The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-04-18

washington, April 15.-PreSid
Wilson tonight in an address his
fellow countrymen called upon Ievery
American citizen-man, womar and
child-to join together to MAXI the
nation a unit for the preservatlbn of
its ideals and for triumph OF d{moc-
racy In the world war.
1.-THE supreme test of the natioh has
come" says the address. "wemust
all speak, act and serve togethe3"
The president urges all the neople
to concentrate their energies. prac-
tice economy, prove unselfishness and
demonstrate efficiency. 9S
He appealed to the farmers with
emphasis on his words and particu-
larly to the farmers Of the South, to
plant foodstuffs. The southerhs rm-
ers, he said. "can show their pakriot-
ism in no better or more convincing
way than by resisting the great temp
tation of the present price Of cotton
and helping to feed the nations and
the peoples everywhere fighting for
their liberties and our own"
The address follows:
MY Fellow Countrymen:
'The entrance Of our own beloved
country into the grim and terrible
war for democracy and human rights
which has shaken the world creates
SO many problems Of national life and
action which call for immediate con-
and settlement that I hope
you will permit me to address tA you
a few words Of earnest counsel and
appeal with regard to them.
I'VE are rapidly putting our navy
upon an effective war footing and are
about to create and equip a great
army, but these are the simplest parts
for tho great task to which we have
addressed ourselves There is not a
single selfish element. so far as 1 can
see, In the cause we are fighting for.
We are fighting for what we believe
and wish to be the rights Of mankind
and for the future peace and security
Of the world. To do this great thing
worthily and successfully we must de-
vote ourselves to the service without
regard to profit or material advantage
and with an energy and intelligence
that will rise to the level of the enter
prise itself. We must realize to the
full how great the task is and how
many things, how many kinds and
elements Of capacity and service and
self sacrifice 1t involves.
These. then. are the things we
must do and do we'll. besides fighting
the things without which mere
fighting would be fruitless:
I'VE must supply abundant food for
ourselves and for our armies and our
seamen. not only but also for a large
part of the nations with whom we
have now made common cause. in
whose support and by whose side we
shall be fighting.
I'VE must supply ships by the hun
dreds out Of our ship yards to carry
to the other side o. .he sea, subma-
rines or no submarines. what will
every day be NEEDED there. and abund-
ant materials out Of our fields and
our mines and our factories with
which not only to clothe and equip
our own forces on land and sea but
also to clothe and support our people
for whom the gallant fellows under
arms can no longer work; to help
clothe and equip the armies with
which we are cooperating in Europe
and to keep the looms and manufac-
tories there in raw material; coal to
keep the fires going in ships at sea
and In the furnaces of hundreds of
factories across the sea; steel out of
which to make arms and ammuni-
tion both here and there; rails for
worn out railways back Of the fighting
fronts; locomotives and rolling stock
to take the place of those every day
going to pieces; mules, horses cattle,
for labor and for military service;
with which the people of
England and France and Italy and
Russia have usually supplied them
selves but can not now afford the
men, the materials or the machinery
to make.
1T is EVIDENT to every thinking man
that our industries. on the farms In
the ship yards. in the mines. in the
factories, must be made more prolific
and more efficient than ever. and that