The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1918-02-08
Wilson Appeals to Farmers.

The message or President Wilson
to the farmers of the nation was read
on Thursday by President James of
the University of Illinois, in an ag-
ricultural conference at Urbana. Ill
The message begins by stating
that we are in this war to prevent
the life Of the world from being de-
termined and the fortunes of men
everywhere affected by small groups
of military masters who seek their
own interests and the selfish domin-
ion through the world of the gov
ernments they unhappily for the
moment control" The president
further states that we were obliged
to enter the war because Germany
was in every fact trying to destroy
our intercourse with the old world
and to contine up to the western
hemisphere while they accomplish
purpose which would have perma-
nently impaired and impeded every
process of our national life and have
put the fortunes of America at the
mercy of the imperial government
of Germany"
He asks his hears to realize that
the crisis of the struggle is at hand
and that the forces now fighting for
our freedom depend upon US in an
extraordinary and unexpected de-
gree for sustenance, for the supply
of the materials by which men are
to live and to fight" To supply
these abundantly is to be our glory,
intensified as it will be by whatever
sacrifice is made in the effort.
In agriculture this government
has "a department greater and better
organized than any sirnily body in
the world. This department already
has at its disposal $500, 900 and
is asking congress for $4,000. 900
more to actively further the work OF
securing for the farmer adequate
Of fertilizers and pure. sound
seed. In addition to this the bank
ing legislation of the last two or
three has given the farmers access
to the great lendable capital of the
The president states further that
the farm labor question is a serious
one and that while farmers as class
have not been exempted from the
draft. as he knows they would not
wish to be, vet in selecting men for
the draft care has been taken to in
terfere as little as possible with the
work on the farms and still little
more attention will be paid to this
in the future. He finds that the
nation has responded to the agen-
cies he has mentioned by exceeding
by twelve million acres, the largest
previous planting in the history of
the country, and that the fall plant
ing of wheat was one million acres
larger than any previous planting.
But l ought to say to you that it
is not only necessary that these
achievements should be repeated.
but that they should be exceeded.
The president assures the farmers
of the country that he feels that it
is not necessary to appeal to them
to do their part. Their acts have
shown that they only need to
have the facts in order to respond.
He reminds them that it was the
farmers who fired the shot that set
aflame the revolution that made
America free." He concludes by
saying that the toll. the intelli-
gence. the enegy. the foresight. the
self-sacrifice and devotion of the
farmers of America, l believe. will
bring to a triumphant conclusion
this great last war for the emancipa-
ton of men from the control of ar
bitrary government"
Thus the president address his
agricultural legions. laying before
them the mans part that they may
may play in this struggle. Who can
doubt that they will respond with
another record-breaking planting and
harvest?-The Mobile Register.
wARA IN nlMt1nDeQ