The vidette. (Iuka, Tishomingo County, Miss.) 1912-1967, 1918-02-28
The South's Duty to the Nation
Office of Information U. S. De-
partment of Agriculture.

Washington, d. c., Feb. 49,
If the South neglects this year to
provide her own food and feed, she
is likely to suffer serious privation.
and she VIII put a burden upon
the nation which may prolong the
war an 4 even imperil our victory"
says Clarence Ousley, Assistant Sec
rotary of Agriculture.
Il am aware that these are
strong words" continues Secretary
Orsley, but they are none too
strong. | am not expressing an
alarmist personal opinion, | am
seeing through the eyes of As agricul-
tural colleges and of county agents
in nearly very agricultural county.
] have recently crossed the CONT
nent from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
| have stulied the reports gathered
by the departments Is, 900 represen-
tatives and as many more employ
ees of the agricultural colleges.
have considered the conclusions of
the International Institute of Agri-
culture at Rome, which has reports
from all the world.
The plain, hard truth is that
" b 40 million people withdrawn
from productive industries and en-
gagged in the business of destruc-
ton, it is not humanity possible for
production on the whole to exceed
4 normal demand. The question is
whether production can equal ne
cessitous demand.
England, France and Italy must
be sustained or their populations
cannot stand the strain. They have
been on scanty rations for more
than three years. The chief cause
of Russia's collapse was hunger.
Soldiers cannot fight when their
wives and children are starving.
S cretary sMcAdoo has given
waning that transportation may be
lacking in 1918, to haul food and
feed to States and communities
tn do not provide for themselves.
\ y cattle have been sacrificed in
the drouth regions of the Northwest
and the Southwest during the last
lie ' months, because railroad cars
could not be obtained as needed.
Military movements must have first
consideration, and military move.
ments will be greater in 1918 than
IN 1917. The prime question for
the farmer is not what product will
bring the highest price, but what
products will insure food for his
family and feed for his live stock.
nd the answer is: a vegetable gar
den, milk COW, brood SOW, a |
poultry flock, ample corn, oats,
p anuts, ETC., and then as much |
co ton or tobacco as he can cult
vate we'll.
1t is the highest demand OF
patriotism 1T is the first require
mcnt of iliving-that in 1918 every
state, every county, every neighbor-
hood, every farmer, be as nearly
self-sustaining as possible.
For the South to plunge on cot
ton or tobacco or any other specu-
lative crop and to depend upon the
corn belt for bread and meat will
be Tor the South to engage in
gamble which may cause privation
to its peple and disaster to the Ma
ton. For any man now to deter
nine his business operations from
the standpoint of profit alone with
out regard to the Nations needs, is
Tor him wilfully to profiteer in the
blood OF his fellows who are fight {
ing in France for the preservation of !
he republic. No man can be ex-
cused for not taking his share of
the responsibility. a
My whole life has been spent C
in the South. know the Southern f
farmer. He will do his duty as he /,
sees it. am appealing to every a
man in the South to make known n
these tacts-to consider it his bust. a
aese to make them known and /