62 



The Dawn of a New Constructive Era 



The South's 

 Duty to the 

 Nation and to 

 Itself 



The 



Lumberman's 



Opportunity 



dustrial development, when a large proportion of these cut-over 

 lands in the South should be used for raising cereals, and legumes, 

 and foodstuffs of all kinds. An army travels on its belly, is an 

 old saying; but the boy in the furrow can render just as patriotic 

 service to the United States Government as the soldier on the 

 battlefield. I doubt very much, indeed, whether more than a 

 division of American troops will be sent to Europe; for they 

 tell us that it requires thirteen months to prepare an army. 

 Roosevelt may be sent over with a regiment to take its place out 

 there in the trenches, to plant Old Glory alongside the Tri-color of 

 France, (applause) in order that we may return our gratitude 

 to France for the gift of Lafayette and Rochambeau, those great 

 French soldiers, during the Revolutionary War; but with the 

 exception of a division or two it is not likely that an army will 

 be sent to Europe during this international war; but we will be 

 expected to feed our Allies ; we will be expected to send great 

 convoys of ships to the Allies ; and we will be expected to feed 

 ourselves. ]\Iy own state last year imported 65 million dollars' 

 worth of foodstuffs ; and yet in Arkansas we saiy that a wall of 

 isolation could be erected around our state and that we could be 

 self-sufficing and independent— and yet the startling fact stares 

 us in the face that last year we imported 65 millions of foodstuffs 

 in one state, and about 600 million dollars of foodstuffs in the 

 thirteen Southern states. 



Now, my friends, we should preach a diversified agriculture ; 

 we should preach the planting of cereals and legumes and soy 

 beans and clover crops of all kinds ; because the crops of the 

 West are going to be commandeered by the United States govern- 

 ment ; and, as Mr. V^rooman said, we must either feed ourselves 

 or we must go hungry. Now, the great lumber men of the 

 South — and there are thousands of them within my own state of 

 Arkansas — have a glorious opportunity in this respect. Fully 

 70 per cent, of these lands are rather favorably located within 

 a short distance of railroads. Colonization plans could be made 

 most attractive for the settler from the older sections of the 

 country ; and the experiment stations will co-operate with the 

 railroads and the lumbermen and with the other agencies for 

 industrial development of the South in attracting settlers to these 

 cut-over lands. Aside from this, my friends, as long as the cut- 

 over lands remain in their present state there is not only a great 

 economic waste to the South as individuals, but there is a great 



