Republican farmer., 1918-02-01


mers of the United States President
Wilson sent a message today in which
he called attention to the country's
need of their assistance during the
coming year in winning the war. The
message was sent through the Far
mers Conference held at the Univer-
sity of Illinois in Urbana.
The message was delivered by
President James Of the university, in
the absence of Secretary of Agricul-
ture Houston, who was to have rep
resented the President. The Presi-
dent had expected to attend but in
disposition made it impossible and he
delegated Mr. Houston, who was pre-
vented from participating by the tie
up of transportation.
The Presidents message said:
81 am very sorry indeed that ]
cannot be present in person at the
Urbana Conference. 1 should like to
enjoy the benefit of the inspiration
and exchange of counsel which 1
know ] should obtain, but in the cir
cumstances it has seemed impossible
for me to be present and therefore 1
can only send you very earnest
message expressing my interest and
the thoughts which such a conference
must bring prominently into every
mind
Il need not tell you, for 1 am sure
you realize as keenly as l do that we
are nation in the presence of
great task which demands supreme
sacrifice and endeavor of every ono
of us. We 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 be-
ing determined and the fortunes of
men everywhere affected by small
groups of military masters, who seek
their own interest and the selfish do
minion throughout the world of the
governments they unhappily for the
moment control. You will not need to
be convinced that itw as necessary
for us as a free people to take part
in this war. 1t had raised it's evil
hand against us. The rulers of Ger
many had sought to exercise their
power in such a way as to put off our
course with Europe was concerned,
and to confine our people within the
western hemisphere while they ac-
complished purposes which would
have permanently impaired and i'm
peded any process of our national life
and have put the fortunes of America
at the mercy of the imperial govern
ment of Germany. This was no
threat. 1t had become a reality.
Their hand of violence had been laid
upon our own people and our own
property in fragrant violation not only
of justice, but of the we'll recognized
and long standing covenants of inter
national law and treaty. We are
fighting, therefore, as fully for the lib
erty and self-government of the
United States as if the war of our
revolution had to be fought over
again, and every man in every busi-
ness in the United States must know
by this time that his whole future
fortune lies in the balance. Our ma
tional life and our whole economic
development will pass under the sin.
lister influences of foreign control il
we do not win. We must win, there
fore, and we shall win. l need no
ask you to pledge your lives and for
tunes with those of the rest of tn,
nation to the accomplishment of tina
great end.
You will realize, as 1 think states
men on both sides of the water real
ize, that the eliminating crisis of tn
struggle has come and that tn
achievements of this year on the on
side or the other must determine tn
issue. 1t has turned out that tn
forces that fight for freedom, tn
freedom of men all over the world a
well as our own, depend upon us il
an extraordinary and unexpected de
gree for sustenance, for the suppl
OF the materials by which men ar
to live and to fight and it will
our glory when the war is over tha
we have supplied those materials an
supplied them abundantly and it wi
be all the more glory because in SUP
plying them we have made our ST
preme effort and sacrifices.
"In the field of agriculture we hav
agencies and instrumentalities, fol
tunately. such as no other governmeI
in the world can show. The depar
ment of agriculture is undoubted
the greatest practical and scientif
agricultural organization in the worl
xxxx The banking legislation
the last two or three years has give
the farmers access to the great lent
able capital of the country and it hs
become the duty both of the men
charge of the federal reserve banl
ing system and of the farm loa
banking system to see to it that IL
farmers obtain the credit. both sho
term and long term, to which they a
entitled, not only, but which it is in
peratively necessary should be extern
ed to them if the present tasks of Il
country are to be adequately pc
formed. Both by direct purchase
nitrates and by the establishment
plants to produce nitrates the so
ernment is doing its utmost to asst
n the problem of fertilization. T
apartment of agriculture and 9th
a0ncies are actively assisting t
farmers to locate, safeguard and S
cure, at cost an adequate supply
souna seed The department h
S2.5Oo.0o available for this purpo