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Page 8 THE COLBORNE EXPRESS, THURSDAY, MAY 3rd, 1917 Famine and World-Hunger Are On Our Threshold in the nation's honour, heed! Acquit yourselves like men. | i As workers on the land, do your _jJD ^423/ 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 making of cakes and pastry has been stopped. Further restrictions are anticipated. Bread has gone to 28c per four-pound loaf in England, for the first time since the Crimean War. Lord Devonport, British Food Comptroller, proposes taking authority to search the houses of Great Britain to prevent food hoarding. FoKy 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 1st, 19)7. 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? j| World-Hunger Stares Us in the Face David Lubin, representative of the United States to the International 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 of 150,000,000 bushels below the amount necessary to feed the world until August, 1917. He declares it is beyond question that unless a greater acreage is put to crop in 1917 there will be WORLD-HUNGER before the 1918 crop is harvested. The failure of the grain crop in the Argentine Republic, which is ordinarily a great grain-exporting nation, resulted ii an embargo being placed, in 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, 1917, to be the poorest ever recorded and predicts a yield of 244,000,000 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 years, 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 food 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 devise 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 droughts. Canada and the United States must wake up! People are starving to-day in Belgium, 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 restrictions, 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 365,000 acres less than in 1915. in On tar o in 1916 was Consider how much LESS Ontario produced in 1916 than she raised in 1915: 1916 DECREASE Year Acres Bushels Acres Bushels Fall Wheat ....... 1916 70i,SG7 14,912.050 iac -Mr q74i0A, .......1915 811,185 24;737!011 lv:,>ili> V»4,961 Barley and Oats . . . . 1910 529,886 . 1915 552,318 12,388,909 19,893,129 24,432 7,504,160 Peas and Beans . ; . . 1916 95,542 . 1915 126,943 1,243,979 2,043,019 31,401 799,070 Corn 1916 258 332 12,717,072 21,700,496 7,408,429 13,267,023 1915 309 773 51,441 9,043,424 Potatoes and Carrots . . 1916 139,523 . 1915 173,934 34,411 5,858,594 Mangel-Wurzels and Turnips . .. 1910 42,793 . 19J3 50,799 9,756,015 25,350,32,! 8,006 15,600,308 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 ot farm land in Ontario, the prospects indicate even-a still smaller acreage under cultivation in 1Q17 unless extra --Photo from 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' Champion 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 tv/o tons grown in India or four tons grown in Australia. Why the Call to Canada is So Urgent 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 ensble the farm to do the work two factors arc essential. The first is Time. Whatever we are to do must be done at once. Nature waits for no m^i. The second is Labor. Many farmers cr.nnot plant the acres they would because they cannot get the necessary kelp. Many are afraid to increase their acreage because they fear they would not be able to cultivate 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. Every man not on Active Service can help. In every city; town and 'village are men who, by their training on ihe farm, or by their present occupation, can readily adapt themselves to farm work. These can render no greater service to the Empire 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 iicre, and by making it easy for them to go3 g--the implements are the farmer is willing--all lv that without increased hungry, and even with mnot expect cheap food. in a year, the food con-umulated hunger of the ill absorb a large part of We do not know when this war shall cease. It is endless-- lengthening out has paralyzed the thought and conception || or all men who thought about it and its possible time of con-JP elusion. Three months--six months, we said; nine months, a HH 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: " 77ie line which the British Empire holds "against (he Germans is held by those who WORK "ON THE LAND as well as by those who fight "cn land and sea. If it brraks at any point it "bicaks ( very where. In the face of the enemy the "seamen of cur Royal ncval and mercantile marine "and the .'oldicrs gathered from every part of our "Empire hold our line firstly. You workers on land "must hold your part of our tine as strongly. Eviry 'full clay'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 ail 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. 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. Organization of Resources Committee, Parliament Buildings, Toronto. Chairman: His Honour, Sir John S. Hendrie, K.C.M.G., C.V.O.. Lieutenant-Governor of Ontario; Vice-Chairmen: Honourable Sir William H. Hearst, K.C.M.G., Prime Minister of Ontario; N. W. Rowell, Esq., K.C., Leader of the Opposition; Secretary: Albert H. Abbott, Esq., Ph.D. We Must Produce More Food