The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1918-06-14
AMERICAN FARMER
MUST PUT WHOLE
HEART INTO WAR
CARL vRooMAN, ASSISTANT SEC
RETARY OF WAR, TELLS WHO
ARE THE SLACKERs.
Special to The Herald.

CHARLOTTE, N. c.. June Carl
Vrooman, the Illinois farmer who
holds the office of Assistant Secre-
tary OF the United States Department
of Agriculture is in Charlotte as the
principal speaker of the day before
the Association OF Southern CONNER
cial Secretaries in annual session
here. In addition to this speech to
the commercial club secretaries, he
addressed meeting OF Eastern North
Carolina farmers who awaited them
selves of his presence to hold big
meeting in Charlotte. In the course
Of his presence to hold a big meeting
in Charlotte. In the course of his
address, Mr.. Vrooman said:
ANY American farmer who does
not put his whole heart and back into
the part cut out for him in this war is
Stacker. II you are not willing to
do difficult things and even to at.
tempt what now seems impossible,
then stop farming and rent or sell
your farm to more patient, more
intelligent and more patriotic cit
izen and 60 over into the trenches and
see if you like the game there any
better.
II know the farmers task is not an
easy one. Moreover, know that up
to this time he has made the sacri-
fices required of him willingly and
heroically. The agricultural arm
was the first American victory in the
stupendous food crops that were har,
vested last fall.
But, in common with everybody
else, the farmer finds his wartime
task growing constantly harder. The
severest strain is likely to come just
before the final triumph, and farm
ers must brace themselves for that
strain.
Il know something of how difficult
the task is. | know, because | have
tried it, that it isn't easy for the
farmer to take unframed boys from
city high schools and teach them how
to do farm work. OF course, it Is
hard and unpleasant job, but 1t Is
your job and mine. Assuredly we
are going to have, trouble about labor.
We are going to have trouble about
seed; we are going to have trouble
about fertilizers; we are going to
have trouble about capital. OF course,
We are going to have trouble Trou-
BILE and war are synonymous--and
this is war. Moreover, 1t is the big
gest war anybody ever saw. IL you
have an idea that the war can be
fought and won without everybody do
ing his due share of the fighting 1t
is still reserved for you to taste the
birthstone of the hell of war, and you
will finally have to breathe it deeper
because you weren't willing to
breathe it early.
'This is time when everybody
must stand ready to make allowances,
to suffer Inconvenience, to put upl
with things that would be intolerable
in time of peace. But do not over
look the fact that the government is
doing everything 1t can to help the
farmer through his difficulties. The
Department Of Agriculture and the De.
partment of Labor are cooperating |
with him in solving the labor prob
lem. The United States Department
of Agriculture, the agricultural col
leges, and the state departments of
agriculture are helping him with his
fertilizer problem, his seed problem,
his implement problem. And the Fed
eral Farm Loan Board is helping him |
out of his financial difficulties.
with all the help that can be
given. however, the burden Is going |
to bear heavily. There is no royal
road to victory. Victory is to be
won only by taking infinite pains, by |
enduring endless Inconvenience and
worse, by making sacrifice upon sac
rifice, by using every .expedient that
may avail to further our cause. We |
farmers to whom it is not given to
serve on the firing line must realize
that we are not merely farming now
but that we are, in fact, fighting the
Hun In our own safe but not inglor-
ious way. 1t is our business to use
our heads and raise bigger crops than
we used to raise and with fewer hands !
than we used to work 1t is our bust |
ness to farm as though our lives de-
pended upon it-as do, indeed, the |
lives of thousands of people overseas.
It is our business to farm as our sol
1iers fight--efficiently A year ago, |
the President said: Your patriotism |
is of the same self-denying stuff p
the patriotism of the men dead or
MANNED on the fields of France, OF
else it is no patriotism at ALL That
IS the tombstone by which we may |
Test the spirit of our work