Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-31
WILSON, ASKS
FARMERS TO
HELP IN WAR
Their Assistance Vital -
Calls This Decisive Year
of Struggle.

Washington. Jan. 31.-To the farm
ers of the United States, President
Wilson today sent message in which
he called attention to the country's
need of their assistance during the
message was sent through the farm
ers' conference being held at the Uni
versity of Illinois at Urbana.
The message was delivered by
President James of the University of
Illinois in the absence of Secretary of
Agriculture Houston who was to have
represented it. The president had ex-
pected to attend but indisposition
made it impossible and he delegated
Mr. Houston who was prevented from
participating by the tie up in trans
portation facilities
Text Of Message.
The presidents message said:
Il am very sorry indeed that l can
not be present in person at the Urbana
conference l should like to enjoy the
benefit of the inspiration and exchange
of counsel which l know l should OBJ
tain but in the circumstances, it has
seemed impossible for me to be pres
ent and therefore l can only send you
a very earnest message expressing my
interest and the thoughts which such
a conference must bring prominently
into every mind.
Task Demands Sacrifice.
Il need not tell you for l am sure
you realize as keenly as l do that we
are, as nation, in the presence of a
great task which demands supreme
sacrifice and endeavor Of every one of
us. We can give everything that is
,needed with the greater willingness
and even satisfaction because the OBJ
ject of the war in which we are en-
gagged is the greatest that free men
have ever undertaken 1t is to pre-
vent the life of the world from being
determined and the fortunes of men
everywhere affected by small groups
of military masters who seek their
own interest and the selfish dominion
throughout the world of the govern
ments, they, unhappily for the moment,
control. You will not need to be con-
WINGED that it was necessary for us as
a free people to take part in this war.
1t has raised its evil hand against us.
The rulers of Germany had sought to
exercise their power in such way as
to shut off our economic life so far as
our intercourse with Europe was con-
cerned and to confine our people with
in the western hemisphere while they
accomplished purposes which would
have permanently impaired and i'm
peded every process of our national
life and have put the fortunes Of Amer
lea at the mercy Of the imperial gov
eminent of Germany. This was no
threat. 1t had become a reality. Their
hand of violence had been laid upon
our people and our own property In
fragrant violation not only of justice
but of the we'll recognized and long
standing covenants of international
law and treaty.
Fight for Liberty.
I'VE are fighting therefore as truly
for the liberty and self-government of
the United States as if a war of our
own revolution had to be fought over
again, and. every man in every bust
ness in the United States must know
by this time that his whole future for
tune lies in the balance. Our national
life and our whole economic develop
ment will pass under the sinister in
fiuence of foreign control if we do not
win. We must win, therefore, and We
shall win. l need not ask you tC
pledge your lives aid fortunes with
those of the rest of the nation to the
accomplishment of that great end.
Crisis Has Come.
You will realize, as think. states
men on both sides of the water real
ize, that the eliminating crisis of the
struggle has come and that the
achievements OF this year on the one
side or the other must determine the
issue. 1t has turned out that the
forces that fight for freedom. the free
| dom of men all over the world as wei
as our own. depended upon us in al
extraordinary and unexpected degree
for sustenance, for the supply Of thu
materials by which men are to livt
and to fight and it will be our glor,
when the war is over that We hav'
| Continued On Page Eleven)