The Brinkley argus., 1918-08-23
[RANSP0aTATIONIS E HEAVILY O.ERTANED
SOUTH THIS YEAR FACES A SIT LAYTON MORE CRITICAL
 SINCE CIVIL WAR.
By W. c. Lassetter. Director Agricul-

tural Extension Division, Universit.
 of Arkansas
 The South this year faces a situa tion more critical than any since th' Civil War. Having for many year: depended upon other sections of tht country to furnish these food supplies and having built up it's system of az riculture on that as a basis, the SOutf this year finds transportation facili ties of the country heavily over-tax ed and therefore faces a threatened shortage of the facilities for bringing into the South the food and feedstuffs needed to support itself under the old system of agriculture.
 For many years the agricultural leaders of the Southern States have been urging the production of home supplies of food and feed stuffs as a matter of farm economy. Today the production of home supplies of food and feed stufRs becomes imperative as a matter of necessity.
 Something of the seriousness of the situation that now confronts tie South may be seen when we consider the magnitude of our transportation problems. The Extension Division is in receipt of information from the War Department which shows that merely to move an army of 80,0O0 troops once required 6,209 cars or 366 trains pulled by 366 engines and operated by 366 crews. Today we have twenty times 80,000 men in the United States armies and to move these troops one time would require 7,320 extra trains, extra en- zines and extra crews. These fig ures refer only to railway equipment required to move such an army one time.
 We are fully aware of the fact that food and feed are required to support armies and their equipment. It is estimated by the Department of Agri- culture that 85,216 carloads of food will be required for the maintenance of the present army for one year, and that 96.624 cars will be required to move the feed and for the transporta- tion required for army animals for one year
 Nearly 35oooo Cars Used For Trans,
 porting Farm Supplies To Be
 Used For the Army. -I
 Consider the transportation prob lem required by the combined de- mands of the army for food. feed and troops Note that this requires 3%4,- 425 cars and will require approximate zines and 15.00O extra crews.
 The demands of the army are in excess of the regular demands Of the United States Shipping requirements in many lines have increased mater ially since the outbreak of the war. You will recall that ships were un- able to leave Atlantic ports because of the failure to deliver coal for their bunkers Hundreds of cities went partly cold this past winter because of the shortage of transportation for coal. Cars are needed to move the lumber to the shpbuilding docks. Cars must be had to carry the raw materials to the many industrial plants which are necessary to support and equip our armies. Raw materials must be had for the munitlon plants. Much of this is in excess of our nor nal transportation needs.
 Not a Sacrifice To Do Duty. When the transportation facilities of our country are taxed to the iimit in conveying supplies to our troops raw materials to our intuition facto- ries and other war industries, can Ar kansas ask that portion or this needed transportation be diverted to bring food into the state when that food may just as well be grown with in our own boundaries
 Should we ask that corn be shipped from Illinois into Arkansas where Il may be grown just as well? Can we ask that pork be shipped from Iowa into Arkansas where hogs thrive so well and can be produced even more cheaply than in our Northern states Can we ask that transportation be utilized for bringing into the state any of these things which we can produce economically at homeE
 All the agricultural agencies or Arkansas are backing the nationwide campaign instituted by the United States Department of Agriculture TO increase food and feed production n Arkansas. We are not asked for any sacrifice. We are merely called upon to provide our own food and feed Stuffs