The Chesterfield advertiser. [volume] (Chesterfield C.H., S.C.) 1884-1978, 1918-02-21
A WARNING

IF the South neglects this year to
provide 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" saw
Clarence Ousley, Assistant Secretary
/ of Agriculture. ,,
II am aware that these are strong
| words" continues Secretary Ousley,
but they are none too strong. am
/ not expressing an alarmist personal
opinion. l am seeing through the
eyes of 48 agricultural colleges and
of county agents in nearly every agri-
cultural county. Inhave recently
crossed the continent from the At
lantic to the Pacific. I have studied
The reports gathered by the depart
ment's $4,000 representatives and as
many more employees of the agri-
cultural colleges. / have considered
the conclusions of the international
Institute of Agriculture at Rome
which has reports from all the world.
The plain, hard truth is that with
40 million people withdrawn from
productive industries and engaged i,
the business of destruction, it is not
humanity possible for production on
the whole to exceed normal demand.
Inc question is whether production
can equal necessitous demand.
England, France and italy mus.
oe sustained or their populations can
not stand the strain. They have been
on scantJ rations for more thar three
years. The chief cause of Russ;u's
collapse was hunger. Soldiers cam
not fight when their wives and child
rem are starving.
Secretary McAdoo has given
warning that transportation NAV be
lacking in 1918, to haul food and
feed to States and communities that
do not provide for themselves. Manv
cattle have been sacrificed in the
drouth regions of the Northwest and
the Southwest during the last few
months, because railroad cars could
not be obtained as needed. Military
A.
ton, and military movements will be
greater in 1918 than in 1917. The
prime question for the farmers is not
what product will bring the highest
price, but what products will insure
food for his family and feed for. his
live stock, and the answer is:
vegetable garden, milk COW, a brood
sow, a poultry flock, ample corn, oats,
peanuts, etc, and then as much cot
ton or tobacco as he can cultivate
we'll.
"It is the highest demand of pa
triotism it is the first requirement
of living-that in 1918 every State,
every county, every neightborhood,
every farmer, be as nearly self-sus-
tanning as possible.
For the South to plunge on cot
ton or tobacco or any other specula-
tive crop and to depend upon the
corn belt for bread and meat will be
for the South to engage in a gamble
which may cause privation to it's peo-
pie and disaster to the Nation. For
any man now to determine his bust
ness operations from the standpoint
of profit alone, without regard to
the Nations needs, is for him will
fully to profiteer in the blood of his
fellows who are fighting in France
for the preservation of the republic.
No man can be excused for not TAX
ing his share of the responsibility.
my whole life has been spent in
the South. know the Southern far
mer. He will do his duty as he sees
it. | am appealing to every man in
the South to make known these facts
to consider it his business to mage
them known-and / shall have no
doubt of the results. If they are not
made known in way to impress the
crisis that confronts us, there may
be hunger in this bounteous land or
hunger over yonder in Europe, where
it will spell ruin for all that is worth
while in America"