The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-03-01
URGED FOOD Saving
EVERYBODY HELP - MUST DO
THIS TO WIN THE WAR.

Help by a small measure of self
denial to conserve the food of the
country to the soldiers or the very
power which took these soldiers from
you will also take your food and your
substance, was in effect what John
s. Rutledge said to standing room
only at the Normal auditorium last
night. He decried the selfishness
that would bid the soldier fare
we'll and then refuse to assist in
keeping him furnished with food of
desirable quality. Mr.. Rutledge is
from Cleveland, O., a government
representative in the urging of food
conservation, and co~nsorting with
one of the six original men who were
sent over to study the conditions.
There were six of these, and with
each one there is another appointed
by the government, and non of them
get any wages except their travelling
expenses.
The auditorium was crowded last
night as the large choir rose TO sing
America" After a few musical
numbers the speaker was introduced
and at once launched out into word
pictures descriptive of our place in
the great world war. He is a dy-
manic and forceful speaker, and does
not make the apparent effort to come
to familiar terms with his audience
which so many do so obviously, and
his illustrative and Illuminating sto-
ries are spontaneous and apt.
Mr.. Rutledge said that we could
put $1,000, 900 men on the soil of
France and not cripple farm or fac
tory. But our first concern is to
feed these men and the men of the
other allied armies. The crops and
men to work the land of Europe are
working as soldiers. They cannot
help themselves. 1t must be this
country which does that. And, when
one looks carefully at it, it is only
the small part of this country which
furnishes the food for the other parts
and for the world. The few states
of the middle west are the granary
of this country, and now of the world.
To make the food supply stretch over
the whole population of western
| Europe, somebody is going to go
without.
German food was organized upon
an actually efficient war basis before
the war, from the great Krupp works
to the planting of grain. France, Eng
land, Belgium or Russia were not,
This. the most wasteful country in
the world is not, but is rapidly com
ing into line to save great portions
of food which was formerly wasted
1t is only by a system of education
or a drastic and sudden lesson thai
this country will waken to the neeo
for saving.
In the matter of ownership and the
right to eat what one raised, the
speaker observed that might is right
but we should observe who is goint
to use the might. This government
gave land to settlers at prices neyel
| before HbdIu VI III thO "ShAN -
tected us and made the land valuable
and secure in the pursuit of wealth
and happiness. The conquering gov
eminent takes securities and tn
right to dispose of lands. The ques
ton is, how secure would a lan'
owner in America be il he did no
protect his country. The speaker de
scribed it as mot being worth
damn" And that is what all thi
fighting and conservation is about
It is not only fighting the battles o
the French and Belgians, but also L
keep from our shores a foe, who az
clared that it was three days Z
) Paris, three months to London an
three years to Washington" 1t
our fight.
Il ---O-