The Washington herald., 1918-02-08

More and more il is plan to be seen
that two great forces must win this
war-or help most potently TO do so,
so.
The force of labor and the force OF
the agricultural Industry must save
US IL we are to administer the re-
buke We should 10 the Kreator OF
Kultur these forces must combine
with the men on the firing line. They
must put into the battle the same
spirit our fighting men are putting
into their labor.
Two considerations there are which
the farmers and the laboring men of
the nation, therefore, must bear in
mind in entering the summer of our
battle.
First, has our country done enoug n
for you to make 1t worth while for
you to do your best for il? And
Second, will your country do enough
for you In the future. IL It wins, to
make it worth your while to fight for
it?
To both We answer unequivocally,
yes" And We hope every laboring
man and every farmer will join us.
Your country, Mr.. Farmer and Mr..
Laborer, have given you in the past
two or three years unprecedented
wages, improved working conditions.
more happiness for your families.
more consideration for your bank ac-
count in the framing of all legisla-
ton affecting the public at large.
And, so far as the future is con-
cerned. Mr.. Farmer and Mr.. Laborer,
your country promises you much. The
promises will be kept, too. You will
be given greater opportunity, still
further improved conditions for your
selves and your families.
And IL We lose in this mammoth
conflict, all that you have sought to
be rid of in the past, all the oppres-
sion and vice and degT adation, will be
thrust upon you an hundred fold, and
you will pay tribute 10 a nation of
wild creatures for the balance of your
lives. And the tribute will be exacted
from your children, and your chill
dren's children. And with the load
of taxes you will carry a burden of
blood.
1t is up to you, Mr.. Farmer and Mr..
LabOrer, to save yourselves-and your
nation.
And this your President and your
Congress and your FAMILY ask of
you.
Mr. Brisbane has another guess
coming on Senator Hitchcock. 1t was
the Nebraska Senator who, during the
sweltering days of July, inserted a
provision in the food control bill
which induced farmers of America to
SOW millions of bushels more of wheat
than they would have had Mr.. Hitch
cock not looked after their interests.
When the Senate insisted on fixing a
price on wheat, Senator Hitchcock Sc
cured approval of his colleagues for
a provision making the minimum S2
a bushel. Thereupon, farmers of the
country yielded readily TO requests
that they increase their acreage in the
fall. They frankly admitted from one
end of the agricultural section of the
nation to the other, that had this pro-
vision not been in there they could
not and would not have done so. Yet
Mr. Brisbane opposed this. But we
will not be so unkind as to charge him
with pro-Germanism. .
The other day. when John Williams,
Of Mississippi, was speaking in the
honorable Senate. we noted he said
something that does not now appear
in the Record-two things, in fact
OF one we will speak just now. He
said something to the effect that II
the administration deemed 1t wise to
put a universal military training pol
icy into operation during the wal
period 1t might be good thing to do,
Are we to infer from this that
Mr. Williams, as spokesman for tbs
administration. is making primary an
nouncement of the Administrations
desire for such measure? And ia
the face of what Secretary Baker
said in his annual report?
Or did Mr.. Williams 'just didn't
know what he was sayingf
And about the other thing-ln his
zeal Mr.. williams said land those
fools down at the War Department;
no, I'll take that back-the colonels
and majors and captains who DOM
have anything to do with our wal
plan.'
In his heart, We are led to believe
from this extraordinary statement
Mr.. Williams makes no very com
nendable classification of the men who
are working hour overtime On deekI