New-York tribune., 1917-07-15
The Sinews Of War
v,,sas Farmers Are Ready for Wheat Battle of
,o,s. Await Action at Washington on Food
c,,,rol Bill and Fixing of Minimum Price
Bv THEODORE M. KNAPPEN

urvA Kan July 14-The header" with its four horses
cushing instead OF pulling reached the corner of the thin
y wheat field 1t good for only five or six bushels Win
nd was the explanation The driver slipped off from his
seat and pivoted around the little platform base
pnp the nigh off right angles to the other and
~ the header take the end OF the field 1t hot The
rercless The driver and the Of the crew-not for
a;g the horses-were willing to rest moment
nIbe war? You bet know at It's than
IL beo see wheat s. and have only five six bushels
" t 70 have twenty or thirty We're harvesting only
the loss and give the country what little wheat there is
What about next year.:
cnaantee us 81 wheat in 1918 and will out such
n Of wheat in Kansas that the German soldiers will
,,dr to satisfy their hunger
That's the topic to-day every wheat field of the West where
with hrveers headers and threshers reapng the bread
i,he nations that fight for liberty.
V.nsas IS ready for the battle OF 1918 Washington delays
Alter his defeat in the 1917 wheat battle the farmer wants to
m what kind OF support he is going to have for the 1918
49, Every chance victory may be lost the thirty days
7, takes lot Of patriotism spend $1,000 for seed wheat
% for tosandacre farmperhaps mortgagng the farm to
80 the money and meeting all the other expense besde-not
,uing whether there will be crop fair proht II there is
~ B.ween weather and speculation the farmer stands
~ to lose Last year he got fair crop and the spectators
the prot farmer and the got the worst of it.
Patriotism or no patriotism, the simple fact OF the situation
v that there will be record acreage to wheat in
ysas and no possibility Of record crop next year unless the
sovnment fixes liberal minimum price for wheat What is
IN. OF Kansas is OF every wheat state.
Hurry Nd with the food control bill is the word from Kansas
md then let Hoover fix the minimum price at Chicago at $40
hsLmeaning s. in Kansas-and Kansas will spring to the
n as eagerly as the boys go the top OF the trenches
There YOU have it. Does the country realize it Do the city
% understand Farmers mers and railroads stand together
prevent extoon The mlers say s. wheat will mean only
slaarre -four That heavy price to pay for victory
exoron the part the farmer Farm operation costs
tv. risen 50 that there little for the farmer s. wheat
han there once in 81 wheat
Anyway it will be wise this year stimulate the farmer
patriotism with little bonus. Let him know for once that he
is sure good profit and watch him extend himself 1t Will
b. right to make the price S0 the following year That is
a.vay the leaders of Kansas view the situation
let the nation understand says Dean ardne Of the Agr
@ COLLEGE, that the hard fact is that years acreage
be per than this years unless Congress gives us
9weat 1t must be S. To fix the Chicago price at S9O as
av are now talking will do This is time to daily and
STALL The food situation the world is intensely critical
Wheat the great muntion Then that is produced Inc
ams should begin Immediately their work for next years
GOD Decision must wait Men and workmen go hungry
rex year because Of failure at Washington now.
Dr. Waters president Of the Agricultural College and
also president Of the State College of Defence has wired to
Washington follows:
Because Of high priced Seed labor and machinery farmers
hesitate to sow even wheat acreage unless they are pro-
ed against disastrous decline in prices war ends before
crop sold They consider 81 their station or $40 Chlcago
reasonabe minimum price This about equivalent to Sl/o
ast year and perhaps than S25 their station two
years ago Accurate survey shows that Kansas farmers VIII
million acres than last year unless reasonable MINI
price fixed Preparation OF land and arrange
for seed must be made now: Comparison frequently
made between wheat prices here and in Europe Wages rents
machinery and standards of living higher here than there
lair TO try TO base American wages those OF Europe as
atempt to base wheat prices on European prices
The Kansas Council OF Defence has thoroughly worked out
plan for Kansas to give the Allies the greatest crop OF "heat
ever produced-2OOO bushels equal to onethd OF
tie whole nations crop this year The seed wheat Is reauy
transportation has been organized the farmers are beng aroused
BY great narot;c educational campagnall waits Wash
ngton
With horses and tractors with ploughs drills harrows har
e with money and with experience the ralsers OF wheat
makers Of food-thc soldiers OF the oa-await the signal OF
asaul