The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-02-16
'SOUTH MUST RAISE
| OWN FOOD AND FEED
To Plunge in Cotton and Tobacco
Would Mean n Gamble on Life
of the Nation.
oUsLEY SOUNDS WARNING.
Forty Millions OF People Withdrawn
From Productive Industries and En-
gagged in Business of Destruction
transportation Serious.

| Washington, d. c., Febfuarv 10
If the South negIects this year to pro-
vide her own food and feed she is
/ likely to suffer serious privation. and
she will put burden upon the nation
which may prolong the war and even
imperil our victory" says Clarence
| Ousley. assistant secretary of agricul-
ture.
Il am aware that these are strong
words" continues Secretary Ousley,
but they are none too strong / am
not expressing an alarmist personal
opinion / am seeing through the
eyes of forty-eight agricultural colleges
and of county agents in nearly every
agricultural county. ] have recently
crossed the continent from the Atlantic
10 the Pacific. / have studied the re-
ports gathered by the department q
900 representatives and as many
more employees of the agricultural col
leFes. I have considered the conclu-
sions Of the International Institute of
Agriculture at Rome which has re-
ports from all the world.
THE plain. hard truth is that with
40 100000 people withdrawn from pro-
ductYe industries and engaged in the
business of destruction, II is not hui
manly possible for production on the
whole to exceed normal demand. The
question is whether production can
equal necessitous demand.
England. France, and Italy must be
sustained or their population cannot
stand the strain They have been on
scanty rations for more than three
years. The chief cause of Russia 8
collapse was hunger. Soldiers cannot
fight when their wives and children
are starving
Secretary McAdoo has given warn
ing that transportation may be lack
ing In 1913, to haul food and feed to
states and communities that do not
provide for themselves Many cattle
have been sacrificed In the drouth
! regions Of the Northwest and the
Southwest during the last few months,
because the railroad cars could not
be obtained as needed. Military move
nents must have first consideration
and military movements will be great
er in 1873 than in 1910 The prime
question for the farmer is not what
product viii bring the highest price.
but what products will insure food
for his family and feed for his live
stock. and the answer is: a vegetable
garden. milk COW brood sow. a
poultry flock, ample corn oats pea .
I or tobacco as he can cultivate well
1T is the highest demand OF patri.
otism--t IS the first requirement OF
living-that In 1918 every state, every
county, every neighborhood, every
farmer. be az nearly self-sustaining as
possible.
For the South 10 plunge on cotton
or tobacco or any other speculative
crop and to depend upon the corn belt
fer bread and meat will be for the
south TO engage in a gamble which
may cause privation to its people and
disaster to the nation. For any man
now to determine his business opera =
tons from the standpoint of profit
alone, without regard to the nations
needs. is for him wilfullv to nrofiteer
IN the blood of his fellows who are
fighting In France for the preserva-
tion of the republic, No man can be
excused for not taking his share Of
the responsibility.
MY whole life has been zpent in
the South I know the Southern farm
err He viii do his duty as he sees It
am appealing to every man in the
south TO make these facts--to consider
1t his business to make them known
and 7 shall have no doubt OF the re-
suits II they are not made known in
way TO impress the crisis that con-
fronts us. there may be hunger in this
oounteous land or hunger over yonder
in Europe, where 1t will spell rls4n for
all that is worth while in A r1er4ca