New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-06-09
The Food Emergency
Government: Should Draft Labo,
and Commander Implements
To the Editor CO Tie Tribune.

To the Editor CO Tie Tribune.
Sir: As a nation We are facing a s,,,
emergency such IS we have never knov,
Few people are aware Of the shortage ga
high prices Tat we are bound TO exper.,..
next winter 1--WE have not passed this v,,
before" We are so accustomed 10 abp,.
dance that we arc slow 10 believe tina. a..
other lot is possible. A rude awakenir, !.
in store for us. II takes no great power :,
vision to divine this. The present meas.
surplus in all lines of food, the poor ma.
poets for many crops this season, the N.,
price of seeds and fertilizer and labor -"
scarcity of help, besides the excessive. 4.
mands of the Allies and OF our own s,,.
and navy, and the millions OF tons tina, MI
naturally be sunk by the German submar,.,
all conspire to help one to forecast u.
coming dearth and consequent hardship ,,a
comparative accuracy.
II is not wise for any government 10 ala.
living conditions TO become intolerable q, >.
approach that state. happy people a..
give and invest and fight and sacrifice IA :,
most any degree They will remain un;,..
and loyal and be invincible They will IN,
port the government and fight for il and =.
liberty and right with a unity and strenr-s
that discomfort knows nothing about. W.,
then is duty of the Administration a, a.
time? Surely TO see TO il that the au.p-.
rolls up such a harvest as the worN i.
never seen. This will lower the prize, !.
foods to the people in an amazing degre. 4
will inspire confidence everywhere within an,
borders, it will assure our increasing heh,
ing forces and give them physical fortl6e.
tion for their coming hardships such as Az
warriors need, il will reassure our brave ana
noble allies as nothing else can, and il will
throw confusion into the ranks OF the enemy
that will be worth more than bombs ara
bullets.
The government can do this and only N,
government can. Agitation has done sons,
thing but few million back gardens viii
be but drop in the bucket in supplying III,
unprecedented demand that il 70 be mad,
upon US. Nothing but the cultivation Of on,
abandoned farms in the East and our broad
and fertile and idle acres in the great West
can meet the emergency. And II is not too
late for the government to redeem the situs
ton. A half million, or, if necessary, 4
million men from the noble army of ten mill.
ions who registered last Tuesday could b.
placed on productive lands within a week
What better training for war; what better
test of endurance, what better service could
they render? II would mean sure and speedy
victory for our just and righteous cause in
Europe All of the available seed ana fer.
tilzer ard necessary land and implements
and machinery in the country should be CON.
Wandered by the government Immediately
and utilized at once that there NAV be no
lack in feeding our own teeming millions a.
home, our growing army and navy abroad
and our struggling allies, staggering under
their heavy load. A strong administration
with vision and initiative and efficiency would
eagerly grasp this glowing opportunity and
make a stroke that would tell mghtiIy
around the world W J. M0SIER.
Demarest, y. j., June 7, 1917.