Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-03-16
Saturday, March IS, 1918.
Shall We Starve?

w it'h tit' biS6tSL SSelpIC Ioob oPS-
put iii the coming season the United
States has ever produced. If we don :
get it, somebody is going hungry.
The farmer says we're not going TO
get it, He says he's going to produce
only so to 50 per cent. of last years
output. He SAYS he wants to raise big
crops but i.e can't do it because he
can't get tho labor to plant and cultj-
vate and harvest them.
If the statement of our needs is cor
rect, and What the farmer says is true,
there is trouble ahead.
The arm" question is big question
So is the coal question; 50 is the ship
question and the railroad question: but
the food question is the greatest oI al.
and if we don't answer it. if We don't
face it. and examine it, and sul,a ii,
all the others will subsequently pos
Scss only IN academic interest for US.
Everybody knows there is I. food
shortage IN the world at TIL present
time. Some countries are rationed.
some are lace to face with hunger. and
III our own country, where Subarttun-
dance has %lways existed until now,
We are feeling the first .p.:..l of the
ICY finger Cf Famine, while the High
cost of Living is rapidly climbing to
tic top round of the lad'!c"
our people, our Allies on: army and
Eavy depend on us for food 10 say
hothing of certain neutral nations. If
We are short what is go.n-' to happen .
We have 20 depend on what we take
out of the 2round-and the farmer las
given us lair warning that he can't
take it out We'd bette.' listen to him.
He says much of his labor has been
drafted. ~" says mucl IF il has been
attracted hI high wages in muni:ion
factories md other interests. He
points out clearly he has the land and
tho machinery but not the labor
This is no time for debate, some
thing ought to be done. Something
must he done. And unless it is done
right and done quickly it will be too
late. for The planting season is nearly
here and the farmer can plant but once
a year.
This problem is so vast and so in
tricate that it cannot be settled by any
individual or group. To deal with it
an immediate, widespread understand
ing OF the necessity must % arouse d
and the resulting activity must be So
cial and governmental
What has been done up to this time
We have Il Food Administrator Mr..
Hoovcr-and he's doing good york
saving food--hut Hoover cant save
food that hasn't been produce |. The
President has raised the price of wheat
to the farmer; but that doesn't brm.,
t.h1 Il.
high price for grain he can't raise?
There is large and general activiti;
relating to the cultivation of gardens.
on unused plots of land in towns and
cities; but while this is an excellent
thinE. in its way. both as to result, aud
the benefits derived. physically, lv
those who do the work. it will have no
bearing on the great big question Of
staple fools.
This problem cannot be considered in
terms of six rows of cabbages and =,
hill of cucumbers-it must be consid-
cred In terms of millions of acres, and
mllilonS of bushels of wheat and
pounds of pork. We can't feed
Pcrshing or lettuce.
There is one remcdy-~only one. We
ter how-we must get them. If the
wages he is able to pay won't tempt
mcn-and evidently they dont-thcn
we must rCnscript men,
Revolutionary: This is a revolu
tionary time. Inconvcniento SO is
hunger. |nhoard of? Nothing like
this war was ever heard Of. The
proposition may seem drastic and des-
r"tic and everything else the Conscien-
tious Ohjcctor to toll may call it, but it
l. an immediate. urgent and vital ne
,cssity.
We have tho governmental! machin
cry to do II. and surely if we have the
right to graft men to preserve our
liberties We have the right to draft
nen to preserve our lives. Surely
those who are unable or unwilling to
night ought to be willing to work.
The men are ready at our hand. Can
out the rejected men feom the first
draft. Flat feet kept John Smith from
carrying Il riflo-they won't prevent
him from trailing a plough George
Jones may have lost his trigger finger
Yet he may develop into an artist with
a hoe.
Call out every boy from IS to 81
throughout the country Most of them
would be glad to 90, and it would do
them good. Send these men out in
squads of ten. under efficient direction
and semi military control. as near
their homes as possible Pay them the
market price or more if necessary. Es
tablish rigid housing and food regula
tons, and if possible let them camp
out. Let them serve from March to
september. a couple of million meo
put to work will double the size of the
1918 crop. and that's what we've got
to do-double the crops.
The only way to make sure of food
Is to get men now, put them to work
now, and keep them at work until har-
vest time IS over. Will we do it-or
DO We prefer to so hungry?
For year this newspaper has urged
that the country be aroused to the
dangers of the present situation, and
sure tendencies. Both are SO plain.
and hourly more evident, that only
the wilfuily blind can fail to see,
In Mr.. SWANS article for the Vigil
antes. he failed to mention considera-