Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 173, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 August 1918 — Page 2

WHAT SNIPS MEAN TO FARMER

By GUSTAVUS MYERS.

Noted Historian and Research Writer.

ITH a probable bumper crop of at least 900,000,000 bushels of bread grains expected from our farms this year, the American farmer is showing what his contribution is to the war for human freedom. Remote as he may be from

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the actual scene of conflict, he knows that he Is a big part of the world battle line. Upon his productive efforts largely depend the supplying of the allied armed forces and populations with food. To the appeal, “Food will win the war,” the American farmer has responded with splendid results. But of course that appeal has its qualifications. One proviso is that food will go a long way toward Insuring victory, if. ,we have plenty of ships to convey it where it is needed. Greftt fleets of ships ""have been or are being created by the United States shipping board. They are being produced at a record pace. But to carry out our vast necessary shipping program with the fullest adequacy it is vital that the earnest interest of every part of our great country should be unceasingly enlisted. Far away from the seaboard as many of our farms are, they are joined with the ocean to a degree they never were before. The ships 'supplement the plow and the harvester. Day and night the farmer has been thinking of how he could make his land more productive. It is a subject that never leaves him. The ihdicalions are that so well has he thought it out that this year’s crop of winter wheat alone will be 154.000,000 bushels more than last year’s, large as that was. And this is only one part of the immense crops coming from American farms. True, there is always the gamble of weather conditions and the menace of insect depredations. But the present, promise is a high production from our farms. Of itself this fact does not Alarm the Huns. They know "that our big food supply is of no " danger to them if we cannot get it across. But .what does fill them with dread and foreboding is the knowledge thaf we are rapidly .getting together the ships that will transport it over the ocean to feed our troops and those of the allies .and" the peoples of the countties banded to, defeat Hun aggression. What will further make the Huns quake is the fact that»our millions of farmers are as determined to support the program for vast fleets of ships as they are set upon raising vast crops.. The Hun submarine murder campaign was . undertaken with the express view of starving out certain countries, and terrorizing the rest. It aimed at destroying the ships that could' •carty our supplies to Europe. It didn’t succeed any more in that design than in theeffort to pre- -#• • ■ \ * *•" " ’ ~ p - ’ey

vent the landing of large forces in France. But by its foul methods of warfare it has already sunk many millions of tons of ships. Not only has that world loss to be more than made up, but we have to provide a large further tonnage to keep on sending our soldiers abroad and supplying them adequately. We have the unprecedented job of not only feeding our own army but other armies and other populations also. But the ships required for those purposes are z only a part of what we need. Later on those ships will be necessary in bringing back our victorious soldiers from Europe. But at present and for some time to come the movement is one of full ships to .Europe and fairly empty ones back. The United States is now the great reservoir from which supplies must be drawn/ The enormous gain in our exports shows how other nations are increasingly looking to us to sustain them. Although our exports may Occasionally decline, still on the whole there is every probability of their increasing, not only during—the war but after the war. Large areas of Europe are depopulated and devastated. Many of the rich wheatgrowing sections Including almost all of the win-ter-wheat producing areas of Russia, are in the Germans’ possession. Conditions in Russia are chaotic. The western European allies produced in 1917 aboiit 222.000.000 bushels less than the annual pre-war average. There was a great drop also in the wheat production of other European countries. Argentina, Australia and India are producing good crops. But there is no shipping to move it properly. While the war is on there is a big enough demand from our allies in Europe for materials of all kinds. We have coal, steel, oil. cotton. lumber, rails, locomotives and a great quantity’ of other' products. After the war when the job of rehabilitating Europe is put through. thedemand upon this country for raw and manufactured material of all kinds will be enormous. \\ e shall also have; .Jo. replenish the depleted herds of. Europe cattle. Durs, in fact, will be the task'’oLSupplying most of the world. So it is clear that besides the millions of tons of shipping urgently needed for the army and navy, we shall need a great permanent merchant marine. In 1914 only l $166,000,000 of the more than $2,000,000,000 of our exports was carried in American vessels. Even now a great part of the cargo and passepger ships we are using are seized enemy vessels or requisitioned or chartered allied or neutral vessels. Not only on the Atlantic but on all oceans we must have an abundance of American ships. Since the opening of the Panama canal, the Atlantic and Pacific oceans have been linked by the short route. - .

THE EVENING REPUBLICAN. RENSSELAER. TND.

MGreat Merchant Fleets ®jcW|am Is Building Will Access to W orld Good Prices for PiGucfsfzK.

Ships have to be used for Imports as well as exports. Last year we Imported $2,659,000,000 worth of merchandise. We need ample ships on the Pacific to serve China, Japan, the Philippines,

Russia and Australia. All of these countries as well as Central and South America, have materials or products which we need just as they need ours. Australia recently had a surplus stated to be 300,000,000 bushels of wheat and another big surplus in process of gathering. There was enough, in fact, to feed England and France for a year. But it was of no practical use to the allies: There were no vessels to be~spared for the long haul which takes eight or ten weeks from Australia to England. Last year there was a surplus in Java of 1,000.000 tons of sugar which other parts of the world needing badly could not get z because of lack of ships. Great heaps of coffee were spoiling on the East Indian wharves. There was. no shipping to move it to other countries. Pyrites, which was badly needed here, could not be brought from Spain because of the want of ships. These are but a few examples of what a ship famine means. Besides the many millions of tons of shipping needed for the purposes already described, there is also the pressing necessity for multiplying rhe number of ships, tugs and barges for domestic coastwise, lake and inland waterway transportation. These are of the most vital imporf'tanee to the farmer. ( Our inland, lake and coast waterways can be used to transport vast quantities of wheat and other products, and freight of all kinds can be sent back' on the return trip. This transportation will be cheaper to the farmer and greatly tends to relieve railway congestion. In less than a year’s time the accomplishments of the United States shipping board have beeff on an unprecedented scale. Where in .1917 there were only 61 shipyard plants in the United States, there are now 158, and more are beimr constantly established. The United States slipping board has given out contracts for 8,183,000 deadweight tons of ships, and has already put in service 831,111 deadweight tons of new shipping. This in addition to 2.073,826 deadweight tons of neutral and allied _ships under charter, German and Austrian ships' seized, Dutch ships requisitioned. It is launching new ships rapidly, and is beginning to make provision for tugs and barges for inland and coastwise water traffic. From the small number of 44.926 men employed in American shipyards on April 1, 1917, the-force of shipbuilders in our yards has now increased to 300,000. With this progress American farmers can look forward to the certainty of a great merchant marine, built in American shipyards and carrying their products the world over now and" after the war. _ _ _ • '

ALL-WHITE GOWNS

Sheer Organdies, Swisses and Linens Are Used. Among the New Materials Arlette, With Texture Between Georgette and Crepe de Chine, Is Favored. Looking at it from a fashion point of view, one realizes that after all there is really nothing more becoming than white, and summer is to see decided prominence given to the all-white costume, says a correspondent. There is a smart morning costume of simple tailored blouse and skirt, usually of linen or one of the new cotton materials; then fo'r afternoon one changes to a more elaborate handmade frilly blouse of batiste, with just a bit of fine lace, and completes the ensembl" by a skirt of silk or satin; and for the summer evening frock nothing is lovelier or more satisfactory than white net or point d’esprit. The charm of summer frocks lies not so much in anything startlingly new or conspicuous, but rather in exquisite Idalntiness. Sheer organdies, summery looking swisses and delicate nets and ■georgettes are all fashioned into the most adorable gowns, and as they are usually put together with the finest of handwork, the result is always distinctive. Among the new materials none is more beautiful than Arlette crepe. The texture is just between georgette crepe and crepe de chine, and there is a cross weave that gives character without in any way detracting from its filmy, delicate look. The range of colors is very wide, and it may be fashioned into the simplest of morning frocks or the most elaborate of evening creations. In dark shades it is admirably adapted for street wear as it is so delightfully cool. Foulard and georgette offer unlimited possibilities for combining different materials in interesting ways, and they are so summery and cool-looking even in dark colors that they make ideal frocks for warm days. What could be more attractive for summer wear than the shirtwaist frocks of’ crepe de chine or georgette made in the simplest fashion with tucks and beautiful collars and cuffs to give an air of immaculate freshness so essential at all times? A very pretty model is of liberty blue georgette; it has bands of blue and white foulard put on in a very effective way. The collar and waistcoat are of white organdie, beautifully embroidered and an odd touch is given by the bow and ends of lighter blue ribbon. Completing the costume is a hat, very chic and-quite unusual. It is made of dark blue taffeta and for trimming has a plaited frill of white batiste.

POLKA DOT LOUNGING GOWN

The outstanding feature of this exquisite lounging gown is the profusion of polka dots with which it is adorned. The makers have employed wisteria silk to convey the full effect of their original design. Wool embroidery is used on thq overblouse of polka-dotted satin.

WEAR GINGHAMS DURING WAR

Paris Takes to the Material Which Is Popular With Many in America. Now we may know that this is war time. If we have not had it brought home to us before, we are realizing it now. For France has taken to gingham—bravely to gingham for the duration of the war, notes a fashion critic. We wore ginghams last summer jand wear them this summer.; It doesn’t so much matter what we wear. But Paris in gingham is a different matter —and we bring out our last summer frocks with, a hew kind of feeling and look them over to see what can be done to make them just a little more Frenchy and complete. In the first place bits of darker color —black, or a deeper shade of the same, help a great deal. Big hats go with them, sometimes made of gingham, too, and a durable sort of parasol is ,not amiss to finish the effect. A pretty suit is made of checked blue and white, with a white lawn gilet, and a plain blue taffeta ribbon tie, and white seam cording. It is cut higher In front than in back, showing the gilet plainly, and the white belt The way the tie crosses and comes down through a slit on either side, hanging well below the waist is new and pleasing. The skirt is full, but somewhat held in at the hem. The white seam

COSTUME FOR FARMERETTE

For the girls who are following their brothers’ lead In helping the land army and doing scout work this costume has been designed. It consists of a cotton khaki waist and skirt. The skirt is circular and opens all the way down the front. It is held In place by suspender straps.

cording edges the coat and sleeves and goes around the top of the hem. A smart basque frock is made of gray madras or chambray, with white linen collar, cuffs and gllet effect. This is tight around the waist, coming well down in front, trimly. 'White undersleeves come down under the sleeves, which are full and flaring at the bottom. The neck is one of the quite high, round ones—like the Eton schoolboy’s. A little black tie finishes it. and tiny buttons come all the way down the front of the basque. A dress of yellow gingham with a plaid gingham knife plaiting is excellent. The blouse falls full over a belt which shows only in the front and under the belt slip the ends of the collar, "which form a deep fichu. This is coatlike in effect, with a deep turnup at the bottom of the' blouse. The plaid knife plaiting edges the collar cuffs and turns smartly up at the blouse hem and around the skirt. When we stop to think about it we readily acknowledge that there is nothing which so makes or mars the tout ensemble so much as the appearance of the neck.

MODISH IDEAS

Organdie or batiste folds are in general use for trimming purposes on cotton and silk dresses. Hats of gingham are mentioned for the little girls. They are usually of the mushroom or poke shapes. Filet lace trimming and hand embroidery are prominent on sheer white voile and organdie summer dresses. For dressy wear the newest black satin slipper has a narrow collar all the way round, of cut jet and no buckle. Perhaps the most modish coat collar - is the one which is rather wide, softly draped and merging into long revers or an elongated vest front. Black velvet handbags are to bo used this summer with the lingerie dresses. These new bags also come in very dark brown and blue, with ivorine frames. . There are many sleeve innovations — some revivals of old fashions that are quaint and pretty, while others are new ideas smartly carried out in new materials.

Pockets on the Decline.

Pockets have gone the downward road prognosticated for them some time ago. They still appear on frocks of muslin, silk or satin and in coats and suits. Perhaps they are not quite so usual as they were last autumn, but for that very reason they are more effective. And they are emphasized, not merely placed with a quiet idea that they may be noticed or unnoticed, as chance may direct On some of the new suits they are emphasized with a band of fur at the top, and on some of the silk frocks they are quite baglike in shape and size. Of course, the new calico frocks have pockets', some of them, but they are quite prim and flat,, bound off, as befits calico pockets, with a bit of the same material, cut bias.

Garden Apron.

The necessity of some place to put seeds when making garden gives one this idea: -Use any'desired material for an apron with a plain bib to pin on dress. Make a large-pocket, reaching halfway up the apron and from one side to the other. Serw this into various-sized pockets. An apron made of heavy cotton cloth will last for years and be greatly appreciated by the user.