The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1918-05-10
Dear Boys and Girls of America:

Lear BOYS anu GIRLS OF America:
AS 1 write this letter I think of the
millions of happy children in school
and out, all over our broad land, and
wonder how many of you really
know that you can help win the war.
On every side you hear OF war, war.
The papers are full of it, your pa
rents talk about it, everywhere are
soldiers, dou you really know what it
means? Do you know that it means
hunger and cold and disease and
death? 1 do not mean death from
shells but death from starvation
Never in all the worlds history
have there been so many starving
people.
1t is very bad when strong men
and women are hungry, though they
are brave and wise and can under
stand why it is. But it is cruelty
hard when little children, even little
babies and tots like your own little
sisters and brothers Gle because they
have no food.
In Poland, one of the countries
which Germany has captured, prac-
tically all the children under five
years of age are dead. They have
L
and Belgium never have enough to
eat. So it is in all the countries
where there is fighting.
And we must think not only of the
little children, but also of their brave
fathers and brothers who are fighting
to save their countries. We must
think too of the poor mothers left at
home working hard from morning till
night in the fields, taking the places
of the men who are fighting. They
even drag the heavy plows because
their horses and cattel have been
killed.
These brave men and women can
not fight and work unless they have
food.
You too, have brave soldier fathers,
brothers, uncles, and cousins fighting
in France. They must not go hun
cry.
But where is this food to come
from?
Who has enough to divide?
America
This glorious country of ours must
feed the world!
Let us see why America must be
the country to do this.
AS we said, only women are left to
plant and till the fields in England,
France and Italy. England is too
small to raise enough food to feed the
English people. The beautiful fields
of France are torn by shot and shell.
Great battles are taking place where
in times of peace, crops of grain were
grown. France cannot feed herself.
So it is with Italy. War has reduced
her crops So, that the people must
have food from other countries. Bel
GUM is a great battlefield where
nothing can grow.
What about Australia and South
American you ask. T..
Cant they send food to Europe?''
Yes, if they had ships, perhaps.
But it is long, long way from Aus
traha and the ships would never
reach Europe because of the subma-
rines. 1t is also a long way from
South America to Europe, and South
America can help but little.
So our country must feed the ma
tions who fight our battles.
But America cannot feed them IN
less every man, woman, and child
helps. -..... .- .
We have sent tons and tons Of
grain across to these hungry peoples.
Again and again our ships have car
ried wheat, meat, sugar, and fats to
feed the fighters.
But we must send more, and still
more to win the war.
What do they need most? What
can be sent best and easiest?" you
ask
Wheat, because wheat will keep
longer than any other grain, it is
easier to ship, and means bread for
them. They can live without sugar,
and we have plenty of meat for them,
but we must send wheat.
Now you are wondering why tell
you all this
Because we won't have wheat to
send if we eat as much as we are
eating now.
This means that unless we are will
ling to give up, our nice white bread,
our crisp toast, our pies and cakes
made of wheat, the little boys and
girls, and the men and women across
the ocean will staTve.
Are you boys and girls Of America
willing to sit down to a table full of
good things while little children like
yourselves go hungry to bed, crying
for even a little bit of bread? Some
times they have no beds to which to
go, no homes Even these have been
destroyed.
There are many delicious breads
which your mothers can make by
recipes which the Food Administra-
ton will gladly send them. In these
breads are used potatoes, corn flour
rice flour, barley flour, oat -four and
other fours.
But the best thing you can do is tc
eat potatoes.
There are millions of bushels of DO