166 THE WAR GARDEN VICTORIOUS 



their service in the "garden trenches" might be effec- 

 tive. There was only one way in which the message of 

 the war garden and the necessary instructions could 

 be carried to all the people with the speed demanded. 

 This was through the press of the country and the 

 printed page. Any other plan of distributing the appeal 

 and the instructions would have been far too slow to 



be effective and further- 

 more would have in- 

 volved prohibitive ex- 

 pense, if it could have 

 been done at all. 



How much of a debt 

 of gratitude the nation 

 owes to its patriotic 

 editors it probably will 

 never be able to realize 

 fully, but it does know that without their whole- 

 hearted support and their loyal assistance it would 

 never have been able to arouse the people of the United 

 States as a whole to the strenuous efforts which they 

 exerted to back up the government and the fighting 

 forces. No note of appreciation to the editors of the 

 country could be over-generous in its praise or too 

 liberal in its expression of heartfelt thanks for their 

 substantial aid. 



When the Commission began its campaign it realized 

 that it must depend largely upon the support of the 

 newspapers and the magazines. Well-planned and 

 well-directed publicity was necessary to get its message 



