228 IOWA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



what the resources of our state are. It must be done by holding up be- 

 fore the people such facts as I have given you here this afternoon, about 

 the opportunities in the state and by telling them over and over again 

 that Iowa is a land of opportunity agriculturally and a land of oppor- 

 tunity industrially. We must also, in addition, let the outside world 

 know about our advantages and bring back to Iowa the wealth that has 

 been flowing out from its borders to go elsewhere for many years. We 

 must educate both our people at home and the people abroad to the ap- 

 preciation of what Iowa holds within her boundaries. But the first task 

 is home education. 



How shall we proceed to do this? There is a good deal of difference 

 of opinion about that. As I said at the beginning, I am not an advertising 

 expert. I have no scheme or schemes for advertising Iowa that I want to 

 recommend. I am not going to discuss the merits of any proposed plan of 

 publicity for the state. I came here merely to say to you that we need to 

 do something, that we need to do something right away, that we need to 

 set about immediately to find out just what should be done. It may be 

 that it will be wise to appoint a general publicity board or commission. 

 That has been suggested, but I am not familiar enough with the details 

 of that plan to discuss it. 



I do have, however, one simple suggestion that I want to leave with 

 you men of the agricultural society. It may seem so simple that it may 

 not strike you as being worth while. My suggestion is based upon this 

 idea: You remember the old declaration of war times that the way to 

 resume specie payments was to resume. Well, the way to begin ad- 

 vertising Iowa is to begin. Moreover, I do not know any better way to 

 begin than for your own agricultural society to begin. You already have 

 an organization that can be used for this purpose and probably you can 

 find enough money somewhere to make a start. The important thing 

 right now, is to make a start and nowhere does anybody have a better 

 opportunity to make a start than you do. 



I suggest that somehow, someway you authorize your secretary to 

 find a way to do for Iowa what Coburn has done for Kansas. Coburn has 

 gained a wide reputation because of the valuable publicity he has given 

 Kansas. He has brought Kansas into favor again after many years of 

 disfavor and public disregard. He has given that state its proper place 

 in the eyes of the world, and he has done it without any elaborate or- 

 ganization or machine back of him. When Coburn made up his mind to 

 advertise Kansas, he just advertised it, that was all. He set out to ad- 

 vertise his state without any more fuss than he would start down town 

 to his work in the morning, and he got there. 



When I was asked to speak to you at this session, I wrote to Mr. 

 Coburn and asked him to tell me something of his method of advertis- 

 ing Kansas and promoting that state's interests. I am going to read his 

 letter here, because I believe that it points a way and offers just the 

 practical kind of a suggestion that our society needs. This is Mr. Coburn's 

 letter: 



