New-York tribune., 1918-02-01

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 'ifc
and our whole economic development
Will pass under the sinister influences
of foreign control if we do not win.
We must win, therefore. and We shall
win. I need not ask you to pledge
Your lives and fortunes with those of
tic rest of tho nation to the accom-
plishment of that great end.
eliminating Crisis Has Come
"You will realize. as I think states
mon on both sides Of the water realize,
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 freedom of
men all over the world as''well AS our
own, depend upon US in an eXtraordi
nary and unexpected degree for sus-
tcnance. for the supply Of the ma
terials by which men arc to live and to
fight. and it will be our glory when the
was' is over that we have supplied these
materials and supplied them abun-
dainty. and it will be all the more glory
because in supplying them we have
made our supreme effort and sacrifice.
"ln the field of agriculture we have
agencies and instrumentaitics, fortu-
nately. such as no other government in
the world can show. The Department
OF Agriculture is undoubtedly the
greatest practical and scientific agri-
cultural organization in the world.
The banking legislation of the
last two or three years has given the
farmers access to the great lendablc
capital of the country, and it has be-
come the duty both of the men in
charge of tho Federal Reserve banking
system and of the farm loan banking
system to sec to it that the farmers OBJ
talr. the credit, both short term and
long term. TO which they are entitled
not only but which it is mperatively y
necessary should be extended to them
if the present tasts of the country are
to be adequately performed.
Both by direct purchase of nitratcs
and by the establis hment Of plants to
produce nitrates the government is
doing its utmost to assist in the prob
lem of fertilization. The Department
of Agriculture and other agencies are
actively assisting the farmers to locate.
safeguard and secure at cost an ade-
quate supply OF sound seed. The de-
this purpose now and has asked the
Congress for $4,000, 900 more.
The Labor Problem
"The labor problem is one Of great
difficulty. and some of the best agen-
cies of the nation are addressing them
selves to the task Of solving it, so far
as it is possible to solve it, Farmers
have not been exempted from the draft.
| knew that they would not wish to be.
| take it for granted they would not
wish to be put in a class by themselves
in this respect But the attention Of
the War Department has been very
seriously centred upon the task of in
terfering with the labor of the farms
as little as possible, and under the new
draft regulations | believe that the
farmers Of the country will find that
their supply of labor is very much less
seriously drawn upon than it was under
the first and initial draft, made before
! we had had our present full experience
in these perpleNing matters. The sup
ply of labor in all industries is a mat
ter we must look to and are looking to
with diligent care.
"And let me say that the stimulation
of the agencies | have enumerated has
been responded to by the farmers in
! splendid fashion. | daresay that you