The Nonpartisan Leader Newspaper, August 2, 1917, Page 4

Vrooman Hits War Profiteers N Assistant Secretary of Agriculture Says Farmers Are Patriotic—Delivers Sizzling Speech Against Those Who Use War for Personal Profit HE battle of Northwestern farmers for _conscription of wealth is winning recruits. Carl S. Vrooman, - assistant secretary of agriculture, in Fargo last week pledged his support to this principle. He regards it as ab- solutely necessary to the preservation of this country and democracy all over the world, that organized wealth be compelled to bear the fair cost of the war. “I don’t care how wealthy a man may be—if he gave half his fortune, if he gave it all—he couldn’t give a tenth as much ag that boy of yours that gives himself to his country,” said Mr. Vroo- man. “Our boys in khaki have health and youth and enthusiasm and ideals and all the wonderful opportunities of youth and they are giving it all, and their lives, too. Nothing the rich man can give compares with it “But any wealthy man who isn’t willing to give 8 per cent or 50 per cent or even all of his income, above what is necessary for his own sup- port, doesn’t deserve to have the pro- tection of that flag which our boys in khaki are fighting to preserve.” When Secretary Vrooman said this, in the city auditorium at Fargo, he was greeted with vigor- ous applause. It was the same kind of applause that greeted the same kind of statements made by Presi- dent A. C. Townley of the Nonpar-' tisan league in the same audi- torium, a month earlier. On that occasion the Fargo Forum wanted to call out the home guards and provoke a riot against the farmers. PLANTING OF CROP ACT OF PATRIOTISM Secretary Vrooman’s the Northwest is said taken on the personal President Wilson, to assure the far- mers of the Northwest that the na- tional administration intends to see that wealth is called upon to do its part, and to secure, in turn, suppert from the farmer for the war. Secretary Vrooman outlined to the farmers and business men the causes that led up to the war and declared that they justified U'm entrance of the United States. Secreary Vrooman nailed the lie that officials of the Federal Reserve bank trip through to have been direction Hf at Minneapolis launched gxguinst the farmers—the charge that they had failed to support the Liberty Loan bond issue and were unpatriotic. Vrooman showed that he understood the efforts that it had taken for the farmers of the Northwest, who had a crop failure last year, to get $3 seed” this year. He didn't urge the farmers to borrow 19 per cent money from the banks to buy 31 per cent Liberty bonds. Instead of this he made exactly the same plea that was made by Governor Frazier of North Dakota. He urged farmers who had money left, after putting in,all the crops they could, to lend it to the gov- ‘iernment. He said that the farmer who put in increased acreage was just as patriotic as the purchaser of a Liberty bond, but that if a farmer had enough money, he ‘i might ~win a “double -badge of war tax. LIMIT.??— agriculture, at Fargo, July 27. honor” by putting in his crop and buying a bond besides. BUSINESS MEN MUST ALSO DO THEIR PART Vrooman said the farmers were ‘“‘do- ing their bit” beyond a question. “I am going back to Washington,” he said, “and tell the national admini- stration that while the people here may not have been talking as much patriotism as the people of the east, they are just as patriotic, just as much behind the government.” Mr. Vrooman said it was not enough that the soldiers should fight for the government, that the farmers should raise food for the world, that the housewives should help in saving it. Besides all this the business men must do their part. Mr. Vrooman, direct from Wash= ington, D. C., confirmed what the Nonpartisan league has urged ever since the war began—that food gamblers are the worst enemies this country has. field of battle this past year.’’ The majority of the business men of the country, were patriotic. “But there®is a minority—food pir- ates—who have not attained this high Mr. Vrooman said, Carl Vrooman, assistant sécretary of agriculture. ., VROOMAN URGES CONSCRIPTION OF 'WEALTH i “We have drafted the best blood.of the nation; [dvaft also the wealth of the nation. ““We must have a conscription of wealth just.like our con- seription of mien. I read today in the paper that some of our mil- lionaires were objecting to an 8 per cent war tax. laugh, when millionaires of England are paymcr a 50 per cent we must It made me ‘0l 24dT pelieve any wealthy man who 1sn’t willing to pay 8 per “cent or 20 per cent or 50 per cent or-EVEN ALL OF HIS IN- 'COME ABOVE WHAT IS NECESSARY FOR HIS OWN SUP- PORT, doesn’t deserve to have the protection of that flag which the boys in khaki are fighting, across the water, to preserve. ““It would be a graceful thing to do if you who have incomes which will permit you to pay a war tax, would wire to your con- gressman, telling him to put the tax on your income and the in- comes- of all those who have more than enough UP TO THE-. From speech of Carl Vrooman, assistant secretary of level of patriotism,” he said. “They are the scum of the business world, with ~no thought but that of dollar grabbing. “They seek ‘money, honestly- if it is easy, blood-stained 'if it is necessary {AND THIS MINORITY OF FOOD.* l\IAICING : PIRATES HAS BEEN MORE TROUBLE FOR OUR GOV~ ERNMENT THAN THD ARMIES OF GERMANY.” Secretary, Daniels of the navy de- . partment has been’ ilghtmg the steel trust for five years, ‘tryihg to. prevent two prices being charged, for every piece of steél ‘that the Vrooman said, had. backed Daniels, “but the corporation controlled press ~had tried to make fun of Daniels -and thus laugh him(out of the governmentf: SCX’VICE ‘Same _of the coal ba.rons “af Wa.sh-' ihgton were just as bad as the steel trust, Mr. Vrooman said. o need for years for every ounce of food FOUR CARL VROOMAN TO THE FARMERS: “‘The army of farmers was America’s first army in the field. In Montana and North Dakota it has been faced with insuperable difficulties; but the farmers have done their bit. * * * . “I need hardly say it is a pleasure for an assistant secretary of agrlculture to be introduced by a farmersa governor. I believe the farmers should be represented more than they are, not only in our state life, but in the natonal government. * * * ‘It is a badge of honor to own a Liberty bond, but it is also a badge of honor to have increased your food acreage. * * * ‘‘Frankly, Europe in its fight against famine has lost. Un- less America can make up this loss, Europe next year of starvation than have been killed on the - ducts, government. buys, ‘Vrooman: said. “President ‘Wilson,: more people will die in that this nation could produce. said: “For every morsel of food wasted in this country, a hundred pairs of hun- gry hands are stretched out in Europe; a hundred pairs of eyes are watching. GOVERNOR FRAZIER INTRODUCED VROOMAN “Frankly, Europe in its fight against famine has lost. Unless America can make up this loss more people will die in Europe next year of starvation than have been killed on the battle fields during the past year.” Governor Lynn J. Frazier introduced Mr. Vrooman at his meetings. Al- though Mr. Vrooman "is‘'a Democrat and Governor Frazier is a Republican, the assistant secretary of agriculture paid the farmers' governor a high compliment. He said the farmers ought to elect governors in more states and to send more men back to congress, besides this. Which is just what the farmers are e going to do. MONTANA HAILS BAER The Nonpartisan league elected the League candidate to congress in the special ‘election held in North Dakota last week to fill a vacancy caused by the death of Congressman Helgeson. John Baer, the congressman elect, is the cmloomst whose cartoons in the Nonpartisan Leader have made such a hit in the League territory. His elec= tion is significant of the growing con- fidence of the farmers in North Dakota in the League campaign. The League represents a definite purpose among Northwestern farmers to secure changes in the 'system of marketing and distributing farm pro- Those who -refuse to believe that there is anything to that agita- tion are blmdmgr themselves to patent facts. The best and clearest thinkers of the country are beginning to realize the necessity of fundamental réforms in the system of distributing farm products to the consumer. The League's campaign has made a deep impression in all parts of the country for. it is concerned so largely with a problem that demands attenuon—CIII\'OOI& (MONT.) OPINION, FARMERS AND L'ABOR - - Lack of unanimity on'‘the question of an’ agreement’ with the " Agritultiral ‘Workers’ union as to wages' and hours during the harvest has Caused' the. ‘Farmers’ Nonpartisan: leagué 'to ‘give up the plan under considerition.* The ‘ proposition was a Sincers! Httempt to solve the labor problem in the harvest time by entering “into. a -yvorkable agreement with the laborers. Harvest labor in the state is needed in large numbers every year, The League plan was an endeavor to give it protection from the lawless element which| usually follows it-and causes much disturbance among the workers at the expense of the agricultural interests.” The farm- ers generally are ready to give the laborers a square deal, and any effort to stir up strife among them should be ' discouraged. —PARK RIVER (N D) ‘GAZETTE-NEWS, ; _— 0 ¢ WHO SHOULD WORRY? Certain politicians .seem’ to be ‘wor- rying about the Nonpart.lsan lea, If ‘the leaders “of ©the - leafgue ‘are-‘as crooked ag -the said politiciang assume to believe, the Organizatwn ~will not - “live‘long: enough to'do much harm and --nobody should worry. - ¢ leaders are on the s?uare, the afore- i - “Usaid’ politicians “may « Mr,” Vrooman. said * there would be P . If. the League ‘have' -cause “fo ‘worry but the people won't.—DAWSON (MINN.) SENTINEL.