New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1917-11-16
THANKSGIVING
PROCLAMATION
LET NATION GIVE THANKS FOR
CHANCE TO SERVE, SAYS
PRESIDENT IN CALL.
Executive Declares That the Great
Duties Of a Day Awaken a New and
Greater National Spirit in Us.

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
Observation-Disclosures Wilson is.
sued his 1917 Thanksgiving proclama-
ton calling upon the nation. even In
the midst of sorrow and great peril of
a world shaken by war to thank God
for blessings that are better than
mere peace Of mind and prosperity of
enterprise.
The proclamation, fixing Thursday,
Nov. 20, as Thanksgiving day. follows:
1t has long been the honored Gus.
tom Of our people to turn in the fruit
full Autumn Of the year in praise and
Thanksgiving to Almighty God for His
many blessings and mercies to us as
a nation. That custom we can fol-
low now even in the midst of the trag-
edy Of a world shaken by war and i'm.
measurable disaster, in the midst OF
sorrow and great peril, because even
amidst the darkness that has gather
ed about us, we can see the great
blessings God has bestowed upon us,
blessings that are better than mere
peace of mind and prosperity of en-.
terprise.
We have been given the opportunity
to serve mankind as we once served
ourselves in the great day of u Dec
laration of Independence by taking up
arms against a tyranny that threaten
ed to master and debase men every
where and joining with other free peo-
pies in demanding for all the nations
of the world what we then demanded
and obtained for ourselves. In this
day of the revelation of our duty not
only to defend our own rights as a ma
ton. but to defend also the rights OF
free men throughout the world, there
has been ~vouchsafed us in full and in
spring measure the resolution and
spirit of united action.
We have been brought to one mind
and purpose. A new vigor Of common
counsel and common action has been
revealed in US. We should especial
ly thank God that. in such circum-
stances, in the midst of the greatest
enterprise the spirits of men have ever
entered upon, we have, if we but OBJ
serve a reasonable and practicable
economy, abundance with which to
supply the needs of those associated
with us as we'll as our own. A new
light shines about US. The great
duties of a day awaken a new and
greater national spirit in us. We shall
never again be divided or wonder what
stuff we are made Of.
And while we render thanks for
these things let us pray Almighty God
that in all humbleness Of spirit we
may look always to Him for guidance;
that we may be kept constant in the
spirit and purpose of service; that by
His grace our minds may De directed
and our hands strengthened; and ,aat
in His good time liberty and security
and peace and the co%mradeship Of a
common justice may be vouchsafed all
the nations of the earth.
Wherefore, l, Woodrow Wilson,
President of the United States of Am.
erica, do hereby designate Thursday.
the twenty-ninth day Of November
next, as a day of Thanksgiving and
prayer and invite the people through
out the land to cease upon that day
from their ordinary occupations and
in their several homes and places of
worship to render thanks to God. the
great ruler of nations.