Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-01-31
u. S. FACES GREAT
TASK, SAYS WILSON
[Continued from First Page.l

ticipating by the tieup in transpor-
tation facilities.
The Presidents message said:
II am very sorry indeed that 1
cannot be present in person at the
Urbana conference. should like to
enjoy the benefit of the inspiration
and exchange of counsel which 1
know / should obtain, but in the
circumstances it has seemed impos-
sible for me to be present and,
therefore, 1 can only send you a
very earnest message expressing my
interest and the thoughts which
such a conference must bring prom
inently into every mind.
Supreme Sacrifice Demanded
Il need not tell you for 1 am sure
you realize as keenly as L do that
we are as a nation in the presence
of a great task which demands SUI
preme sacrifice and endeavor of ev-
eryone of us. We can give everything
that is needed with the greater will
lingness and even satisfaction be-
cause the object of the war in which
we are engaged is the greatest that
freemen have ever undertaken. 1t
is to prevent the life of the world
from being determined and the for
tunes of men everywhere affected
by small groups of military masters,
who seek their own interest and the
selfish dominion throughout the
world of the governments they un-
happily for the moment control.
You will not need to be convinced
that it was necessary for us as a
free people to take part in this war
1t had raised its evil hand against
us. The rulers of Germany had
sought to exercise their power in
such way as to shut off our eco
nomic life so far as our intercourse
with Europe was concerned. and to
confine our people within west
ern hemisphere, while the. iccom-
plished purposes which would have.
permanently impaired and impeded
every process of our national life
and have put the fortunes OF
America at the mercy of the i'm
perial governme of Germany. This
was no threat. 1t had become
reality. Their hand of violence had
been laid upon our own people and
our own property in fragrant viola
tion not only of justice, but of the
well-recognized and long-standing
covenants of international law and
treaty. We are fighting, therefore,
as truly for the liberty and self
government of the United States as
If the war of our own revolution had
to be fought over again, and every
man in every business in the United
states must know by this time that
his whole future fortune lies in the
balance. Our national life and our
whole economic development will
pass under the sinister influences of
foreign control if we do not win.
We must win, therefore, and we
shall win. / need not ask you to
pledge your lives and fortunes with
those of the rest of the nation to
the accomplishment of that great
end.
Crisis Is Near
you will realize, as 1 think
statesmen on both sides of the water
realize, that the eliminating crisis
of the struggle has come and that
the achievements of this year on the
one side or the other must determine
the issue. 1t has turned out that
the forces that fight for freedom,
the freedom of men all over the
world as well as our own depend
upon us in an extraordinary and
unexpected degree for sustenance,
for the supply of the materials by
which men are to live and to fight
and 1t will be our glory when the
war Is over that we have supplied
those materials and supplied them
abundantaly, and it will be all the
more glory because in supplying
them we have made our supreme ef-
fore and sacrifice.
American Farmers Lead
I'm the field of agriculture we
have agencies and instrumentalities
fortunately. such as no other gov
ernment in the world can show. The
Department d of Agriculture is un-
doubtedly the greatest practical and
scientific agricultural organization in
the world. The banking
legislation of the last two or three
years has given the farmers access
to the great lendable capital of the
country and it has become the duty
both of the men in charge of the
federal reserve banking system and
of the farm loan banking system to
see to 1t that the farmers get credit,
both short term and long term, to
which they are entitled, not only
but which is imperatively necessary
should be extended to them If the
present tasks of the country are to
be adequately performed. Both by
direct purchase of nitrates and by
the establishment of plants to pro-
duce nitrates, the government is do
ing its utmost to assist in the prob
lem of fertilization. The Depart
ment of Agriculture and other agen-
cies are actively assisting the farm
ers to locate, safeguard and secure
at cost an adequate supply of sound
seed. The department has s2.5OO,-
000 available for this purpose now
and has asked the Congress for So
900, 600 more.
Farmers Not Exempted
THE labor problem is one of great
difficulty and some of the best
agencies of the nation are address
ing themselves to the task of solving
It,. so far as it is possible to solve it
Farmers have not been exempted
from the draft. I know they would
not wish to be. I take it for granted
they would not wish to be put in a
class by themselves in this respect.
But the attention of the War Depart
ment has been very-seriousy centered
upon the task of interfering with the
labor OF the farms as little as pos