, and a
reasonable supply OF labor at har-
vest. The clear duty Of the farmer
is to raise food enough to win thus
war for democracy against Kaiser
ism.
No such responsibility has eve
rested on any class of men since tie
world began as rests today on the
farmers of America.
Sincerely yours.
CLIFFORD PINCHOT.