Evening Republican, Volume 22, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 January 1919 — WORLD NEEDS FOOD [ARTICLE]

WORLD NEEDS FOOD

Demand Makes Opportunity for Returning Soldiers. Thousands WITT Seo Glorious Pdasl* bllities In Settlement of Avall- . able Farm Land In Thlb Country and in Canada. The war Is over, peace will soon be signed, the fighting nations have sheathed their swords, and the day of jeqpnstruction has come; What of It? Hundreds of thousands of men, taken from the fields of husbandry, from the ranks of labor, from the four walls of the counting house, and the confines of the workshop, taken from them to do. thelr part, their large part, In the prevention of the spoliation of the world, and in the meantime removed from the gear of common everyday life, will-be returning, only to find in many cases old positions filled, the machinery with which they were formerly attached • dislocated. Are they to become aimless wanderers, with the ultimate possibility of augmenting an army of menacing loafers? If they do it Is because their ability to assist in laying new foundations, in building up much-required structures, is underestimated. Men who fought as they fought, who risked and faced dangers as they did, are not of the caliber likely to flinch when it comes to the restoration of what the enemy partially destroyed, when it comes to the reconstruction of the world, the Ideals of which they had in view when they took part in the great struggle whose divine purpose was to bring about this reconstruction. Inured to toil, thoughtless of fatigue, trained in initiative and hardened by their outdoor existence, they will return better and stronger men, boys will have matured and young men wlll have developed.

They will decide for themselves lines of action and thought, and whht their future should and 'will be. On the field of battle they developed alertness and wisdom, and they will return with both shedding from every pore. Action was their watchword, and it will stand them in good stead now that the din of the battle no longer rings in their ears, or the zero hour, signals them to the fray, and it will continue their entire existence. But if they return to find their old avocations gone, their places filled, the Institutions with which they were connected no longer existing, new walks of life and employment must be opened to them. It maj be that the counting house, the factory, the workshop will have lost their attraction. The returned soldier will look elsewhere for employment; within his reach there is always the “Forward-to-the-Land” necessity. In this lies the remedy that will not only take care of a multitude of those who may not be able to return to their former occupations, whose desires are not to do so. whose health prohibits them from indoor life or whose outdoor habits from the past one, two, three or four years have given them such a taste and desire for it that confinement would be unbearable. Farm life will thus appeal to them, and the indications are that it will be taken advantage of by thousands. It means much to them as well as to the continent of America that provides the opportunity to the world at large, and to the stricken and famished nations of Europe, who, not only today, but for years to come, will require the sustenance that can only United States and Canada. By following the pursuit of agriculture the returned soldier will continue the cause he so greatly advanced when fighting on the field Of battle. Both countries have undeveloped areas yet open to settlement ♦

There is little need here to direct attention to the wealth that has come to the farmers of Canada within the past few years. It is not only in grain growing that unqualified and almost unequaled success has followed honest effort, but the raising of horses, cattle, sheep and hogs has been a large source of profit. These are facts that are well known to the many friends and acquaintances of the thousands of farmers from the United States who have acquired wealth on the prairies of Western Canada. Farms of from one hundred and sixty to six hundred and forty acres of the richest soil may be secured on reasonable terms, and with an excellent climate, with a -school system equal to any in the world, and desirable social conditions, little else could be asked. Canadian statesmen are today busily engaged planningforthefuture of the returned soldier with a view to making him independent of state help after the immediate necessary assistance has been granted, the main Idea being to show In the fullest degree the country’s appreciation of the services he has rendered. But now that the war is ended, and the fact apparent that of all avocations the most profitable and independent is that of the farmer, there will be a strong desire to secure farm fends for cultivation. Canada offers the opportunity to those seeking, not as speculation but as production. The deepest Interest is taken by Federal and Provincial authorities to further the welfare of the farmer and secure a maximum return for his efforts. Large sums of money are spent In educational and experimental work. Engaged on experimental and demonstration farms, and In the agricultural colleges, are men of the highest technical knowledge and practical experience, some being professors of International reputation. The results of experiments and tests are free and available to all. Educational opportunities for farmers are the concern of the government and appreciation is shown by the number of farmers who attend the free courses. Agriculture In Canada has reached a —high—standard, notwithstanding which lands are low in price. Thus upon the United States and Canada for many years will rest the great burden of feeding the world. With free interchange of travel, difficulties of crossing and recrossing removed, Canada may look for a speedy resumption of the large influx of settfar* from the United States which prevailed previous to the war. During the war period there was a dread of something, no one seemed to know what. If the American went to Canada he might be conscripted, put In prison, or in his attempt to cross the border he would meet with innu-

merable difficulties, most of which, of course, was untrue. These untruths were circulated for a purpose by an element, which, it was discovered, had an Interest in fomenting and creating trouble and rffttrust between two peoples whose language and aims in life should be anything but of an unfriendly character. The draft law of the United States, adopted for the carrying out of the high purposes had in view by the United States, kept many from going to Canada during the period of the war. The citizen army of the United States was qplckly mobilized, and contained a large percentage of the young men from the farms. In this way many were presented from going to Canada. That Is all over now. There are no real or Imaginary restrictions; there is no draft law to- interfere. On the contrary, there is an unfathomable depth of good feeling, and the long-existing friendship is stronger than ever. This has been brought about by the knowledge of what has been done in the recent great struggle, each vying with the other in giving credit for what was accomplished. In thought and feeling, in language, in aims in life, in work, in deslrgqto build up a new world, there has-been bred a kinship which is as indissoluble as time itself.—Advertisement.