The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-02-01
WE MUST WIN;
WE SHALL WIN
President Wilson's Word to
the Farmers at Urbana,
ILL.,, Conference
SEES ELIMINATION
OF WORLDS CRISIS
No Such Conflict Ever Be-
fore Undertaken by
Free Men

! of their assistance during the comm
|. year in winning the war. The messag
was sent through the farmers conferenc
at the University of Illinois at Ubans
The message was delivered by Presi
dent James of the University of lllinoi
in the absence of Secretary of Agricul
ture Houston, who was TO represen
the president. The president had ex
pected to attend but indisposition mad
il impossible and he delegated Mr.. Hous
ton, who was prevented from partieipat
ing by the tieup in transportation fla
cilities.
The presidents message said:
81 am very sorry indeed that | can
not be present in person at the Ubans
conference. | should like to enjoy the
benefit of the inspiration and exchang,
of counsel which / know should obtain
! but in the circumstances it has seemed
| impossible for me to be present and
| therefore | can only send you a very
earnest message expressing my inter
est and the thoughts which such con-
ference must bring prominently into ev-
cry mind:
81 need not tell you, for ! am sure
you realize as keenly as | do, that we
are as nation in the presence of a
great task which demands supreme sac
rifice and endeavor of every one of us
We can give everything that is needed
with the greater willingness and even
satisfaction because the object of the
war in which we are engaged is the
greatest that free men have ever under
taken. 1t is to prevent the life of the
world from being undermined 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 il was necessary for us free
people to take part in this war. II had
raised its evil hand against us The
rulers of Germany had sought to exer-
else their power in such a way as to
shut off our economic life so far as our
intercourse with Europe was concerned
and to confine our people within the
western hemisphere, while they accom-
plished purposes which permanently |
would have impaired and impeded every |
process of our national life and would |
have put the fortunes of America at the |
mercy of the imperial government of |
Germany. This was no threat 1t had |
become a reality Their hand of vio-
ence had been laid upon our own peo-
Die and our property in fragrant violation
lot only of justice but of the well-rec-
,gnized and long standing covenants of
law and treaty
I'VE are fighting, therefore, as truly
or the liberty and self -government of
he United States as if the war of our
'wn Revolution had to be fought over
gain and every man in every business
n the United States must know BY this
ime, that his whole future fortune lies
n the balance. Our national life and
ur whole economic development will
ass under the sinister influence of for
ign control if we do not win. We must
lin, therefore, and we shall win. | need .
OF ask you to pledge your lives and for
unes with those of the best of the ma
ion to the accomplishment of that great
nd.
you will realize, as / think states
len on both sdes of the water realize.
nat the eliminating crisis of the strug.
lie has come and that the achievements
this year, on the one side or the 9th .
:, must determine the issue It has
irned out that the forces that fight e
II freedom the freedom of men all
yer the world as well as our own-de- 7
md upon us in an extraordinary and :
lexpected degree for substance. for the y
lpply of the materials by which men
e to live and to fight and it will be :
IT glory when the war is over. that =
e have supplied those materials and y
Ipplied them abundantly and it will be y
the more glory because in supplying Il
em we have made our supreme effort v
I'd sacrifice. Z
I'm the field of agriculture we have =
teneles and instrumentalities, FORUM .
ely, such as no other government in q
e world can show. The department u
agriculture is undoubtedly the great y,
practical and scientific agricultural !, =
in the world u
The banking legislation of the last &C
20 or three years has given the farm !"
; access TO the great lendable capital o'
the country and il has become the ~
ny, both OF the men in charge of the =
deral reserve banking system and of .
e farm loan banking system. to see to !!
that farmers obtain the credit both
ort term and long term, to which they
2 entitled not only but which il Is
peratlyely necessary should be extend
to them II the present tasks of the :
lntry are to be performed adequate
Both by direct purchase of nitrates
q by the establishment of plants 10
Dduce nitrates, the government i do.
, its utmost to assist in the problem
fertilization. The department of az .
ulture and other agencies are assist.
! the farmers 10 locate, safeguard and
ure. at cost, an adequate supply OF
md seed. The department has s. 500 70
available for this purpose now and vi
, asked the Congress for S6OO0OO0
re. ma
The labor problem i one Of great IRE
iculty and some Of the best agencies on
the nation are addressing themselves a
the task 81 solving il, 50 far a. il j. ter
siblc to solve II. the
farmers have not b. exempt.d vii
N the draft know that they wouid an,
wish TO b.. I take IL for granted I'm
Y would not wish 20 he put in a class i
themselves in this respect. But the sof
sntion Of the war department has We
= conferred very seriously upon the cen
< 81 interference yith the lshor Of wit
farmers - little - possible. and. IN SUI
the neu draft regulations I believe nk
The 'srmers Of The country vii snd sen