The courier-index. (Marianna, Ark.) 1917-current, 1918-09-06

farm. The back to the soii' move
ment vii become an actually Farm
life will be made more attractive,
inst as it has become more profit
able during the last few years. Inc
farmer is one of the two or three
biggest factors in the world war, for
back of the fighting man stands the
man who supplies his maintenance.
A hungry man will fight, but ne
cannot fight intelligently and effect
lively as the soldier who is well FED.
And not only is America being look
ed to at this time to feed itself, but
upon the farms of the United States
depends the fate of nations involved
in the awful conflict. To make the
next generation of farmers more Ell
ficient is the purpose back OF the
Smith Hughes movement
Crops are short all over the state,
but it might be worse.
Everybody is being called upon TO
give and subscribe, and then give
and subscribe again, but it might
be worse.
The cotton crop is short, the corn
is burned up, there is very little
fruit. and even the gardens have not
Welded as they should, but it might
be worse.
Soon, one hundred thousand Ark
ansas men will be in the military
~ Of he c c
and the trades, and mercantile life
consumers and not producers. but 1t
might be worse.
Many industries, even some essen |
tial to war, are crippled by the |
shortage of labor, but it might be
worse. .s,~~-
Instead
A hostile army might be sweeping
over the state, laying waste our
cities, and towns, and farms; burn
ing, dynamiting, and ruthlessly de-
stroying our mills, and factories,
and stores, and homes; numbering |
our men, debauching our women, and
slaughtering our babies, committing
untold barbaraties upon the poor and
defenseless; stripping the rich OF all
their possessions, torturing them so I
that they might wish that life itself |
could be taken as a relief from the +
horrors of bestility and barbarism. I
Yes, conditions might be worse,
infinitely worse. Instead of few
hundred homes scattered over the i
state, there might be silver service
star, or several of them, as there are
in France, and Belgium, and England
in every home, whether the hut OF
the peasant or the palace of the
nobility.
All industry, except as 1t applies
to war, might be paralyzed; the i
wheels of commerce might cease to |
turn, except as they are turned by |
the exigencies of war; the blight of |
the Hun might spread over the
state from border to border, shrivel-
ing and destroying all with which it
comes in contact; from afar we feel /
the furnace-like breath of the Prus-
sian war-god, but it is tempered with
the ocean breezes of five thousand
miles; from Chicot to Benton, from
Miller to Clay, our state might be a
reeking shamble of warfare made
hideous by the accursed Hun.
oh yes, things might be worse,
worse.
With the whole world in the grip
of war, Arkansas has every reason
to be thankful that things are as
we'll with us as they are.
Service and sacrifice are required
of all in this emergency-by their
giving all may demonstrate their pat
riotism.
The newspapers have been hard
hit by the war. During the last 80
days twentyseven Arkansas papers
have been suspended, or for the
period of the war, and according to
orders from Washington no new pa