HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Exeter Advocate, 1917-5-3, Page 4and
WorIdIiung
e On Our
as
in the nation's honour, heed!
Acquit yourselves like men.
cPf �r duty with workers
all your strength!"
ONTARIO —Lloyd George.
THE CRISIS
France, England and Italy in peace times did not
.depend upon America but on Russia, Roumania and
Bulgaria for most of their breadstuffs. With these
sources closed the crisis of the hour demands that we
see that our soldiers and the Motherland are fed.
Everyone in Great Britain has been put on limited
rations; meat is prohibited one day a week and the
making of cakes and pastry has been stopped. Further
restrictions are anticipated.
Bread has gone to 28c per four -pound loaf in Eng-
land, for the first time since the Crimean War.
Lord Devonport, British Food Comptroller, pro-
• taking authority to search the houses of Great
ritain to prevent food hoarding.
Forty million men, less the casualties, are now on
,active service.
Twenty million men and women are supporting
them by service in other war activities. .:.1
In the last analysis, the land is bearing this burden.
One million tons of food -carrying ships have been
:torpedoed since February 1st, 1917.
Germany's hope for victory is in the starvation of
Britain through the submarine.
Canada's sons will have died in vain if hunger
`compels the Motherland's surrender.
The land is waiting—the ploughis ready—will
we make the plough mightier than the sword?
Will we help the acres to save the, flag?
World -Hunger Stares Us in the Face I
David Lubin, representative of the United States to the
ilnternational Institute of Agriculture—maintained by forty
governments reports officially to Washington that the food
grains of the world on March 31st, 1917,.showed a shortage
f 150,000,000 bushes below the'amount necessary to feed
he world until August, 1917. He declares it is beyond
tiluestion that unless a August.?
ter acreage is put to crop in 1917
ere. will be WORLD -HUNGER before the 1918 crop is
harvested.
The failure of the grain crop in the Argentine. Republic;
;yyhich is ordinarily a great grain -exporting nation, resulted in
embargo being placed, hi March, 1917, upon the export of
grains from that country to avert local famine.
The United States Department of Agriculture, in its
official report, announces the condition of the fall wheat crop
;(which is two-thirds of their total wheat crop) on April 1st,
:,917, to be the poorest ever recorded and predicts a yield of
:244,000,000 bushels below the crop of 1915. The 1916 crop
as poor. Even with favorable weather, the wheat crop of
he United States is likely to be the smallest in thirty-five
'ears, not more than 64% of the normal crop.
Under date of April loth, Ogden Armour, executive head
of Armour & Company, one of the world's largest dealers in
Vfood products, stated that unless the United States wishes to
walk deliberately into a catastrophe, the best brains of the
country, under Government supervision, must immediately
lievise means of increasing and conserving food supplies.
Armour urged the cultivation of every available acre. The
;food shortage, he said, is world-wide. European production
Is cut in half, the Argentine Republic has suffered droughti.
'Canada and the United States must wake up!
aPPriant�ct by s: S;'AcMuro.:
•
Hunger
Tightening
His
Grip
—New York
Evening Mail
Thre
People are starving to -day in Belgium, in Serbia,' in
Poland, in Armenia, . in many quarters of the globe.
Famine conditions are becoming rriore wide -spread every
day.
On these alarming food conditions becoming known,
President Wilson immediately appointed a Food Comptroller •
for the United States. He selected Herbert . C. Hoover, to
whom the world is indebted as Chairman of the International
Belgium Relief Commission for his personal direction of the
distribution of food among the starving Belgians.
Mr. Hoover is already urging sacrifice and food restric-
tions, for, as he states, "The war will probably last another
year and we shall have all we can do to supply the necessary
food tc carry our Allies through with their full fighting
stamina."
The Problem for Ontario
The land under cultivation in Ontario in 1916 was
365,000 acres less than in 1915.
Consider how much LESS Ontario produced in 1916 than
she raised in ,1915
1916 DECREASE
Year Acres Bushels Acres Bushels
Fall Wheat . . . . . 1916 704,867 44 942,050
" . . 1915 841,485 24,737,011
105,315 9,794,961
Barley and Oats . . . . 1916 529,886 12,388,969 X432 7
... . 1915 552,318 19,893,129 ,504,1110
Peas and Beans . . 1916 95,542 1,243,979
" " .. 1915 126,943 .2,043,049
. 19116 258,332 12,717,072
fi ,, . 1915 309,773 21,760,496
Potatoes and Carrots . . 1916 139,523 7,408,429
�` 1915 173,934. 13,267,023
Mange!-Wurzels . 1916 42,793 9,756 015
and Turnips . ,., .. 1915 50,799 25,356,323
Other crops show as critical decline..
Reports from Ontario on the condition of fall wheat for
1917 are decidedly discouraging.
As there is an average of not more than one man on,
each hundred acres of farm land in Ontario, the
prospects indicate even a still smaller acreage under cultivation
in 4917 unless extra labor is supplied.
31,401 " 799,070
51,441 9,043,424
34,411 .5,858,594
8,006 15,600,308
—Photo from London (Eng.) Bystander.
A 15 -year Old Girl at Work
Miss Alexandra Smith, one of the thousands of British women
workers on the land. She recently won an All -Comers' Cham-
_ pion prize for plowing.
Food Production is the Greatest Problem
the World Faces To -day
Owing to destruction by submarines, ocean ships are
scarce.
It is much easier to protect shipping between Canada
and England than on the longer ` voyages from India or
Australia.
One v-essel can make twice as many trips from Canada
to Britain as from India, and four times as many as from
Australia.
Therefore, every ton of food stuffs grown in Canada is
worth to the Motherland two tons grown in India or four tons
grown in Australia.
Why the Call to Canada is So Urgent
If this country does not raise a big crop this year, not only
will the people of Canada suffer but the Motherland and her
Allies will suffer and their military power will be weakened if
not paralyzed: Therefore, the right solution of the present war
problem conies back to the farm, as to a foundation upon which
our whole,: national and international structure must be built
and maintained.
hold
•
The
Second-
Line
Trenches
—Mecay
The New 'Pont
American..
The farmers know that they are thelast reserve, and
that the soil on which crops'are grown is the strategic ground
on which wars are decided. To their care is entrusted the base
of supplies.
To enable the farm to do the work two factors are essen-
tial. The first is Time. Whatever we are to do must be done
at once. Nature waits for no man. The second is Labor.
Many farmers cannot plant the acres they would- because they
cannot get the necessary help. Many are afraid to increase,
their acreage because they fear they would not be able to caltii-
vate and harvest an unusual crop after they have raised it.
they are to do the work that is essential for them to do, the last
man in each city, town and'villi¢e must be mobilized at once.
Every man not on Active Service can help. In every city,
town and village are men who, by their training on the farm,
or by their present occupation, can readily adapt themselves to
farm work. These can render no greater service to the Em-
pire at the present time than by answering the call of the farm.
Capable men and boys willing to learn should not allow their
lack of farm experience to stand in the way.
Can the employer render a more signal service in this
crisis than by encouraging these men to help the farmer to!
Cultivate every available acre, and by making it - easy for them`
to go?
Ontario's farm lands are waiting the implements are'
ready—the equipment is complete the farmer is willing—a111
he needs is labor. `
So short is the world's food supply that without increased
production many in Canada must go hungry, and even with.
enormously increased production we cannot expect cheap food.!
The world is waiting for our harvest.
If peace should be declared within a year, the food con
ditions will be no better, for the accumulated hunger of thei
Central Empires must be met. This will absorb a large partof,
the world's supply.
We do not know when this war shall cease. It is endless -
its lengthening -;out has paralyzed the thought and conception
of all men who thought about it and its possible time of con-•
elusion. Three months—six months, we said; nine months, a;
year, we said; and yet two years and eight months have passed
their long dreary and sanguinary length and there is no man;
who can tell how long this gigantic struggle may yet last.
Lloyd George, in a letter addressed to farmers throughout!
the Empire, said: .. !
" The line which the British Empire holds=
"against the Germans is held by those who WORK
"ON THE LAND as well as by those who , fight.
"on land and sea. If it breaks at any point . it.
"breaks everywhere. In the face of the enemy the,
"seamen of our Royal naval and mercantile : marine
"and the soldiers gathered from every part of our ,
"Empire hold our line firstly. You workersop lands
"must hold your part of our line as strongly. Every'
"full day's labor you do helps to shorten the strug-,
`gle and brings us nearer victory. Every idle day,'
"all loitering, lengthens the struggle and makes de.'
"feat more possible.' Therefore, in the nation's
"honour, heed ! Acquit yourselves like men, and as
"workers on land do your duty with all your
"strength !"
So, for the honor of Canada's soldiers in France—and!
for the glory of our New-born Nationhood—let it be said of'
Ontario's citizens that, in the hour of our greatest need, their
response was worthy of their sons.
We owe a great debt to those who are fighting for us.
Organization of Resources Committee,
Parliament Buildings, Toronto.
Chairman: His Honour, Sir. John S. Irendrie, I .C.M,G.,
Lieutenant Governor of Ontario; Vice -Chairmen: Honourable Sir Wi
liam H. Hearst, K.C.M.G., Prime Minister of Ontario; N. W. Rowell
Esq., MC., Leader of tho Opposition, Secretary: Albert H.. Abbot
Esq., Ph.D.
u.d