The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-06-20
AMERICAN PEOPLE
MUST AWAKEN TO WAR
Pomeroy Burton Tells of Relations of the
United States to the Allies and
How We Were Drawn
Into the War.

Atlanta, Ga. June 20-A nation wide
campaign of information "deiberately
designed to bring the people OF the Unit
ed States quickly TO thorough under
standing of all phases of the war, OF
why we are in it, of the kind of enemy
we are fighting, and the urgent necessity
for the whole people of the United States
to join with their very hearts and souls
into the stupendous task" was advocated
by Pomeroy Burton, in an address which
he delivered to-day before the Interna-
tional Rotary convention here Mr.. Bur-
ton, the well-known American journal
list in London, who has been lecturing
in the United States upon the relation
OF the United States to the war, spoke
as follows:
For nearly three years the grim and
bony index finger OF war has pointed
straight this way.
For nearly three years, and each sue
ceedlng day with accommodating force, mr.
gent reasons have existed for putting
in order the defensive machinery of this
country
After nearly three years of war on
scale such as the world never dreamed
OF before, involving country after coun-
try, and sweeping steadily on, like an
overwhelming tidal wave. with warning
after warning of the most definite char
acter-the Lusitania the Sussex, the
Arabic--with lightning flashes and deaf
ening peals of thunder from the darken.
ing skies TO tell all who were not blind
and deaf OF the approaching storm; de-
spite all OF these, to-day finds great
masses of the population throughout the
United States dangerously apathetic and
oblivious to the acute peril which threat
ems them. 1t also finds this country
astoundingly unprepared.
Il am not one of those who believe
the allies can be defeated-they must
surely conquer in the end; but so Sc.
rious are some features of the war sit
uation to-day that unless the people of
the United States awaken quickly to a
full sense OF their individual responsible |
ty and join heartily in the work of or
ganizing the country for war on an enor-
nous scale, there is almost certain TO |
ensue long period of CHASTITY fighting |
and worldwide suffering with ruin and I
starvation on every side--and by a long 1
period ! mean from five to twenty years,
or more.
THE war program cannot be made Of /
fensive without the full cooperation al /,
the people. That cooperation cannot be
expected until the people have been
aroused TO a fun and complete under
OF the war, OF what il means to
them and their future. and OF the obi.
cations and responsibilities which de-
yolve upon them if it is TO be won with.
n the next two years.
II would like 10 repeat with the Mt
most emphasis what | had the privilege
IF stating recently to the Merchants
,sspciation OF New York, that it is alb
solutely essential for those who are
shaping the general war program, with
INT further delay. to organize and pro-
ect, under government direction, great
md far-reaehing campaign of informa
ion designed to make the people under
tand this war. II should be made to
each the eyes and the hearts and the Z
ull understanding of the people by free
Y using the advertising and the news
olumns OF every useful publication in I
he United States, and by using the
movies, the billboards, the postofiiee, the l
'ublic buildings, the railway stations,
nd the public eonyeyanees, as was done 5
n the great publicity campaigns which |
we're successfully used to arouse the {
eople OF England to full sense of their q
anger and their responsibilities at a
ritical period OF the war In addition '
o this, schoolrooms, the lecture halls, {
he churches, the Libraries, the city halls. q
he public squares-all the meeting t
lsces of the people in every state of t
he union should resound with the voices t