The Republican journal., 1917-05-03
Responsibility Of the American
Farmer.

10 i HE EDITOk OF l dE JOURNAL. In
this great time, when every citizen must
do his part, the President has made his
chief appeal to the men who live on the
land. He is right in doing SO, for the
safety of our country just now is in the
hands of our farmers. What mean il
not merely our safety and the safety of
our Allies in the matter of food. Imean
that the safety of the United States
against foreign invasion hangs on the
decision cf the farmers of the forty-eight
States.
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
cannot whip the French and English
armies and the English navy while Eng
land 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.
1t 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,
LAND, Everything that is desirable in the
world except the power to protect what
we have. Experts estimate that it will
take US nine months to get ready to meet
a German army of even $50, 900 men, with
modern artillery. Under such cir
cumstances, would the Germans treat US
better than they have already treated
Belgium and France?
Even if the armies of our Allies should
crush the German military power this
summer, before the shortage 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 ourselves
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 fight
ing our fight
If the war lasts beyond this summer,
t will be the American farmer who will
win or lose the war, who will overcome
militarism and autocracy, OR allow them
to spread and control the world, our
selves included.
This is no fanciful picture, but sober
fact. Many man will make light of it
until he comes to think it over, but
venture to say that few will treat it
lightly after careful thought. 1t is no
more impossible than the great War it.
self appeared to be, only few days be-
fore it began.
1t is true that we can greatly increase
the available food supply out of grain
now used in making liquors, and by re-
ducing household waste. But when
these two things are done, and done
thoroughly, they will not 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 fair price for
their crops when grown, and reasonable
supply of labor at harvest. The clear
duty of the farmer is to raise food enough
to win this war for democracy against
Kaserism.
No such responsibility has ever rested
on any class of men since the world be-
America.
Sincerely yours,
CLIFFORD PlNCHOT.