The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1921-09-01
NEAR EAST RELIEF


her share among the states of the
union? That is the question in a nut
shell. 1t is up to the people to say.
And the story must be told within
the next sixty days.
Kansas has never failed yet to
answer the cry of starving humanity.
She has always contributed generous
ly to all famine funds. But she is
now facing her real test. That she
will do less than her sister states in
the gigantic movement to save human
souls is unthinkable.
The appeal for food from the Rus
sian Caucasus, Armenia and the Bible
Lands should have a special signifi-
canoe in Kansas. 1t is the farming
classes who are starving in the Near
East. Kansas is largely state of
farmers. And Kansas farmers should
not let a single neighbor farmer
starve. After all the Near East
farmers are neighbors of Kansas
farmers. They are no further away
than were the pioneers of Western
Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado forty
years ago. A train load of food can
be sent from Topeka to Armenia to-
day quicker than it could be sent to
Denver a half century ago.
Plans have been perfected whereby
all the corn and wheat donated by
American farmers will be converted
into foodstuffs, assembled and shipped
TO the Near East without the deduc-
ton of one cent from the value of the
original contribution of grain, and
thus save the starving women and
children of that stricken country. A
few months ago the American farmers
pledged 100000 bushels of corn and
wheat to this cause, but for lack of
adequate organization only One-fifth
of this amount could be handled.
Now the organization has been per-
fected to the minutest detail and all
grain contributed can be moved to
the starvation center in record time.
This is no new drive. 1t is con-!
tinuation of the drive of last spring.
The national, state and local COM
mittees who are giving their time to
this great humanitarian undertaking
hope to have the remainder of the five
million bushels of grain contributed
and on the way by November. The
grain collection is to be taken in Sep
tember and October. Local commit
tees are being formed in every COM
munity to help in the work. The To-
cal millers and elevator men will all
act as receiving agents in handling
the grain.
The grain collection is in charge of
the Agricultural Advisory Committee
of the Near East Relief. United
States Senator, Arthur Capper, is
chairman of this committee. Assoc
lated with him are: Russell F. Bower,
secretary of the Farmers Educational
and Cooperative Union of America;
Gray Silver, representing the Farm
Bureau Federation; T. C. Atkeson,
representing the National Grange;
Charles A. Lyman, representing the
National Board Of Farm Organiza-
tions; L. A. Morehouse, representing
the American Farm Economic Assoc
iation; Milo D. Campbell, represent
ing the National Milk Producers Fed
Grafton; DR.. Henry ]. Waters, former
president of Kansas Agricultural Col
lege; and w. 1. Drummond, chairman
of the board of governors, Interna-
tional Farm Congress of America.
The Agricultural Division for Kan
sas, under whose personal supervision
the grain collection is to be taken. is
composed of: Hon. Henry ]. Allen,
governor of Kansas; J. c. Mohler,
secretary State Board of Agriculture;
Dan Thurston, secretary of Farmers
Union of Kansas; Ralph Snyder, pres
ident, and Chas. R. Weeks, secretary,
State Farm Bureau; John L. Boles,
national director, Farmers EQUITY
Union; R. E. Lawrence, secretary.
Farmers Cooperative Grain Dealers
Association; E. ]. Smiley, secretary,
Kansas Grain Dealers Association; F.
A. Derby, president, Derby Grain
Company; F. B. Nichols, editor, Cap
pc rFarm Press; W. F. McMichaeI,
president, The Wheat Growers Assoc
iation of the U. S.; and the Kansas
state officers of Near East Relief.
The members of both the national
and state committees, who are manag-
ing the grain collection, represent
large and active agricultural, COM