The diamond drill., 1921-10-08
G|FT-GRAIN PLEA
LAUNCHED FROM
HISTORIC FARM
EMERGENCY BOARD ORGANIZES
AT HOME OF WHITNEY WAT.
kiNs IN JACKSON COUNTY;
ISSUES NEAR EAST APPEAL.
100000 BUSHELS REQUIRED
TO RESCUE DYING chill LDREN

/
For the first time In the annals
of an American relief organization. a
farm-one OF the oldest and finest In
| Michigan-served as the meeting
place recently OF Statewide group
assembled to appeal to their fellow
farmers as class to contribute Of
their grain against want In foreign
land.
Mr.. and Mrs. L. Whitney Watkins,
of Watkins Farms. in Jackson
! County, were luncheon hosts TO
the Emergency Grain Board OF the
Michigan Committee OF Near East
Relief. and Immediately after lunch
con the board formally organized
itself and named an executive
committee to launch and manage
a campaign among the farmers
OF the State for 100000 bushels of
grain, or its equivalent. TO be sent as
Michigan's share OF Americas gift OF
100000 bushels. now being collected,
TO Armenia, Syria, Assyria and ad.
jacent lands of Asia Minor. Resultant
OF starvation and exposure there,
cholera and typhus have broken out,
and thousands OF orphaned children
and destitute adults are dying in the
streets and by the roadsides.
Governor Phones Board.
Kept by official business from at
tending the meeting as honorary
chairman OF the Near East Commit
tee, Governor Groesbeck telephoned
his regret from Lansing to Watkins
Farms, and sent TO James ]. Spillane,
State Director, letter backing the
campaign.
Former Lieutenant Governor Luren
ID. Dickinson, chairman OF the State
organization, presided as temporary
chairman, and these officers were
elected for the board: Chairman, Her
man H. Halliday OF Lansing, Com
missioner OF Agriculture; vice-chair.
man, Professor David Friday. presi-
dent-elect OF Michigan Agricultural
College; secretary, l.. Whitney Wat
kins OF Manchester: executive com
mittee--Mr Halliday; Professor Fri
day and Mr.. Watkins. Other mem
bers OF the Emergency Grain Board
are: James Nicol OF South Haven.
president OF the Michigan Farm Blu.
reau; Grant Slocum OF Detroit, presi-
dent OF The Cleaners; A. b. Cook OF
Owosso, master OF the State Grange:
l. II. Waterbury OF Detroit, manager
OF the Michigan Farmer: Forrest
Lord of Mt Clemens, editor OF the
Michigan Business Farmer; Frank b.
Drees OF Lansing, secretary of the
Michigan Bean Jobbers Association;
former State Senator Charles B.
Scully OF Almont A. Edward Hen
den OF Adrian, farmer, and Alfred AL
len. president OF the Michigan Asso-
ciation Of Farmers Clubs.
Under Historic Roof.
In welcoming his guests Mr.. Wat.
kins spoke feelingly of the pride he
as a farmer took in having the first
meeting OF such an organization as
the Emergency Grain Board on the
farm which his grandfather, coming
here from New Hampshire in 1882.
had selected, and under the roof
which for 81 continuous years had
sheltered his parents-the home TO
which the fourth generation, three
sons. will return as farmers when
they have finished their college terms.
II have the utmost faith" Mr.. Wat
kins concluded. lin the response the
farmers OF Michigan will make to this
humane appeal for food for starving
Christian people across the seas who
are tillers OF the soil too. for ! know
the homely, kindly. sympathetic spirit
70 help which is TO be found every
where in the farmhouses OF this
State"
Mr.. Dickinson spoke briefly Of HIS
complete confidence that the farmers
as a class will ensure the success OF
the campaign for grain.
Divine blessing on the appeal was
invoked by the Rev. Il. II. Huelster
OF Cleveland, a Near East field work
er recently returned from Asia Minor.
Halladay: "up TO U.s."
Chairman Halliday expressed vigor-
ously the sentiment: "This undercak-
ing OF mercy. here dedicated in this
historic farmhouse where sympathy
for suffering has abode through The
generations. we must push forward.
and show that Michigan farms are
prepared to do their full share in the
national undertaking"
Director Spillane outlined briefly
the immediate need for 100000
bushels of grain from America
100, 900 bushels from Michigan.
Former Senator Scully likened
America in this undertaking TO the
white ship OF mercy"-the hospital
ship which follows the lighting feet.
lie reminded the farmers OF tee State
that the charge often Is heard against
them IN the cities that szsy In their