Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-02-23

eral food administrator of this state.
Gradually the lid has been lifted
upon the actual food conditions af-
fecting the allies and those who
attend the great patriotic rally Mon
day evening will get first-hand in
formation. There is a disposition in
the present crisis to lift the veil and
allow the people to see for them
selves what is transpiring and what
must be done to win the war. Even
greater sacrifices than have been
heretofore indicated must be made:
there is no longer any choice as to
what the people of this country must
do.
indications are that the meeting
on Monday evening will be the great
est outpouring of the citizens of Har-
rlsburS since our entrance into the
war. Enough has been allowed to
leak out regarding the sensational
disclosures that are to be made to eX-
cite Widespread interest and the COM
mittee in charge announced to-day
that there will be no admission tick
cts. but the general public would be
welcome. A great feature Of the
meeting will hIe the community
singing.
The singing of "Ole Black joe"
Kentucky Home" Annie Laurie -
Dixie" Keep the Home Fires
Burning" America" and many 9TH
er old-time patriotic airs will feature
the musical program.
The soldier boys from the Middle
town aviation depot and the Tech
High boys have been invited to at
| tend.
In a letter to President Wilson.
made public to-day, Clifford Pinchot
says:
The war has now entered stage
| in which the steadfastness of civil
populations ranks in importance
with the fighting spirit of armies.
Abundant supplies of food become a
factor for the first importance in
maintaining the morale of a people
under heavy stress.
Great Britain, as we know, still
relies on the United States and Cana
da FOR 90 per cent. of its essential |
foodstuffs. The Canadians are most
seriously handicapped in the effort
to increase production by the lack
of man power because they have al
ready sent to Europe so large a pro-
portion of their men of military age
1t is, well known that New Zealand.
Australian and Indian wheat is in
accessible for lack of ships. The re-
sponsibility, therefore, rests mainly
upon lIle people OF tne united states
without the food which we alone
can supply, not only England, but
France and Italy, must lose their
power to carry on the war.
1t is not famine we are facing in
the United States, as some have
sought to show, but food shortage
so serious that it threatens to become
decisive. AS a man of great author
ity among American farmers has
said: This war cannot be won by
the forces of civilization unless the
farmers of the United States can
substantially increase their produc-
ton of foodstuffS to feed our Allies
and the people of our own country. >
But we are faced with the certainty
of a reduction instead of an increase
unless present conditions are
promptly and radically changed,
The farmers of the United States
are anxious to do their full duty i'm
growing more food. Their leaders
have been active in this matter for
months past. But they are hampered
by conditions which they themselves
cannot control. Farmers generally
are now facing the most unfavorable
condition of farm labor they have
ever known, i'm part because more
than one-quarter of the men who
have been taken for the National
Army are farmers. They are short of
seed, agricultural supplies and cred
it, and they declare that a crop
smaller than last years is certain
unless these conditions are changed
for the better"