The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1918-02-08
PRESIDENT SEES
THE WARS END.
Urges the Farmer to Make Sac
rifices for the Nation.
ELIMINATING CRISIS HERE
The President Tells The Farmers The
United States Was Forced Into
The War To Preserve It's
National Life.

WbbluStOu.--1u0 IS5uit III tuS Lu-
ropean War will be determined during
the coming year in the opinion of
President Wilson. He made this plain
in Letter sent to the Farmers Con-
ference now in progress at Urbana,
ILL.,, when he told them: you will re-
Rlize, as think statesmen on both
sides of the water realize, that the
eliminating crisis of the struggle has
come and that the achievements of
the year on one side or the other must
determine the issue"
The President had been so deeply
Interested in the viewpoint of the
American farmer on the war that he
had planned personally to visit the
conference to deliver his message in
person. For two days special train
had been held in the local railroad
yards to make the trip. At the last
moment, however, It was decided that
the inclement weather made it unwise
for him to attempt the trip, in view
of the fact that he was suffering with
a severe cold. The letter, in part, was
as follows:
President Wilson's Letter.
Il am very sorry, indeed, that can
not be present in person at the Ur-
bana conference. should like to en-
joy the benefits of the inspiration and
exchange of counsel which know
should obtain, but in the circum-
stances it has seemed impossible for
me to be present, and therefore l can
only send you very earnest MESSAGE
expressing my interest and the
thoughts which such conference
must bring prominently into every
mind
81 need not tell you, for l am sure
you realize as keenly as l do, that we
are as a nation in the presence OF a
great past, 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 prevent the life of the world
from, being determined and the for
tunes of men everywhere affected by
small groups of military masters of the
governments they unhappily, for the
moment, control. You will not need
to be convinced that it was necessary
for ps, as a free people, to take part
in this war. 1t had raised its evil
hand against US.
THE rulers of Germany had sought
to exercise their power in such way
as to SHUT of our economic life with
in the Western Hemisphere, while
they accomplished purposes which
would have permanently impaired
and impeded every process of our ma
tional life and have put the fortunes
of America at the mercy of the I'm
perial Government of Germany.
This was no threat 1t had be-
come a reality. Their hand of vio-
lence had been laid upon our own
people and our own property in
hagrant violation not only of Justice,
but of the well-rccognized and long
rtanding covenants of international
law and treaty.. We are fighting,
therefore, as truly for the liberty and
self government of the United States
as If the war of our own Revolution
had to be fought over again, and every
man In every business in the United
States must know by this time that
his whole future fortune lies in the
balance.
"Our national life and our whole
economic Development Will pass I'M
der the sinister influences of foreign
control if we do not win. We must
win. therefore, and we shall win. /
need not ask. you to pledge your lives
and fortunes with those Of the rest
OF the nation to the accomplishment
of that great end
You will realize, as think states
men on both sides of the water re-
alize, 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
issues 1t has turned out that the
forces that fight for freedom, the free
dom of men all over the world as well
as our own, depend upon us in an
extraordinary and unexpected degree
for sustenance, for the supply of the
materials by which men are to live
and to fight, and it will be our glory
when the war is over that we have
supplied those materials and supplied
them abundantly, and it will be all
the more glory because in supplying
them we have made our supreme eff