Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 2, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 11 January 1918 — A Real Patriot. [ARTICLE]

A Real Patriot.

Neil D. Brown, resident manager of the ranch of John Brown & Son, near Shelby, can be called a real ; patriot without stretching the meaning of the word the least bit. Mr. Brown is a student of farming j and is up to date. He thoroughly understands the seriousness of the shortage of good seed corn for next spring’s planting, but through his generosity arid the help of the Shelby school which stands foremost in the county in' developing agriculture m the rural schools, he is going to supply his neighbors in the Kankakee valley, who did not raise an ounce of good, sound corn this fall, with seed that will grow—every ear to be testfed before the kernels go into the grouiid. , , , . Mr. Brown just happened to have 2,000 bushels of com of the crop of > 1916 in his bins when the country was swept with the killing frost on the 11th of September, and fearing the result that followed, he saved the old com and will distribute it among the farmers in lower Cedar Creek at less than the market price. He has made arrangements with the Shelby school to test every ear of the 2,000 bushels, discarding all that does not show strong in germination for which he is going to pay the school fifty cents per bushel for caring for the testing. After this is completed Mr. Brown proposed to fill the needs of his tenants and farmers in his neighborhood in the way of seed corn at $2.50 per bushel, which after deducting the price for testing will make the price less than -the regular market quotation for old com. Mr. Brown’s interest in the matter is purely from a patriotic standpoint, and he is quite satisfied that a great loss will be experienced by the farmers of Lake county through planting poor seed next season, unless great precaution is taken in testing every ear that has been saved. He is satisfied that most of the seed saved from this season’s crop has been damaged to such an extent that a great percentage of it will not germinate. The early frost last fall did not only practically ruin the 1917 crop in this vicinity, but its effects will be felt .next year to a great extent through bad seed, is the theory of iriany, who- . regard the seed situation as grave. Many are sending away to foreign states for a supply, but until this is acclimated no great results can be expected for the imported varieties.

1,500,000 Men Now In Service Of United States

Washington, Jan. 10.- Every phase of the war department’s preparations for battle against Germany was outlined and defended by Secretary Baker today before the senate military committee. He answered those who have criticized the department during the commit-’ tee’s investigation with the assertion that no army as big as that now under the American flag ever had been raised, eqipped or trained so quickly, and that never before had such provision been made for the comfort and health of an army. The secretary made an exhaustive prepared statement when he took the stand ana was not interrupted'until it was concluded. Then questions began to fly from every side ni the committee table, launching a crcssexaminati n lhat was not concluded at adjournment tonight An I probably vsl! continue all day tomorrow. Chairman Ofa mberlain and u he* comm it••em n wanted v * know particularly about delays in furnishing machine guns and rifles and much attention was devoted to the army’s supply purchasing system. Mr. Baker admitted there had been some mistakes and delays, but declared that all fighting men in France were adequately equipped and armed and that all sent over would be. He took full responsibility for delay in approving a machine gun, holding that the value of the Browning gun now developed was worth it. He also said the superior weapon obtained by having the British Enfield rifle rechambered for American ammumition compensated for the delay there. More than 1,500,000 Americans are now under arms, Secretary Baker said, and an army of substantial size already is in France ready for active service.