The Green Forest tribune., 1918-02-15
hold in check the best troops Germany can bring against them."

It Is not particularly surprising that a man of Colonel Roosevelt's charac- teristics and temperament should be in the limelight. For number of years Colonel Roosevelt has been In and out, so to speak, but just now he seems to have taken the center of the stage as the most prominent man in private life. Perhaps 1t is because he came to Wash ington at time when the administra- tion was undergoing the most severe criticism 1t has sustained since the war began. Back in 1909, when Colonel Roosevelt departed from Washington the day MT. Taft was inaugurated president, it was in his mind to keep out of Washington. But 1t was impos- sible for man like him to change his nature, so he again appeared in the na- tional capital, where he held the center of the unofficial stage.
 One of the amazing things about Colonel Roosevelt is the length of time that he has been in the public eye. He first began to make stir in 1880, was an important factor in the Republican national convention in 1884, came to Washington in 1889 as a civil service commissioner, after that was police commissioner of New York, assistant secretary of the navy, lieutenant colo nel and colonel of the Rough Riders, governor of New York, vice president, president, and since his retirement from the presidency, candidate for that position on two successive occa- sions. During all that long period he has not always held the center of the stage, but he has been in the spotlight the greater portion of the time.
 If there is not a great deal of ex- tra work done throughout the farm ing districts of the country to in- crease the agricultural products In the year 1918, it will not be on account of a lack of effort on the part of many men who see the necessity of produc- Ing more food. Several organizations are already at work, most of them hay ing their headquarters in Washington, and all are working toward the same end, although they may be employing different methods. Of course the two biggest organizations of this kind are the agricultural department and the food administration The agricultural department is naturally more effective because 1t has had a strong organiza- tion in the field for many years. Its efforts are being supplemented by the food administration, which has day after day put forth information tend ing towards saving as well as increas- ing the food supply of this country.
 Only short time ago Secretary Me Adoo made statement in which he urged the Southern people to produce enough food for their own use. The significance of that statement may not be fully understood save by those who know the conditions in the South It Is estimated that more than S00,000 ne- groes have left the South during the past year and found employment in the Northern states, where there has been such great demand for labor. The loss of the negro labor has fallen heav- fly upon Southern farmers.
 B. R. Tillman, Jr., son of Sena- tor Tillman of South Carolina, was speaking of his own personal problem and said that he had thousand acres of land and does not know what to do with 1t because he cannot obtain labor to plant 1t nor to harvest the crops. Laborers cannot be found to work in the fields. He has bought a large amount of farm machinery of the lat est type and will do the best he can to raise as large crop as he can.
 And so it Is found that whenever the question of food supply and lack of farm production is probed to the bot tom it turns out that the inability of farmers to procure labor is the seat of the trouble. The various organizations that are working officially as well as unofficially to secure an increased farm product have many suggestions, some of them practical and others fantasti- cal, but all having in view the opening up of more farms and putting more people at work on the farms. But the question comes back again and again, Will people work on farms when such attractive wages are offered in other lines of industry?
 Active work Is being done in nearly all the states to secure ratification of the prohibition amendment which re- gently passed congress. Since the wom- an suffrage amendment passed the house the senate has been besieged day after day by suffragists who are en- deavoring to land enough votes to pass 1t in that body. Although strong claims are made to the effect that the amendment will pass, the senators who are handling the matter say that four or five votes are still lacking. They also say that the resolution will not be brought to vote until the necessary two-thfrds of the senate in its favor is assured.
 The activities in behalf of both these amendments have been carried on not withstanding the amendment generally coming from the opponents of both amendments, that the energies of the country at this time ought to be de voted to the war and that all other no1itipal and ocopnmio