The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1918-02-28
WAR this YEAR DEPENDS
UPON AMERICAN FARMER
President Tells American Farmers
Wars eliminating Crisis Has
Come - Achievements This Near
Must Determine Issue.

Must Determine Issue.
President Wilson, prevented by a
cold and by adverse weather condi-
tions and disturbed traffic from at
tending q conference OF farmers at
the University OF Illinois. Urbana,
sent TO the assembly a MESA ge
which told the farmers that the cul-
minating crisis Of the struggle has
come and that the achievements of
this year on the one side or the 9TH
er must determine the issue" He
also expressed confidence that the
farmers of the Nation not only will
repeat, but Will exceed their efforts
OF last year III order that this coun-
try and the nations with which we
are associated in the war may have
4 sufficient supply OF food
The President delegated Secretary
Houston to represent him at the con-
ference and TO convey the message
to it. Secretary Houston, however,
found that heavy SnoWStormS raging
between Washington and Ohio would
prevent him from reaching Urbana
in time for the meeting. After con-
terring with the President, Secretary
Houston sent the Presidents mes
sage in full by telegraph to Presi-
dent +. j. James, of the University
Of Illinois, With the request that he
deliver it to the farmers. The mes
sage was accompanied by telegram
from Secretary Houston expressing
regret that il was impossible for him
- be present, and conveying TO the
farmers his own appreciation of their
service 10 the Nation.
The Presidents messag" to the far
mers follows:
/ am very sorry indeed that l
cannot be present in person at the
Crbana conference. l should like to
enjoy the benefit of the inspiration
and exchange Of counsel which l
know l should obtain. but in the cir
cumsta1ces it has seemed impossible
for me to be present and, therefore,
| can only send you Il very earnest
message expressing my interest and
the thoughts which such a confer
ence must bring prominently into eV-
cry mind.
L need not tell you, for l am sure
YOU realize as keenly as | do, that
we are as a nation in the presence of
Il great task which demands supreme
sacrifice and endeavor of every one
of us. We can give everything that
is needed with the greater willing
ness and even satisfaction, because
the object of the war in which we
are enga ged is the greatest that free
men have ever undertaken. 1t is to
prevent the life of the world from
being determined and the fortunes 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 unhappily for
the moment control. You will not
need to be convinced that it was nee
essary for us as free people to take
.sart in this war ;. It had raised its,
evil hand against us. The rulers OF
Germany had sought to exercise their
power in such d way as TO shut off
our economic life so far as our inter
course with Europe was concerned,
and to confine our people within the
Western Hemisphere while they ac-
complished purposes which would
have permanently impaired and i'm
peded every process of our national
life and have put the fortunes Of
ial Government of Germany This
was no threat. 1t had become a re-
ality. Their hand of violence had
been laid upon our own people and
our own property in fragrant VIOLA
ton not only Of justice but of the
well-recognized and long-standing 6
covenants of international law and
treaty. We are fighting, therefore,
f0,
ernment of the United States as if
the war of our own revolution had
10 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. l need not ask you to pledge
your lives and fortunes with those of
the rest of the Nation to the accom-
plishment of that great end.
You will realize, as | think states
men on both sides of the water rea-
liZe, 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 for
ces that fight for freedom, the free
dom of men. all over the world as
we'll as our own. depend upon us in
an extraordinary and unexpected de-
gree for SuStenance. for the supply OF
the materials by which men are to
live and to fight, and it will be our
glory when the war Is over that we
have supplied those materials and
supplied them abundantly, and it
will be all the more glory because in
supplying them we have made our
supreme effort and sacrifice.
In the field of agriculture we
have agencies and instrumentalities
fortunately, such as no other govern
ment in the world can show. The
Department of Agriculture is un-
doubtedly the greatest practical and
scientific agricultural organization
in the world. Its total annual bud
get of SAC, 100000 has been increas-
ed during the last four years more
than - per cent. 1t has a staff OF
$4,000, including a large number Of
highly trained experts, and along
side of it stand the unique land
grant colleges, which are without ex-
ample elsewhere, and the 60 State
and Federal experiment stations.
These colleges and experiment sta
tions have a total endowment of
plant and equipment of $172, 2,00O,-
600 and an income of more than $35,
100000, with 0,271 teachers, a resi-
dent student body of 125, 600, and a
vast additional number receiving in
struction at their homes. County
agents, joint officers of the Depart
ment of Agriculture and of the col
leges, are everywhere cooperating
with the farmers and assisting them.
The number of extension workers
under the Smith-Leyer Act and un-
der the recent emergency legisla-
tion has grown to $500 men and
women working regularly in the va
rious communities and taking to the
farmer the latest scientific and prac-
tical information. Alongside these
great public agencies stand the very
4 affaptiIrn N-nlIDtgl'N 0rTInlZ9t1OnS