Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1918-03-05

|AIsetsr . H. Ppesi6ssf sbeut -.
Milford, Ps-, February 80, lsiS
The President,
The Whits House
Nv Dear Mr.. Presidest:@In this csit-
| ical dine, vhsa IL Il The duty Of every
American to support the Governmeot N
winning the var, l venture most respeo
| fully to lay before you certain fseis
With relation to the food supply OF oar
people and our Allies whose importance
would appear to justify ny doing %.
The study OF conservation has required
me to become familiar With agrieultur1
problems, and have beeo close In toucn
With Organized farmers. In order 70
guard against making any statement
which might be mistaken, either in letter
or In spirit, the substance Of this open
communication has been submitted TO
the leaders and representatives OF farm
organizations numbering many hundred
thousand members. and has received
their assent
The war has now entered . stage In
which the steadfastnees of civil populs-
tions ranks in importance with the
fighting spirit of armies. Abundant
supplies of food become factor OF the
first importance in maintaining the
morale of a people under heavy stress.
Great Britain, % We know, still relies
on the United States and Canada for 65
Der cent of its essential food stuffs. The
Canadians arc most seriously hanoi
capped in An effort to increase produc-
ton BY the lack of man power because
they have already sent to Europe 30
large . proportion of their men OF mill
tary age. It 10 well known that New
Zealand, Australian, and Indian wheat
is inaccessible for lack Of shipe. The
responsibility, therefore, rests mainly
upon the people of the United States,
without the food which We alone can
supply not only England, but France
and Italy, must lose their power TO carry
on the war.
II 10 not famine We are facing in the
United States as some have sought TO
show, but food shortage 70 serious
that 1t threatens to become decisive
Asa man of great authority among
American farmers has said: "Thii
war cannot be won by the forces oi
civilization unless the farmers OF the
United States can substantially increase
their production of foodstuffs TO feed
our Allies and the people of our OWL
lcountry." Bot We ale faced with the
certainty of reduction instead of n
increase unless present conditions are
promptly and radically changed.
The farmers of the United States are
lanxious to do their full duty in growing
more food. The leaders have been
active in the matter for months past
But they are hampered BY condition.
which they themselves cannot control.
Farmers generally are now facing the
most unfavorable condition of faru
labor they have ever known, in part be-
cause more than one quarter of the mel
Who have been taken for the Nationa
Army are farmers. They are short o
seed, agricultural supplies, and credit
and they declare that . crop smalle
than last years. Is certain unless thes'
conditions are changed for the better.
Shortage in production at the COMING
harvest cannot be met from any surplul
held in reserve. Only three crops o
our six principal grains have ever beel
as large az the amount by which on
reserve of these grains was reduced be
tween March 1916, and March, 1917
Since then our reserve has been still
further diminished, and 1t has beel
said that We have now reached the bot
Tom of the granary.
Business confidence plays a. large
part in the production of food as it doe
in the production of Iaay other com
modify. Nothing 10 30 fatal to produe
ton as uncertainty. II 10 q matter o
national significance that the great ma
, jority of farmers are today uncertain ~
to their business outlook.
/ A year ago our farmers produced
abundantly in patriotic response to tn
request OF the Government, but ut hal
vest labor was wanting. Many fields o
potatoes were frozen in the ground an
much corn remained ungathered. Their
are farmers three quarters OF who's
corn crop was still in the field in Feb
ruary for want of hands. To men o
small resources such blows are staggel
ing. The prosecutions of milk produt
ers, a very numerous class of farmer.
for seeking prices high enough to NEE
the rising cost of production, have ais
had their share in robbing the farmer
of confidence in the future.
i Food is the first condition OF pros
perity at home and success in the va
abroad. The food problem is first of a
a question of production. The atten
| | lion of the whole nation 10 at tbi
, moment directed to the question O
building ships, but food is prior to an
more essential than the ships to carry II
SO also food 10 more essential tina
munitions, for without 1t munitions ca
neither be manufactured nor used i
. fighting.
What we need most 10 an increase
wheat and pork. But the coming GRO
of winter wheat 10 more than five millio
{ acres below the area officially recon
mended to produce the crop desired
and its condition on December 1st va
. the lowest ever known. The BIRTHS
, Food Administrator has warned q
,, officially that sit now lies with Americ
to decide whether or not the Allies ]
Europe shall have bread enough to ho!
out until the United States is able t
throw its forces into the field" Yet be
!, cause of It's low price in relation to corr
, wheat so urgently needed abroad is eve
now being fed to livestock in Americi
As 10 pork, the outlook for productio
is at best uncertain because at th
present time and for some time past th
price of hogs has not been high enoug
to cover the price of the corn fed
; them.
Asa Nation We have directed OF
attention mainly to saving food alread
/ produced instead of mainly TO prod ucin
more fooc-wbich would make rigi
conservation unnecessary. Surely It
better to produce in plenty than to col
sumo our energy in the difficult task {
stretching short supply. In Europ
, conservation measures have been diff
cult to apply, dangerous to the mora
of the people, and (sbort of actual T,
tioning) ineffective In producing result
They are properly the last measul
against food shortage. Production
! the first. How some of the steps whic
are necessary to increase production ma
Z be taken was indicated BY the represent
, atives of three millions OF organize
farmers, acting through the FEEDERS
Board of Farm Organizations, In thei
address submitted to you on Februsr