The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1918-03-22

following editorial. discusses the
second draft with special emphasis
as to the necessity of disposing suf-
ficient Of the selected men to fight
the battle of food production while
the men engaged in the trenches are
fighting the battles of the country.
The article covers the ground COM
pletely and is commended as fully
worth reading:
A very eminent military authority
lies.' If this was true under the old
conditions of warfare, how much
more force can the truth be reiterat-
ed this day when the success of arms
depends almost entirely upon the ply
steal fitness OF the men. The element
Of food Is 30 essential in equipping
the modern soldier for his serious
work that any plan or program which
fails to establish this as the basic
foundation for successful training is
erroneous.
ut is therefore assuring to note
that the war department has taken
serious account of this fnndamlntal
truth in planning for the second draft
of our army. Not only is the man en-
gagged in active agricultural produc-
ton to be exempted in this draft I'M
der certain conditions. but the war
department has gone further and it is
possible that men in the first draft will
be furioughed to the farm where it
can be oonclusively shown that the
nations feod supply has been reduc
ed in their taking. The article which
we reproduce in this paper contains
the assurance that the operations of
the draft law in relation to agricul-
ture and industry is now the subject of
exhaustive scientific investigation.
which will result in steps being taken
to conserve both without Impairment
to our military force.
1--WE are glad to see that both Con-
gress and the war department realize
the gravity of the situation. The
farms were being denuded of labor.
The per cent of physical examinations
passed by the men entering the SER
vice ran high among the men from
the farm and lowest among the sa-
loon keepers-just the opposite of
what the draft law was intended to
secure. The result has been that men
"a I'M
army by the thousands. Healthy.
virile, st.ong, they are just the men
needed by modern day warfare.
but this was not all. The farm is
the great stOrehouse or reservoir for
commerce and industry and when the
city man joined the colors in nine
chances ont of ten his place was taken
by the man from the farm. Has il
stopped here? The war plants, with
speed up programs absolutely essen
tial to the success of the war have
offered fabulous wages made neces-
sary to meet modern living conditions
and hundreds of thousands of farm
labOrers have flOcked to these plants.
On the one hand we have an increas-
ing army requiring an increae of food
and on the other we have a decreas-
ing food production. 1t is the big
problem of the war for certainly the
war can't be won unless the food Is
produced.
''Some eminent economist has said
that the man with a million would
beg bread before tbs war is over, 1t
would have been possible if the old
Interpretation of the draft law had
been maintained. 1t is now improb-
able if the governments plan for sus-
tanning agriculture is carried out. The
food problem is next in Importance to
winning the war itself and ii is good
to know that the whole country is
awaking to its realization"