430 
THE GARDENERS' CHRONICLE OF AMERICA 
when this war has been won by ourselves and the alHes. 
It is one of the definite pronouncements of the President 
that as a result of peace Poland must be reconstructed, 
and to that pronouncement all of the allies have agreed. 
And Poland is but an illustration. I could cite other 
peoples who to a lesser extent have been equally un- 
fortunate but to an equal extent are to be rehabilitated 
and given back their national life. 
When we contemplate things like this, we know what 
national aspiration means, — a phrase that we frequently 
hear, but frequently little understand. Our understand- 
ing of the real meaning of the phrase has been dimmed 
because of the completeness for more than a hundred 
years of our own security in the full enjoyment of our 
own national aspirations. But precisely as it is a part 
of this war to restore the aspirations of the small na- 
tionalities, so it is a part of this war to maintain the in- 
tegrity of our own. And it is easy when such great 
issues are understood to realize wh)' it is that the Presi- 
dent has enforced from the very first the principle that 
of indemnities there shall be none and of annexations 
none : that this war is to be a war to preserve the free 
nations of the earth and to restore those that have been 
free and from whom freedom has been taken. The 
great issues necessarily overshadow the small. Repara- 
tion, of course, there is to be. Reparation there must 
be to Belgium, to Serbia, to France, and to other nations 
in order that they may be placed as far as it is possible 
to place them in the position in which they were before 
the great present wrongs were committed by the cen- 
tral powers. But the future historian will view with 
glorified mind and will depict with a language that no 
time will ever obliterate, the conception which first had 
its birth with our President, in this hour of tremendous 
struggle, that the past must be cleaned and the world 
must be made safe for democracy. 
.\nd I say to you, ladies and gentlemen, with such 
issues, with such a cause, with such prospects and with 
such responsibilities, the obligation of those of us who 
cannot or do not go to the front, is tremendous. I 
was told by one of the leaders at A\'ashington involved 
in the work in connection with the transjjortation of 
troops and supplies, that for every man we send to 
France it requires 22 tons per month. ( )f course, that 
means su]i])lies of every sort, amnnmition, clothing, 
food and all of those things which go to make of the 
individual man an efficient fighting force ; that 22 tons 
per month per man it is our obligation to supply : to 
supplv promptly, to supply efficientl\- and to supply with 
a spirit which must go forth to those men at the front. 
No man can fight, and fight with his fullest power, un- 
less he has the inspiration to fight, and the best inspira- 
tion is a righteous cause and back of a righteous cause 
is the feeling of the support of those at home. Tt is our 
duty behind the lines to see to it that when these men 
return as victors in this fight and when we are about 
to sav to them how. proud we are that they have won, 
and how brave they have been and how self-sacrificing, 
that even before we have said the words, or if we have 
said them they will rejoin, "Why, how could we do 
anvthing else but \\in when we knew how you people 
at home were back of us in this war, working and 
sacrificing just as much as ourselves"? That is the 
spirit which must continue until the war is won and that 
is the spirit which must exist at the moment of reunion 
with those who shall return. T say to you. men and 
women, that I never fail to take ad\antage of the oppor- 
tunitv to preach this gospel, to prea'ii the gospel of 
work behind the lines, and try., if all are not already 
converts, to make converts, and to make of every one 
who hears my humble words, ai'ostles to spread the 
gospel of work and more work and sub more work. I 
say to you. ladies and gentlemen, that it is a privilege 
and pleasure to meet you here in Lake Forest, to greet 
you as fellow men and women engaged in a great com- 
mon cause and to commune with you. even though the 
communion may have been to a large extent one-sided 
and I have not given you the opportunity to occupy the 
floor. In the name, therefore, of the city of Lake Forest. 
I extend you welcome and invite vou to come again and 
to come as often as opportunity afifords, whether singly 
or in a bodv. 
"HOW THE FARMER CAN 'DO HIS BIT' IN 
WINNING THE WAR" 
'T^HL^ Commission desires to place liefore the farmers 
of the country the very grave transportation situa- 
tion which now confronts the railroads in order to im- 
press upon the farmers the alisolute necessity for their 
active and hearty co-operation with the railroads in their 
efforts to move the maxinumi of essential commodities. 
The freight car situation at the present time in most 
localities is acute, with little or no prospect for any im- 
lirovement as winter approaches. On the contrary, it 
may be safely stated that conditions will be worse. The 
result of this will necessarily be that many essential 
articles will not receive an adequate car supply. This is 
true in the case of fertilizers. The railroads appreciate 
the great importance of this commodit\ m the production 
of food and are making every preliminary effort to pro- 
vide as full a car supply for tliis i)urpost as it is possible 
to do. 
The duty of ever\- farmer is t\\ ofold : first, he should 
anticipate his fertilizer rec|uireinents and place orders 
with his local dealer immediately, if ])Ossible ordering 
his entire supply of fertilizer at one time. This will 
enable the dealer to [jlace his orders with the fertilizer 
manufacturers so that they in turn can .ship every car 
loaded to its maximum capacity. This will result in the 
farmer being sure, as far as it is humanly possible for 
'^uch assurance to be given, that he will receive the fer- 
tilizer he will need. It will enable the manufacturer to 
utilize railroad equipment to its maximum capacity; will 
conserve the car supply and release thousands of cars 
from this traffic to be loaded with food products, nnuu'- 
tions of war and other commodities vital in the successful 
prosecution of the war with Germany. 
.\nother way in which the farmers can do their part 
is in assisting the dealers to promptly imload cars after 
arrival at destination so that they can be immediately 
released and started away on another journey. 
The farmer, bv co-operating with the manufacturers 
and the railroad in conserving railway e(|uipment will be 
"doing his bit" just as effectively as the men in the 
trenches. It is not only his i:)atriotic duty to order fer- 
tilizer early and assist in releasing cars promptly but it 
is til his ]>ersonal interest to dn so. If the farmer neglects 
to order early, it will result in small carload shipments 
Ijeing ottered to the railroads, \vhich if accepted, will 
result in tying up traffic, delaying shipments, and increas- 
ing the possiliilities of the farmer not receiving his fer- 
tilizer at all or if it is received, delaying it to the point 
where it will be of little service when it does arrive. 
^^'e therefore, appeal to you and through you to every 
farmer in the country to order his fertilizer now and thus 
hel|i thf country as a whole, 
Tni-: .\mi;i<icax R.mt.wa^ .'\ssoci.ation 
Co^^^^ISSIOX ox Car .Service. 
The foregoing communication is a copy of an appeal addressed to Horace 
Bowkcr, chairman, sub-committee on fertilizers, advisory committee, coun- 
cil of national defense. The gardener can do "his bit" as well as the farmer 
by iilacing orders for his spi'ing wants NO\\'. — Editor. 
