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Show points stressed in World War I: the raise-more-sheep propaganda, the fixing of the price of wool, and the patriotism of the sheepmen. Wool had been coming into the United States without payment of any duty since 1913, and by 1917, the raise-more-sheep cry rose with fervor. Whatever started the propaganda was not known but it was backed by people who were not informed on sheep raising and who, all of a sudden, realized how essential both meat and clothing were in the lives of American citizens. Had the industry been given a fair chance and good encouragement in previous years, the sheep population would have been adequate to meet all needs in those critical years. The power in propaganda was evident for very soon some eastern newspapers advocated curtailment in slaughtering of sheep and hoped to get packers to refuse to buy ewe lambs, all for the purpose of increasing numbers of sheep. Meat markets in the east displayed signs reading "Eat No Lamb". Hotels, restaurants, and railroads eliminated lamb from their menus. Some retailers announced that they 12 had discontinued selling lamb. The boycott was reported as being effective and the lamb market soon broke. Expert packers suddenly realized the campaign had operated in reverse and had cost the lamb growers one dollar per hundredweight and more. The agitators had not been conscious of the fact that their campaign 151 |