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Zurich Herald, 1917-05-04, Page 4ti NTAR1© n the nation's honour, heed! Acquit yourselves like men As workers on the land, day your duty with all your strength!" —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 ;faking 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- poses taking authority to search the houses of Great Britain 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. In the last analysis, the land is bearing this burden. One million tons of food -carrying ships have been torpedoed since February 1 st, 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 plough is ready—will • we make the plough mightier than the sword? Will we help the acres to save the flag? JLwor1dHunge1' Stares Us in the Face People are starving to -day in I3elgivan, in Serbia, in Poland, in Armenia, in many quarters of the globe. Famine conditions. are becoming more 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 Problefln for Ontario The land under cultivation in Ontario in 1916 was 365,000 acres less than rnr 1915. Consider how much LESS Ontario produced in 1916 than she raised in 1915: Fall Wheat Year Acres Bushels 1916 704,867 14,942,050 1915 811485 24,737,011 • • . • 1916 529,886 12,388,969 .. . 1915 552,318 19,893,129 1916 95,542 1,243,979 1915 126,943 2,043,049 . . . 1916 258,332 12,717,072 1915 309,773 21,760,496 Potatoes and Carrots . 1916 139,523 7,408,429 1915 173,034 13,267,023 1916 42,793 9,756,015 Barley and Oats K ., Peas and Beans 1i .. Corn...... 4' U „ Mangel-Wurzels and Turnips . ... 1915 50,799 25,355,323 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 1917 unless extra labor is supplied. 1916 DECREASE Acres Bushels 105,315 9,794,961 24,432 7,504,160 31,401 51,441 34,411 8,006 799,070 9,043,424 5,858,594 15,600,308 David Lubin, representative of the United States to the ' International Institute of A xttcui . _e— 1int�,{i e s f�zf.u-_.;, ._:�.s—+:. -' r ,......�.., 'rr.'w.�liiraC27�- ii'!'�C"1C1YV tUOCt igrams o' 'ie w$fira on March 31st, 1917, showed a shortage i p=f 150,000,000 bushels below the amount necessary to feed the world until August, 1917. He declares it is beyond #, uestion that unless a greater acreage is put to crop in 1917 ere will be WORLD -HUNGER before the 4918 crop is .harvested. The failure of the grain crop in the Argentine Republic, rwhich is ordinarily a great grain -exporting nation, resulted in I an embargo being placed, in March, 4917, upon the export of grains from that country to avert local famine. The United States Department of Agriculture, in its i official report, announces the condition of the fall wheat crop ri(which is two-thirds of their total wheat crop) on April 1st, ltist9i7, to be the poorest ever recorded and predicts a yield of 1244,000,000 bushels below the crop of 1915. The 1916 crop 'was poor. Even with favorable weather, the wheat crop of the United States is likely to be the smallest in thirty-five (ears, not more than 64% of the normal crop. Under date of April 10th, Ogden Armour, executive head <+pf Armour & Company, one of the world's largest dealers in Mood 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 r vise means of increasing and conserving food supplies. rmour urged the cultivation of every available acre. The ',food shortage, he said, is world-wide. European production its cut in half, the Argentine Republic has suffered droughts. faanada and the United States must wake up! Hunger Tightening His Grip —New York Evening Mail IVITLJST —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 vessel 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 comes back to the farm, as to a foundation upon which our whole national and international structure must be built and maintained. PRODUOE ur nr snow., ;6oprkEtod•b, the Interutfou.I New Sor,$c.. Sow York :.. ,d The Second - Line Trenches -McCoy in The New York American. The farmers know that they are the last 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 t,,'3 factors are essen- tial. The first is Time. Whatever we are to do must be donei 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 culti- vate and harvest an unusual crop after they have raised it. If they are to do the work that is essential for them to do, the last man in each city, town and village must be mobilized at once. 1 Every man not on Active Service can help. In every city, town and village are men who, by their training on th8 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 tot 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 a11: 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 the Central Empires must be met. This will absorb a large part of 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- clusion. 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 scar. 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 workers on land "must hold your part of our line as strongly. Every "full day's labor you do helps to shorten the strug- "gle and brings as 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 ofd' 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: gis Honour, Sir John S. Hendrie, K.C.M,G., Lieutenant -Governor of Ontario; Vioe-Chairmen: Honourable Sir Wil.i Tiara F.C. 'Hearst, K.C.61.G., Prime 'Minister of Ontario; N, W Rowelie= Hag., K.C., Leader of the Opposition; Secretary: Albert H. Abbott,' Esq., Ph.D. SORE FOO •