The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1918-03-07
THE fLEt FOR FOOD AND FEED.

In Il recent interview in Washing
ton MI Clarence Ousley. Assistant Sec
rotary of Agriculture has made state
mentS that should have wide publicity
Mr.. OuseE is in Il position to he well
informed about the matters under dis
cussion. and when he says the South
is likely to be confronted by serious
priyation if there is not large acre
age planted to food and feed crops his
warming should not 90 unheeded In
truth. he is right in what he says And.
if the war is to last three years longer.
and those well informed entertain such
belief preparations being made by this
nation for Il three-year struggle, the
ing with each passing month and YEAR
The warming to plant more largely
of food crops has come so often that
PERHAPS the average reader has come
to expect such in print every time he
picks up Il newspaper. The same thing
so often repeated may lose some of its
high POINTS as a convincing argument
1t may. but such really should not fol-
low. Bear in mind. reader. that the
editors throughout the nation are not
yelling wolf" if you want it that
Way merely as Il joke or paStinle.
They have had their cue from well ill.,
formed sources and merely urge upon
the public Il course that cannot but
stand for its better Safety-that will.
in fact, only give partial guaranty Of
the survival of the MASSES of the ma
tiOn-and that's all there is to it.
Much might he said of the famine
that goes hand and hand with war and
that invariably follows big wars. But
all that has been said. and it becomes
only duty of yourS-you who are
familiar with these facts Of history
to make such known to the masses.
white and black. So throughout the
length and breadth Of the South make
the plea for food and feed crops. Urge
that they lie planted everywhere. Ivy
everybody, that the people and our
necessary dumb animals may eat and
survive.
Here is what Mr.. Ousley has to say
along this same line:
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 rrolong the. war and even
imperi our victory.
am aware that these are strong
world but they are none too strong. l
am not expressing an allrmiSt per-
Sonal opinion. am seeing through
the eyes Of forty eight agricultural
colleges and Of county agents in nearly
every agricultural county have re-
Gently crossed the continent from the
Atlantic to the Pacific. have studied
the reports gathered by the depart
mentE $4,000 representatives and as
many more employees of the agricuI-
tural colleges. | have considered the
conclusions of the international In
stitute of Agriculture ut Rome. which
has reports from all the world.
The plain. hard truth is that with
forty million people withdrawn from
productive industries and engaged in
the business of destruction. it is not
humanity 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 populations cannot
stand the strain. They have been on
scanty rations for more than three
years. The chief cause of RusSia'S
collapse was hunger. Soldiers cannot
fight when their wives and children
are starving.
Secretary McAdoo has given warn
ing that transportation may be lacking
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 railroad |
cars could not be obtained as needed. |
Military movements must have first |
consideration. and military movements
will lie greater during 1918 than dur
ing 1917. The prime question for the
farmer is not what product will bring
the highest price. but what product
Will insure food for his famiiu and
Jcrd Jor his lire stock. and the answer
is: A vegetable garden. milk COW, a
brood SOW. a poultry flock. ample corn,
oats. LEAFS. peanuts. etc. and then as
much cotton or tobacco as he can cul-
tivate well.
Ii is the highest demand of nitri-
otlsn--it is the first requirement of
living-t!lat during 1918 every state.
every county, every neighborhood, ey-
cry farmer. lie as nearly self-sustain-
ing as possible.
For the South to plunge on cotton
pr tobacco or any other speculative
crop and to depend upon the corn belt
For bread and meat will he for the
South to engage in Il gamble which
may cause privation to its people and
disaster to the nation. For any man
low to determine his business opera
ions from the standpoint of profit
llone. without regard to the nations
leeds. is for him wilfully to protiteer
n the blood of his fellows who are
'%htinS in France for the preservation
II the republic. No man can he ex-