The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-04-13
FARMER MORE IMPORTANT Than SOLDIER

Note-The following editorial direct
ing attention to the necessity Of In
creased production is reproduced from
the New York American.
The condition OF the winter wheat
crop as reported by the government on
Saturday is nothing less than appall-
ing. 1t shows general condition only
SO per cent. perfect. This is the low
est average condition of winter wheat
n the United States in nearly thirty
years.
At this time, when the demand for
food from belligerent countries has
raised prices in this country for wheat
TO the highest level since the Civil
War our own winter wheat crop Fails.
BY far the larger crop in the United
States is the spring wheat crop OF the
great Northwestern States. called the
kranary of the world" II is hoped, of
course, that this crop may be increas-
ed. II not, it would seem that even ma
ture Is hostile to the human race.
Russian Product Reduced.
Russia. the second largest producer
of wheat in the world, with twelve mil
lion men under arms. is barely able by
the labor of her women and old men
to produce enough to feed the home
population and the armies.
The Russian revolution, beginning
in food riots. was more a protest
against starvation than against car.
dom and autOcracy. A starving people
cares little for forms OF government
and is no respecter of emperors.
France and Italy, as well as England,
would be in the same plight except for
the wheat and corn from America.
Argentina. upon which the consum-
ing world has long relied, has just put
an embargo on exports Of wheat and
flour to protect her own people against
the rising cost of living.
In truth. the great war has brought
the whole world. neutral nations as
we'll as belligerents, to the verge of
economic exhaustion.
The financial resources Of Europe
have failed. the man resources Of
Europe are falling; the food resources
OF the civilized world will fail within
the next year unless nature is more
bOuntiful this Summer than ever.
No one should be deceived about
this. Our food resources are Rapidly
ebbing away.
Extend to Farm Products.
Our preparations for war, which
must be on a colossal scale in proper.
tion with the maximum possibilities
OF the situation, must not stop with
the Army and the Navy and the Treas
ury departments They should he ex
tended at once to the agricultural de.
partments, upon which every other de-
partment of government and Of life
itself depends.
We raise normally Is or is bushels
Of wheat to the acre on the richest
soil for wheat, taken all in all, In the
world. Germany, with soil exhaust
ed by centuries of use, by intensive
cultivation and artificial fertilization,
raised her normal product to more
than 80 bushels to the acre before tho
war.
If we could do as well, we would
raise two billion bushels of wheat IT.
stead of one billion. At current prices
on the farm this would be worth three
til,ions of dollars. Far above the
average in profits would be the lessen.
'cd rcst of the staff of life" to all.
The British Government last week
t'roo days before our Agriculture Dr.
pertinent report was published-.recog-
rizod the seriousness of the situation
by ordering. through the British Food
Controller that beginning next Sunday
wheat shall be ground whole every
where in England. making Graham
bread instead of white that all restau-
rants, hotels, boarding houses and
clubs shall serve no meat whatsoever
one day of the week; and that no
potatoes shall be allowed except on
Friday and the meatless day
Privations are in Store.
If the war lasts another year. We
shall all know privations we have
never known before The world will
have to adapt its appetite to new kinds
of food and most Of the world will
have to get along with less of twill |
in short be threatened with starvation. !
Such is the result of Withdrawing !
twenty millions Of men from PRODUC-
TON. making them DESTROYERS.
Under the compulsion of the war the |
great nations Of Europe have adopted |
measures so radical that not even the !
most extreme socialist would have !
dared to propose them before the war. |