Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1917-04-19

Washington. April 15-In a personal
appeal addressed tonight to his fellow
President Wilson calls upon
every American citizen-man. woman and
child-to join together to make the nation
a unit for the preservation of its ideals
and for triumph Of democracy in the
world war
THE supreme test Of the nation has
come" says the address, I'VE must all
speak. act and serve together"
Putting the navy on a war footing and
raising great army are the simplest
parts Of the great task ahead, the Presi-
dent declares. and he urges all the people,
with particular emphasis upon his words
to the farmers. to concentrate their en-
erg1es, practice economy. prove unselfish-
ness and demonstrate efficiency.
THE PRESIDENTS APPEAL.
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 consideration and set
Element that l hope you will permit me
to address to 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 Of the great
task to which we have addressed our
selves. There is not a single selfish ele-
ment. SO far as / 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
devote 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 enterprise
itself. We must realize to the full
how great the task IL and how many
things. how many kinds and elements of
capacity and service and eelf-sacrifce 1t
involves.
These. then. are the things we must
do and do we'll. besides fighting-the
things without which mere fighting would
be ffuitless:
HUNDREDS OF SHIPS NEEDED.
I'VE must supply abundant food not on
ly for ourselves and for our armies and
our seamen. but also for a large part of
the nations with whom we have now
made common cause. in whose support
and by whose sides we shall be fighting.
I'VE must supply ships by the hundreds
out Of our shipyards to carry to the
other side of the sea, submarines or no
submarines. what will every day be
needed there and abundant materials out
OF our fields and our mines and our fac
tories with which not only to clothe and
equip our own forces on land and sea
but also to clothe and support our people
Tor 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 manufactures 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 am
munition both here and there; rails for
worn out railways hack 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; everything with
which the people Of England and France
and Italy and Russia have usually sup
piled themselves but cannot now afford
the men. the materials or the machinery
to make.
GREATER PRODUCTION NECESSARY
ut is evident to every thinking man
that our industries, on the farms. in the
shipyards. In the mines. in the factories,
must be made more prolific and more eff
f1cient than ever and that they must be
more economically managed and better
adapted to the particular requirements of
our task than they have been; and what
want to say is that the men and the
women who devote their thought and
their energy to these things will be serv-
ing tho country and conducting the fight
for peace and freedom just as truly and
Just AZ effectively as the men on the bait.
tie field or In the trenches. The Industrial
forces of the country. men and women
alike. will b. a great national. a great IN
temational service army-a notable and
honored host engaged in the service of
the nation and the world. the efficient
friends and saviors Of free men every
where. Thousands. nay. hundreds of
thousands Of men otherwise liable to mill
tary service will OF right and of necessity
be excused from that service and assigned
to the fundamental. sustaining work of
the fields and factories and mines. and
tUcy VIII NC 40 par VI tHo sIOAt
patriotic forces of the nation as the men
under fire.
FARMERS IMPORTANT DUTY.
II take the liberty, therefore. Of ad-
dressing this work to the farmers of the
country and to all who work on the
farms The supreme need OF our own ma
ton and Of the nations with which we
are cooperating Is an abundance of sup
plies, and especially of foodstuffs
The Importance Of an adequate food
supply. especially for the persent year
ia superlative. Without abundant food
alike for the armies and the peoples now
at war. tho whole great enterprise upon
which we have embarked will break down
and fail. The worlds food reserves are
low. Not only during the present emer.
gency but for some time after peace shall
have come both our own people and a
large proportion OF the people OF Europe
must rely upon the harvests In America,
Upon the farmers of this country, there
fore in large measure. rests the fate
Of the war and the fate OF the nations
May the nation not count upon them tc
omit no step that will increase tho produc.
ton Of their land or that will bring about
the most effectual cooperation in the sale
and distribution Of their products? Th