The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-02-01

port 10 the SoNttHIIN'lI " mp W"
the war.
In a message to the Farmers Goa
ference at the University OF Illinois,
at Urbana, he wrote:
am very sony iIGeed that can
not be present Iii person at the TT
bana conference. | snGuld IKE to u
ioy the beEfit OF the Inspiration IN !
exchange of counsel Wllch | know
should obtain, but in the circum-
stances it has seemed impossible iOT
lne to be present and Inefetore, !
can only send you a very earnest
message expressing my interest ana
The thoughts which such conference
must l.. ing prominently into every
mind.
| need not tell you, for l am sure
you realize as keenly as l DO mat we
are as a nation in the presence OF
great task 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 CD
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 Tor
tunes of men everywhere affected by
small groups of military masters VINO
seek their own interest and the sci
fish dominion throughout the world of
the governments they unhappily for
the moment control.
You will not need to be convinced
that it was necessary for US as 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 off our economic life SO far
as our intercourse with Europe was
concerned, and to cOnfine our people
within the western hemisphere, while
they accomplished purposes which
would have permanently impaired and
al life and have put the fortunes of
America at the mercy of the Imperial
government of Germany.
This was no threat. 1t has become
reality. Their hand of violence had
been laid upon our own people and
not only of justice, but of the we'll
recognized and lOng-standing coven-
ants 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 flu
ture fortune lies in the balance,
Our national life and our whole
economic development will pass under
troll if we do not win. We must win,
therefore, and we shall win: l 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.
men on both sides of the water real
ize, 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
It has turned out that the forces
that fight for freedom, the freedom
of men all over the world, as we'll as
our own, depend upon us in an extra
or6inar and unexpected degree for
sustenance. for the supply OF the ma.
terials 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 effort and
sacrifice.
In the field of agriculture, we have
duties and instrumentalities, fortu-
nately, such as no other government
in the world can show The depart
ment of agriculture is undoubted' y
the greatest practical and scient fic
agricultural organization in the world.
The banking legislation of the LIS
two or three years has given the farm
ers access to the great lendable CAPT
tai of the country, and it has become
the duty both OF the men in charge
of the federal reserve banking system
and of the farm loan banking system
to see to it that the farmers obtain
the credit, both short term and long
term, to which they are entitled no
only. but which it IS imperat;vely
necessary should be extended to them
II the present tasks of the country are
to be adequately performed.
Both by direct pur base of nitrates
and by the establishment of plants to
doing its utmost to assist in the prob
lem of fertilization. The departm
of agriculture md other agencies are
actively assisting the farmers to To-
cate, safeguard and secure at cost an
adequate supply of sound seed. Toe
for this purpose now and has askea
the congress for Sc 900, 900 more,
The labor problem IS one Of great
difficulty, and some of the best agen-
cies of the nation are addressing
themselves to. the task CT % wing i.
Farmers have not been exempted from
the draft, | know that they would
not wish to be. | take it for granted
they would not wish to be put in
class by themselves in this respect
But the attention of the war depart
ment has been very seriously centered
upon the task of Interfering with the
labor of the farms as little as pos
sible, and under the new draft regu-
lations | believe that the farmers of
the country will find that their sup
ply of labor is very much less seri-
,,r1x lro +la
under the first and initial draft, made
before We had had our present full ex-
perlence in these perplexing matters.
The supply of labor in all industries
is matter we must look to and are
looking to with diligent care
OF the agencies | have enumerated
has been responded to by the farm.
ers in splendid fashion. | dare say
that you are aware that the farmers
OF this country are as efficient as any
other farmers in the world. They dc
farmers in Europe. It is no. neces
srry that they should DO SO. q would
perhaps be bad economy for them tc
attempt it.
But they do produce by two to three
or four times more per man, per uni
OF labor and capital, tnan the farmers
OF any European country They are
more alert and the more labor sav.n-
devices than any other farmers in the
world. And their response to the de
mands Of the present emergency has
been in every way remarkable.
Last spring, their planting exceed
ed 100000 acres, the largest plant
ing, of any previous year, anu the
yields from the crops were record
breaking yields. In the fall of 1917, a
wheat acreage of 42,170,000 was plant
ed, which was one million larger tnan
for any preceding year, three millions
greater than the next largest and
seven million greater than the pre-
ceding five year average