The President to the People 
The White House, 
April 15, 1917. 
My Fellow Countrymen: 
. . . Every one who creates or cultivates a garden helps, and 
helps greatly, to solve the problem of the feeding of the nations; 
. . . every housewife who practices strict economy puts herself in 
the ranksof those who serve the nation. This is the time for America 
to correct her unpardonable fault of wastefulness and extrava- 
gance. Let every man and every woman assume the duty of 
careful, provident use and expenditure as a public duty, as a 
dictate of patriotism which no one can now expect ever to be es- 
cused or forgiven for ignoring. 
The supreme need of our own nation and of the nations with 
which we are cooperating is an abundance of supplies, and 
especially of foodstuffs. The importance of an adequate food 
supply, especially for the present year, is superlative. Without 
abundant food, alike for the armies and peoples now at war, the 
whole great enterprise upon which we have embarked will break 
down and fail. The world’s food reserves are low. Not only 
during the present emergency, but for some time after peace shall 
have come, both our own people and a large proportion of the 
people of Europe must rely upon the harvests in America. 
Upon the farmers of this country, therefore, in large measure 
rests the fate of the war and the fate of the nations. 
1 he time is short. It is of the most imperative importance 
that everything possible be done, and done immediately, to make 
sure of large harvests. I call upon young men and old alike and 
upon the ablebodied boys of the land to accept' and act upon this 
duty — to turn in hosts to the farms and make certain that no pains 
and no labor is lacking in this great matter. 
The supreme test of the nation has come. We must all speak, 
act, and serve together! 
Woodrow Wilson. 
220 
In order to provide this pace for the appeal of the Presi- 
dent of the United States, Mr. B. H. Farr has permitted 
his advertisement to be placed elsewhere in this issue. 
