Statesmen in Overalls

[Music] in the beginning was the word and the Word was [Music] God but this was not God's way this was the way of man this was the war there was death and destruction there was Devastation complete and all encompassing [Music] in the beginning of the post-war period there was misery in the East and there was also misery in the west the Orient was a vast mass of suen Despair at Europe Europe was a tormented Hulk the only movement the hurried steps of frightened ref refugees the only sound the whale of hungry [Music] children that was the world in the beginning of the postwar period and the need was so staggering so overpowering that only powerful governmental and international agencies could begin to help in feeding the hungry and homeless but governments are man-made units created for temporal problems and religious organizations were soon recognized as partners in solving some of the tremendous problems of relief particularly as they applied to spiritual needs of the people so when some of the governmental relief agencies had to be curtailed humanitarian and religious organizations became more and more important and their impact upon the relief and Rehabilitation programs the United States had been more fortunate than the rest of the world the war had not damaged our lands Rural America was a veritable Eden in comparison to the devastated farms in the rest of the world American farmers wanted the whole world to share the peace we know in this country and never again such a horrible War farmers in this country understood probably better than anyone else that food is the foundation of peace and they began to build that foundation with the Abundant nourishing life-giving produce of their own Farms it seemed that out of adversity crop was [Music] born crop is composed of three organizations Catholic Rural Life serving War relief services Church World Service serving 29 Protestant denominations and Lutheran World relief serving churches of the national Lutheran Council these three Church relief agencies cooperated to form crop the Christian rural overseas program crop was something that worked it worked exceedingly well it saved lives more lives than anyone had predicted the reason that it worked was that it appealed directly to American farmers it appealed to them to contribute a portion of their own Bountiful Harvest in the form of the their own crops and their livestock most important it worked because it appealed to American farmers through their faith a faith in Christian values that has sustained the world in its worst crisis and American farmers responded with contributions of crops to meet the tremendous worldwide problems of the needy the agent the children and the countless millions of homeless refugees and the results the results were greater than anyone had foreseen because food given through crop did a great deal more than feed people because the food was identified as coming from American farmers because it was distributed through church agencies of the farmers person no [Music] choice there was immediate sincere thanks in Germany school children displayed this token of appreciation for crop food which they received in Japan where Lara licensed Agency for relief in Asia distributed crop food they gratefully said thank you very much for your warm sympathy with us but there was more than just thanks there was a rebirth of faith in the usefulness of [Music] living people who felt that they had nothing to live for that there was no hope that nobody cared whether they lived or died people like these people discovered that somebody did care even though they were on the other side of the world something else also happened the churches in Germany for instance with the building being demolished in some cases were encouraged in fing a direct financial responsibility not only for their own charity cases but also for the unfortunate strangers and refugees who came pouring into the country starving people have nothing to lose and will follow any Doctrine no matter how little they believe in it American farmers had discovered a fundamental truth in international relations that people with enough to eat are less susceptible to the subtle appeal of tyrants food is the foundation of peace and friendship this the farmer knows meat is more important than manifestos today farmers are the world's Statesmen and their policy is simple the simple Christian ethic of food for the hungry and friendship for all in need and the Christian rural overseas program is designed to help the farmer Express his policy and to help him carry it out one of the most significant things in crop has been the Friendship food ships and friendship trains [Music] [Music] in many states the governor is the honorary chairman of the crop committee there are also chairman at the county and the community Township or School District levels as the local canvassers make their rounds the designations begin to pour in and by Harvest Time the Commodities themselves are prepared for shipping each local unit or County loads its goods into box cars and then the Friendship train is on its [Music] way from 20 States an advanced shipment of 60 carloads rolled to Chicago last year this food was loaded on the Friendship food ship which left Chicago's Michigan Avenue Bridge on United Nations Day many other shipments have followed this friendship food ship arrived at brayman on November 28th after an impressive shipside ceremony the food was loaded into box cars for distribution by the particular Church agency the agency designated by the farmer who gave the food all 48 states will be given an opportunity in 1951 to contribute car loads of food to go to the nearest ports for shipping this branch of food will be loaded into ships destined for the areas of greatest needs in Europe Asia or the near East wherever in the world there is hunger and want American farmers through crop have been doing this kind of a job and doing it successfully because the food has been distributed through church channels of the farmer's own choice solely on the basis of need since this has been done and done well why then does the need continue why for instance are farmers in all 48 states being asked to contribute to Friendship car loads to continue cultivating their friendship acres to contribute a share of their Harvest to the Christian rural overseas program where will crop Commodities be sent in 1951 why is there today a greater need for crop than ever before the answer is that even today for many people neither the war nor the fighting is [Music] ended there are still these homeless forgotten hopeless people of Korea of India of Palestine some like these widows and orphans have never had an opportunity to get onto their feet and enjoy the life that they knew before the war for them there is no longer a stream of life to which they can return their husbands and fathers are dead or missing their government is too poor itself to help them very much there is very little work they can do others who will be helped by crop in 1951 are the agent who are too old to work these older people have been thrown upon the mercies of the public a public already too busy trying to rebuild its own shattered way of life to take on the additional responsibilities of caring for old people still a third group of Forgotten people are the children the orphans caused by the war surely they are Without Blame for the faith that has fallen upon them but they have within them the seeds of destruction in our own country orphans are cared for by relatives who take them in with their own family or by the government or by soldiers pensions and many times by Church agencies which feel a close responsibility for them but in Europe and Asia and the near East wherever there was bombing and War orphans have been created in an un precedented number and it's up to the people of our own country to decide whether these homeless aimless bitter worldly wise children will be left to shift for themselves whatever that empty phrase May mean or whether they will be taken into church homes and orphanages where they will find not only warmth love friendship and food but will also be led into the paths of spiritual truth and righteous living orphans all over the world will receive a large share of crop food in [Music] 1951 another reason crop is needed in 1951 is that his Nation spend more for defense they cut down on relief expenditures and the first Cuts always fall hardest on those who are Li ility and a war [Music] economy the people who will be eating cop food in 1951 will be people who have not been helped by crop before or who have been helped by crop before but have not been able to make themselves employable for reasons of age sickness or an impossible situation but the world itself is in a seemingly impossible situation in the presence of such tremendous evil as our generation finds itself facing such overwhelming problems of peace and War the Christian farmers of America truly Statesmen and overalls are setting a new pattern for worldwide understanding with their own hands and their own crops they are laying the foundation of a better more abundant kind of world give generously of your crops for food is the foundation the foundation of friendship and peace