The Pulaskian. (Pulaski Heights [Little Rock], Ark.) 1915-1929, 1918-06-28
HARD WORK NO
DEATH SENTENCE
CITY MEN HAVE PROVEN THAT
THEY CAN WORK IN FIELDS
AND LIVE BY HARVESTING
KANSAS BUMPER CROP.

Men from towns and cities-"soft
town men," il you p1ease-are har-
yesting the great wheat crop of the
Middle West and the West
OF course, it couldn't be done!"
The professional pessimists persistent
ly proved very conclusively that it
was utterly impossible and altogether
ridiculous even to attempt it. "Town
riff-raff and soft, office pen-pushers for
the farms!" they sneered. why the
farmers won't stand it. And the
town people cant stand it! Dearl
What an inefficient Government Why
doesn't Washington press a button or
something and send plenty of perma-
nent, experienced farm labor to the
farmers?"
But, strangely enough, the farmers
did stand for it, and strangely enough
the worn weakings did stand the hard
work. Perhaps they hadn't read the
lamentations of the Cant-Do-It-Crowd
and didn't know they We're foredoom-
ed to failure Perhaps they were
more interested in whipping the Kais-
er than in hearing reasons why they
were sure to fall down on the job
Perhaps, being plain, everyday Amer
leans who are so absurd as to have
assurance they can do anything, they
just went ahead with confident calm
ness and-did it! Really, it is too bad
(for the Huns) that these Kansans
wouldn't listen to the righteousness OF
the Impossible Squad-so willing to
show that it just couldn't be done!
What pity to hurt Hindenberg's feel
ings by doing it, even if it was i'm
possible!
The latter part Of May Kansas be-
gan to put into effect on a wholesale
basis the program which for man,
months the United States Department
of Agriculture had been urging in
every communicated town men go
to work in agricultural territory adj
jacent to them during emergency
farm-labor needs of cultivation or har-
vest. Kansas started an intensive
campaign for the enrolment of town
and city volunteers for harvest labor
Kansas made ready to shut up shop
during the harvest period. Kansas
prepared to subordinate every activity
for few weeks to the one supreme
job Of saving the big wheat crop.
From every town and city in the state
men, women and boys, in such num-
bers as were necessary, went to the
fields; the men to work as harvest
hands. the women to cook for the
volunteer army of harvesters, the
boys to fit in wherever they could
best service This Kansas harvest
army of nearly 100000 men did the
job. All the outside help that could
be secured was used, of course, but
by far the largest part of the help
came from right at home-the "soft
town men" who just simply couldn't
do it, and who wouldn't be tolerated
by the farmers!
And. in just the same way, the war
winning wheat crops will be harvested
in Nebraska and Minnesota and North
Dakota and South Dakota, In JUST
the same way, when necessary and
where necessary, crops will be saved
in every state. OF course, it can't be
done! For that we have the word Of
many eminent critics of the United
States Department of Agriculture and
the Government in general. No doubt
the Kaiser himself has said so, and
surely the Clown Prince will sustain
the statement if further authority be
necessary. 1t just can't be done! But
the simple weaklings of Kansas seem
to pay more attention to straight-from-
the shoulder, getthere-or-bust Amer
lean common-sense than they do to
Prussianish cant do it" clap-trap and
to skyscraper editors of literary jour
nails de luxe who write prettily phras-
ed editorials giving plethoras of peev-
ish reasons why failure is certain.
Kansas seems to be like to do better
than TO listen to why it is impossible
to do. Kansas just goes ahead and
harvests the wheat anyhow
Arkansas will do likewise! True, it
can't be donei The faint-hearted and
the Hun-hearted will tell you so on
everyhand-so, do it,