The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1918-06-26
WHAT KANSAS DID

Men from towns and cities-"sof. town men, y
if you please-are harvesting the great crop of
the Middle West and the West.
Of course, it 'couldn'. be done!" The profess
sional pessmists persistently proved very con-
clusively that it utterly impossible and al
together ridiculous even to attempt it. "Tow-l
riff-raf and soft, office pea-pushers for the
farms!' they sneered. "Why, the farmers won't
stand it. And the town people can! stand it!
Dear! Dear! What an inefficient Government!
Why doesn't Washington press button, or
something, and send plenty of permanent, ex-
perienced farm labor to the farmers?"
But, strangely enough, the farmers did stand
it, and strangely enough the worn weaklings did
stand the hard work Perhaps they hadn't read
the lamentations of the Cant-Do-It Crowd and
didn't know they were foredoomed to failure.
Perhaps they were more interested in whipping
the Kaiser than in hearing reasons why they
were sure to fall down on the job. Perhaps, be-
ng plain, everyday Americans who are so alb
surd as to have assurance they can do anything,
thew lust went ahead with confident calmness
and-did it! Really, it is too bad (for the Huns)
that these Kansans wouldn't listen to the lugu-
briousness of the Impossible Squad-so willing
to show that it just couldn't be done! What d
pity to hurt Hindenberg's feelings by doing it.,
even if it was impossible
The latter part Of May Kansas began to pu.
into effect on wholesale basis the program that
for many months the United States Department
of Agriculture has been urging in every COM
munity-that town men go to work in agricul-
tural territory adjacent to them during emer-
geacy labor needs of cultivation or harvest.
r%o, aJrY1 For
enrolment. Of town and city volunteers for har-
vest labor. Kansas made ready to shut up shop
during the harvest period Kansas prepared to
subordinate every activity, for few weeks, to
The one supreme job of saving the big whe2t
crop. From every town and city IN the Stare
men, women and boys, in such numbers as were
necessary, went to the fields; the men to WORK
as harves. hands, the women to cook for the
volunteer army of harvesters, the boys to tit In
wherever they could best serve. This Kansas
harvest army of nearly 100000 men did the job
All the outside help that could be secured was
used, of course, but by far the largest part OF
the help came from right at home-the "soft-
town men" who just simply couldn't do it, and
who wouldn't be tolerated by the farmers!
| And, in just the same way, the war-winning
wheat crops will be harvested IN Nebraska ana
Minnesota and North Dakota and South Dako
ia! In just the way, when necessary anc
where necessary, crops will be aved In every
State. Of course, it can't be done! For that w;
have the word of many eminent critics of the
United States Department of Agriculture ane
the Government in general. No doubt the kal
ser himself has said so, and surely The Clowr
Prince will sustain the statement if further au
thority be necessary. It just CAM be done! But
the simple weaklings of Kansas seem to pay
more attention to aght-from- the-shoulder,
get-there- bust American commonse1se thar
they do in Prussianish 'can't-do-it' clap-traI
and to skyscraper editors Of literary journals de
luxe who wrote prettily- phrased editorials giving
plethoras of peevsh reasons why failure is GER
! tain Kansas seems to like 70 do better than t.
listen to why it is impossible to do Kansas JUS
goes ahead and harvests the wheat anyhow
Federal Department.