The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-01-31
WAR MUST BE
WON OR LOST
IN THIS YEAR
President Wilson Spurs Farm
ers To Help Face Crisis.
Free Men of World Are Look
ing to Us for Sustenance.
WE ARE FIGHTING FOR LIBERTY
As Tho the War We're Being
Fought in Our Country.
Faith That Farmer Will Pledge
His All to Victory.

His All to Victory.
Washington. Jan. 31.-'The culmin-
The achievements of this yeaMon one
side the other must determine the
ISSUE
warned the farmers of the country in
making public an address he had
planned to deliver at Urbana, ILL.,, to-
day.
And in facing this crisis he said.
"it 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 extraordinary
and unexpected degree for sustenance.
for supply of the materials by which
men are to live and fight.
And it will be our glory, when the
war is over. that we have supplied
these materials and supplied them
abundantly and it will be all the more
glory because in supplying them we
have made our supreme effort ana
sacrifice. .
For Our Own Liberty.
1--WE are fighting the president
continued, "as truly for the liberty and
self-government of the United States
as if the war of our own revolution
man in every business in the Unlted
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 un-
der the sinister influences OF foreign
control if we do not win.
we must win, therefore, and we
shall win. I need not ask you 10
pledge your lives and fortunes with
= J,o in
Accomplishment of that great end
Do 1t Without Appeal
will not appeal to continue and
renew and increase your EFFORTS
do not believe that It is necessary to
do so; I believe that you VIII do II
without any appeal from me, because
YOU understand as well as l do the
needs and opportunities of this great
hour when the fortunes of mankind
everywhere seem about to be deter
mined and when America has 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
America free. 1 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, the self-sac-
rifice and devotion of the farmers of
America will, I believe, bring to a tri-
umphant conclusion this great last
war for the emancipation of men from
the control of arbitrary government
and the ,selfishness of legislation and
control and then, when the end has
come, We may look each other in the
, face and be glad that we are Ameri-
cans and have had the privilege to
play such a part"
Demands Supreme Sacrifice.
The president declared in opening
his message that I'VE are, as a nation,
in the presence of a great task which
demands supreme sacrifice and en-
deavor of every one of US.
I'VE can give everything that is
needed with the greater willingness
and even satisfaction, because the OBJ
ject of the war in which we are en-
gagged is the greatest that free men
have ever undertaken. 1t is to pre-
/ vent the life of the world from being
determined and the fortunes of men
everywhere affected by small groups
of military masters who seek their
own interest and selfish dominion
thruout the world of the governments
. they, unhappily, for the moment con-
! troll You will not need to be con-
! WINGED that it was necessary for US as
a free people to take part in this war
1t has raised it's evil hand against u.s.
The rules 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 ir
paired and impeded every process of
onr national life and have put the
fortunes of America at the mercy of
the imperial government of Germany.
This was threat. 1t has become
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
recognized and long standing cove
nants 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
| which to launch the mighty blow he
said:
! Greatest Aggie Dept in World.
In the field of agriculture we
have agencies and instrumentalities
fortunately, such as no other govern
ment in the world can show The de-
partment of agriculture is undoubted-
! ly the greatest practical and scientific
agricultural organization in the
world. Its total annual budget of
5000. 900 has been increased during
cent. 1t has staff of $4,000, includ-
! ing a large number of highly trained
experts. and along side of it stands
! the unique land grant colleges, which
are without example elsewhere and
the sixty-nine state and federal ex-
pertinent stations. These colleges and
experiment stations have a total en-