The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1918-02-05
CRISIS OF WAR HAS COME
SAYS WOODROW WILSON
MESSAGE From President to Farmers OF
United States Gathered IN Illinois Predicts
That Years Achievements VIII Decide
Struggle for World Freecon'

n supplying them We have made oEr
supreme effort AM sacrifice.
"In the field Of agriculture we have
agencies and instrumentalities, 1or-
tunately, such as no other government
in the world can show. The depart
ment of agriculture is undoubtedly the
greatest practical and scientific agrl-
cultural organization in the world.
The banking legislation of the
last two or three years has given the
farmers access to the great lendaDle
capital CT the country. 49,. Both ny
direct purchase of nitrates and by the
establishment of plants to produce nj
trates the government is doing it's ut
most to assist in the problem of fer
tflization. The department OF agicui-
ture and other agencies are actively
assisting the farmers to locate, safe
guard, and secure at cost an adequate
supply of sound seed The department.
has s2,500.oO available for this pur-
ose now and has asked the congress
for s6,0OO,OGO more.
Problem of Labor.
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, 50
far as it is possible to solve IT,.
s'Let ne say that TIE stimulation Of
the agencies 1 have enumerated has
been RESPONDED to by the farmers in
splendid fashion. A.. Last spring
their planting exceeded by 12,0O0,O0e
acres the largest planting of any pre-
vions year, and the yields from the
crops were record breaking yields. In
the fall of 1917 wheat acreage of A.
10000 were planted, which was 1,0OO,-
900 larger than for any preceding
year, 3,6CO,CG0 greater than the next
largest, and 100000 greater than the
preceding five years average,
But l ought to say to you that II
is not only necessary that these
achievements should be repeated, but
that they should be exceeded. ...,....
81 will not appeal to you to continue
and renew and increase your efforts.
do not believe that it is necessary to
do so. I believe that you will DO Ii
without any word or appeal from me-
because you understand as we'll as
do the needs and opportunities of this
great hour when the fortunes OF man
kind everywhere seem about to be De
termined and when America mas the
greatest opportunity she has ever had
to make good her own freedom and In
making it good to lend helping hand
to men struggling for their freedom
everywhere. You remember that it
was farmers from whom came the
first shots at Lexington, that set
aflame the revolution that made Amer
lea free. l hope and believe that the
farmers of America will willingly and
conspicuously stand by to win this
war also. The toll, the Intelligence,
the energy, the foresight, and the self
sacrifice, 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 selfshness of class
legislation and control, and then when
the end has come, we may look eacn
other in the face and be glad that we
are Americans and have had the privl-
lege to play such part.