The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-01-31
President wills on's Public
Speech Which He Expected
to Deliver Today at
Urbana, Ill.
DUTY OF TIE FARMER
Food viii Win This War and Its I'M
portance at This Time
Should Not Be
Overlooked.

! UNITED Press Leased Wire Service.i
lllnuii. sSssEINGTON, Jan. 31.-The Gull
! minating crisis OF the struggle has
come. The achievements OF this
year on one side or the other must
/ determine the issue"
| Thus President Wilson today
warned the farmers OF the country IN
making public an address he had
planned to deliver at Urbana, H., to-
| day.
/ And in facing this crisis, he said.
sit has turned out that the forces
that fight for freedom, the freedom OF
men all over the world as well as our
own, depend upon us in an extra
ordinary and unexpected degree for
sustenance. for supply of the mater
| ials by which men are to live and
fight
And il will be our glory, when the
war is over, that we have supplied
these materials and supplied them
abundantly, and 1t will be all the
more glory because in supplying them
we have made our supreme effort
and sacrifice.
I'VE are fighting" the president
continued, "as truly for the ~.berty
and self government OF the United
States as If the war Of our own revo-
luton 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 come I'M
der the sinister influence of foreign
control il we do not win.
wi
shall win / need not ask you to
pledge your lives and fortunes with
those of the rest Of the nation in the
accom- pIishment Of that great end.
II will not appeal to continue and
renew and increase your efforts. /
DO not believe that it is necessary to
do so; believe that you will do 1t
without any appeal from me because
you understand as well as / do the
needs and opportunities OF this great
hour when fortunes OF mankind every
where seems about to be determined
and when America has greatest OPP
portunity she ever had to make good
her own freedom and In making 1t
good, to lend q helping hand to men
struggling for their freedom every
where You remember that it was
farmers from whom came the first
the revolution that made America
free. hope and believe that the
farmers Of America will willingly and
conspicuously stand by to win this
war also. The toll, the injustice, the
energy, the foresight, the self-sacri-
flee and devotion OF the farmers OF
America will, I believe, bring to a
triumphant conclusion this great last
war for the emancipation of men
from the control Of arbitrary govern
ment and the selhshness of class
legislation and control, and then
when the end has come We may look
each other in the face and be glad
that we are Americans and have had
the privilege to play such a part"
The president declared in opening
his message that I'VE are, as a ma
ton in the presence of great task
which demands supreme sacrifice
and endeavor OF every one Of US
Eve can give everything that Is
needed with the greater willingness
and even satisfaction because the
object OF the war in which we are en-
gagged Is the greatest that free men
have ever undertaken. It is to pre-
vent the life OF the world from be-
| ing determined and the fortunes Of
men everywhere affected by small
groups Of military masters who seek
| their own interests and selfish domin-
ion throughout the world OF the gov
ernments they unhappily for the
moment control. You Will not need
to be convinced that 1t 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 Ger
many had sought to exercise their
power in such a way as to shut off
our economic life so far as our inter
course with Europe was concerned
and TO conffne our people within the
western hemisphere while they ac-
compltshed purposes which would
have permanently impaired and im-
9eded every process of our national
lie and have put the fortunes OF
America at the mercy Of the imperial
government Of Germany.
This was no threat. It has become
a reality. Their hand OF violence has
been laid upon our own people and our
own property in fragrant violation not
only Of justice but of the well recog-
n1zed and long standing covenants Of
INTERNATIONAL law and treaty.
Statesmen On both sides of the wa
ter now realize, he added that this
year Will prove the critical one. And
to show the resources at hand with
which to launch the mighty blow he
said:
) In the field Of agriculture we have
agencies and instrumentalittes fortu-
nately such as no other government In
the world can show. The department
OF agriculture is undoubtedly the great
est practical and scientific agricul-
tural organization in the world It's
total annual budget of 5000, 900 has
been increased during the last four
years more than seventy-two per cent.
1t has a staff OF $4,000 including a
large number Of highly trained ex.
perts, and alongside OF it stands the
unique land grant colleges which are
without example elsewhere and the