The Commoner
OCTOBER, 1917
hardening tlieir hearts, clergy, under holy or
ders from the Prince Of Peace, were shouldering
rifles and going out to kill. The Harnacks of
Germany, with a blasphemy never known be
fore in written or spoken Words, were calling
on God to strengthen their arms that they might
kill more and more Englishmen. And then
there came three years of rapine, mur,der,
slaughter, rape, and every horror known to hell.
What a shock if tho dead were to awake after
their long dream of heaven that was to right
the wrongs and heal the wounds of their lives
on earth to find there ws no heaven and no
healing. Could the shock be greater? Was our
dream a deluskn? The law of love which pro
ceeded from tho Cross, was it inconsistent with
the laws of l'fe? Did it fail us at the last mo
ment? Is the Christianization of tho world
further off than ever? Are there two Ch.'ist'an
ites one for the individual man and the other
for the State? Will God's kingdom ever come?
Is L useless and 'foolish to hope for the com
monwealth of humanity, the League of Nations,
for the protection Of the world's peace? Is
peace impossible, and "will tlie war last as long
as man?
Thank God, there ia reason to think that the
darkest htfui4 is the hour before dawn, and out
of the very blackness of the present I see hope
for the future such a, nope as the world has
never known before. Man's days are as a span,
yet I think some of us will live to see not only
peace but the end of war. But that and the
glorious issue of our country's sacred cause,
after the bitter price we have paid for, it, are
matter for another article.
NEW WINE IN OLD BOTTLES
Shortly after the Pop.e sent his communica
tion to Fresiclen't Wilson, touching the possibil
ity of peace between the 'nations of the world.
Ii and it had 'been rejected in the reply of Mr. Wil-
sun, wiiimni Jennings uryan ,wa in umcago.
Naturally IhV newspaper. jmen of' that cHy were
desirous of ge't'tinc: arf' express' on '.from Mr. Bry-
I ah, pa,rtrciiVaH)'in;yiW',bf'i tYiO 'fact' that , the
vummoner, waajtnojvn 10 ue an uuvocaie ,pi
peace.
The Chicago Journal reporter found Mr. Bryan
at the University club and asked the Nebraskan
to give an v pinion on tho reply of the Pres'dent.
Mr. Bryan said, "Sine? the war began, I have
made it a rule not to d'scuss questions con
nected with the prosecution of the war or terms
of peace. -I do not want to violate that rule
further than to say that the President has pre
sented a powerful, indictment of the German ,
government, pis argument is an amplication
of a principle very briefly stated in Holy Writ,
namely: It is not wist to put new wine intc old
bottles the spirit of democracy into autocratic
forms of government."
Mr. Bryan refused to gp further, saying: "My
work, as I conceive it, is to help to un'fy the
nation in support of the' government. If I were
to discuss the merits of prepositions i would
continually t.rouse and- encourage controversy.
But when I insist it is the duty of every citizen
to support his government in any act the govern
ment takes, I am presenting a propo3'tion which
is nr.t open to dispute.
"Ours is the best government in the world
it is a people's government and the govern
ment speaks for the people. The alternative is
anarchy the substitution of the individual's
opinion for hs government's decision."
Mr Bryan did not need to "go further" his
statement covered the situation, as he usually
docs, in the best possible language. "New wine
in old bottles." More pertinent sentence, is im
possible. The old bottles of autocratic govern
ment would burst with the new wine of democ
racy and bpth bottles and wine would be lost.
Asheville (N. C) Times.
Governor Neville pf Nebraska has announced
that he will resign his office as soon as the
Seventh Nebraska regiment has been mustered
into service, and take command of it, a com
mission as colonel having been issued to him
by Acting Governor Howard during Mr. Neville s
absence from the state. The governor's action
will place in the office of chief executive for
Nebraska, in the person of Lieutenant Governor
Howard, a' democrat whose progressivness has
won for him distngulshed honors in the past
and insures to, the state an administration which
every true democrat can endorse.
Food Conservation
Y
r
By G. I. Christie, Superintendent, Agr'cul
tural Extension Department, Purdue University
and State Pood Director of Indiana.
"Upon the farms of this country, therefore, In
large measure rests tho fate of the war and the
fate pf tho nations: May the nation not count
upon them to omit no stop that will increase the
production of their land or that will bring about,
the most effectual co-operation in the sale and
distribution of their products." Pres'dent
Wilson.
The United States occupies tho most import
ant agricultural position among tho countries of
the world today. Our country produces three
fourths of tho world's corn crop, one-fifth of (he
wheat crop, one-o!ghth of the barlqy crop, one
fourth of the oat crop, one-fiftieth 6f the rye
crop, one-sixteenth of the potato crop, three
fifths of tho cotton crop, one-fourth of- tho fiax
seed crop, one-third of tho tobacco crop, one
fourth of the hop, one-tenth of the sugar crop.
Tho United States ranks first in production of
corn, wheat, oats, cotton, tobacco and hops; sec
ond for barley and flax, fourth for .sugar and
fifth for rye and potatoes.
Since the beginning of the European war the
United States has exported large quantises of
foodstuffs. At the samp time much food has
been imported with tho result, as estimates now
show that tho United States has consumed about
99 per cent as much foodstuffs as it has pro
duced. ,riA food emergency confronts us at this time.
For .example, in tho United States for 1915 we
produced 10 bushels of wheat per- capita; in
1916 we produced 6 bushels per capita. In 1916
ve consumed for seed and bread 6 1-3 bushels
per capita. We exported in 19i6, 2 btfshols
per capita. This means that the country has
drawn hepvily on the reserve supply of wheat
with the rcwlt that the granaries of the world
liaVebeen reduced! to a point lower than that of
many years. The Argentine wheat crop is a
failure. The British government has taken an
option on all surplus of the 1917 crop in Can
ada. The Australian crop is far too remote to
affect the situation. Therefore, whether this
uat'on has sufficient fodd to feed her own peo
ple and help supply the world's needs depends
upon the crops produced this year.
The present situation can be met only by every
man, woman and child doing their best. The
farmeiS of course, will cultivate the larger acre
age and will be called upon to supply tho sur
plus On the other hand, every family in city
and 'country can produce in backyard gardens
and vacant lots a largo amount of foodstuffs,
such as potatoes, corn, tomatoes, beans, beets,
carrots, cabbage,, etc., for home use and thus al
low a larger share of the farm products to be
used for army purposes and the starving na
tions of Europe.
Each man should grow the crops he knows
how to grow best and for wh'ch his soil is best
suited It is a mistake to plant .potatoes on a
heavy poor soil. Beans on muck soil would give
more Promise of results. This crop s also a val
uable and a much needed one. With any crop,
H-, Zy Hip soil should be well manured and fer
mzed u pta ed ?n the best tilth. The crop in
oSSS will more than pay for labor and expense.
Food waste in American households Is esti
mated at $700,000,000.
m his recent appeal to the people, President
Yh "Z'l correc her urdonahlo fault of
" o?PondUure as a public duty.
Pf dictate of patriollBm which no one can now
elpect ever to be excused or forgiven for ignor-
ing i mod directly in the Interests
ESSSsvi h xxss
f8nu?chased in order that larger supplies may
food VcWQaiu tfae fitarvIng na
be available for the arm
uponntobuy wtaW nd economically in order
that they may secure the best possible food for
the money expended.
Spcc'nl attention should be given to tho
menus that arc to bo servod. In ordor to llmft
tho diet without reducing tho working capacity
of the adult, or retarding tho growth of tho
child, it Ik necessary to know what the body
needs and how "Three Meals a Day" may bo so '
planned as to meet that requirement with a min
imum outlay of money.
Plain, wholesome and nutritious food will bo
found both economical and healthful. Homo
makers can do muchto conserve and reduce ex
penditures by limiting their demands upon the
grocer and tho merchant. Tho unusual demand
of womon has resultod in tho building up of a
large, complex and most expensive dollvory nyiH
torn. The use of the telephone and tho demand,
that deliveries bo made several times each day
moans that grocers and merchants must main
tain a numbor of dollvery conveyances. In ono
littlo town there aro threo grocery stores, stand
ing almost sido by sido and which have four
auto delivery trucks. It would be cas for two
of these truoKs to deliver all goods from all of
tho stores. By making two deliveries a day all
of the demands of tho peoplo could bo met and
it is estimated by the grocers thomselvos that
more than one-fourth of the cost of dollvery
could bo saved. Tho demands of the cons urn or
will dee'dc whether this system is to be con
tinued or reducod.
Preservation of food will ncan much in sav
ing the food supply. Vegetables and fruit can
be preserved through drying and canning at a
time when they can bo had In largest quanti
ties and at tho lowest prices. By saving from
the gardens and orchards largo amounts of
these products the homo will have Its own sup
ply for most of tho year which will reduce the
demand on the surplus of the farm.
nr Proper storage ia a factor In tho IwindllnK-ot
fcod. Many homes i nd flnt buildings aro not
equipped with ou.'tablo stDrjgo places tor po
tatoes, beets, carrots an ether vegetables and
for such frui's as apples, poars, etc., that should
be storod in a cool, dark place. Some arrange
ments should be made or the handling of these
materials. It may be desirable In many com
munities to arrange to store these products in
some spocial storago plant, so they may bo
saved in large quantities for the use of the peo
ple during the winter mouths.
Eliminatiu- wasto through the use of large
quantities of fruit and vogotablcs which may be
allowed to rot on the grotnd Is a most Important
work. Many farmers will have fruit and veg
etables in small quantities which they can not -afford
to pick, pack and deliver with any reason
able profit. On the other hand, people from tho
towns and country with suitable conveyances
can reach these districts and secure the products
at a very small cost. Some organize effort
should be made in every community to care for
this surplus so that none shall bo wasted. Every
particle of It will be needed to meet the demands
of our people. It remains now to devise some
way in which It can be utilized.
The influence that county agents may wield In
the country-wide food increase drive is best pre
sented by an outline of what county agents have
done and are doing to increase and conserve tho
food supply.
As soon as the call for more fpod was Issued
the county agents of Indiana began a campaign
through newspapers and public meetings urging
rreater production. It Is estimated that tho
meetings wore attended by 400,000 people, an
average of 10,000 to each county which had a
county agent. The acreage of corn in Indiana
is believed to have been increased 10 per cent
or 500,000 acres as a result. Assuming an av
erage corn yield this will mean next fall an In
crease of 17,000,000 bustiels of corn as a result
of expansion of acreage alone.
Agitation for the selection of good seed corn
becan last fall in campaigns for fall-selection of
seed, and throughout the winter county agents
urged and directed seed-corn testing in rural ,
schools. When the declaration of war came, a
final campaign was carried directly to tho
' ArtMample of what county agents did i
found in the work of Russel G. East, county
(Continued on Page 14.).
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