DRY-FARMING CONGRESS, WICHITA, 1914 



13 



We certainly appreciate the way in which the Governor of this great 

 state of Kansas and the Mayor of this -splendid city of Wichita, and the 

 others who have spoken, have set those of us who are not so familiar with 

 the inside conditions of the United States at our ease, and have placed us 

 in touch with our surroundings — have let us know, in other words, where 

 we are "at." What possibly we appreciate even more than the splendid 

 descriptions that have been given of the material possibilities and material 

 advantages of this state and city, is the earnestness, the hospitality, and 

 the very kindly welcome which I feel satisfied all the foreign delegates 

 have received yesterday and today since their arrival — a welcome, which is 

 simply an earnest of the interest and good will which is found in my ex- 

 perience all over the United States where it has been my privilege to go, 

 and is the thing which possibly we appreciate equally as much as the great 

 material possibilities and accomplishments of this part of the world. 



You will, I am sure, pardon those of us who come from other countries 

 if we still feel, respecting our own country, that its possibilities and. in 

 proportion to age, its accomplishments, are equally as dear to us and seem 

 to us to be perhaps equally as commendable as the accomplishments re- 

 garding which we have heard; but we can all fully appreciate the cor- 

 diality and hospitality which we find everywhere over this country. 



I think that the foreign delegates, with no one of whom I have been 

 able to exchange as yet any views on this subject, would wish me to 

 congratulate the United States at this time upon the splendid crops, which 

 in general and taking the country over, I believe this nation has been fa- 

 vored with this year; and we do extend to you those congratulations, and 

 we especially congratulate you on the extent to which those good crops 

 may be attributed to improved agricultural methods rather than simply 

 fortunate climatic conditions. I think that these congratulations come pos- 

 sibly with especial force to this state of Kansas this year, at least insofar 

 as its winter wheat crop, which is possibly its greatest, is concerned. We 

 especially congratulate the state of Kansas on the prosperity which abounds 

 this year. Just to the extent, of course, that you may be getting an in- 

 creased price for that crop on account of the deplorable condition in 

 Europe at this time, we will refrain from congratulations, and I am sat- 

 isfied that the farmers and business men of the United States would be 

 only too glad to forego the additional measure of prosperity the war may 

 be bringing them for the time, resting secure in the knowledge that the 

 general prosperity is being retarded. We hope, too, that you may make it 

 possible for your brother farmers in the cotton states to realize from their 

 cotton crop the prosperity which you are realizing from your wheat crop. 



In closing, Mr. Chairman, I would just like to say a word to the for- 

 eign delegates, and I might state for the benefit of the Congress that, to 

 the best of my knowledge, there are personally present at the sessions, 

 representatives of the American countries, Mexico, Brazil, Argentine,, and 

 Canada; from European countries, Greece, Spain, Russia, Turkey; from 

 other countries, China and South Africa, and possibly one or two others 

 that slipped my memory for the moment. I would like to say to those rep- 



