The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-10-27

ting rich except those living on a sal
ary fixed by law. The traffic on your
roads and streets has never been so
great. A few more years like this and
the people Of the State will be out of
debt. Bank deposits are piling up.
The banks in fact are becoming poor
with over deposits. You who stay at
home, and all of us cannot go, are to
enjoy the blessings of these riches.
while the boys are standing in the
trenches deep in mud and blood fac
ing rain of lead that you may en-
joy these things They ask only that
you do your share, that you con-
tribute your sacrifice in providing
money with which to make them as
comfortable and secure as possible,
while they are offering up their very
lives for their country's sake, for
your sake, for the sake of your chill
dren and your children's children,
that you and they may continue to be
free, may continue to live in peace
and quietetude and prosperity.
Theirs is the supreme sacrifice,
yours is small in comparison with il.
Will you make it? They are making
theirs. Then buy Liberty Bond.
The other thing that your govern
ment asks you to do is to help feed
your army and navy, your non-pro-
ducing civilian population, and the
armies and navies, and civilian popu-
lations of your allies, who up to this
time have born the brunt of the con-
test. You are not asked either to go
hungry or even to stint yourselves;
There is yet no necessity for such
extreme. You are only asked to con-
serve, to save, to prevent waste, in tho
consumption of those things that are
essential to the very lives of our sol
diers at the front. Victories have
never been won by hungry men.
Bread in this conflict takes equal RANK
in. Importance with bullets. The final
victory will come to that combination
of nations which shows a prepond-
erance Of food and clothing. If W..
can continue to feed our army and
navy, and do our share in feeding the
armies and navies of cur allies, the
victory is as certainly ours as ihe
morning sun shall rise, but if any
thing shall happen which shall ma
terially reduce the food supply Of
our allies, then the victory is in
doubt, certainly the war geratly pro-
longed. Each biscuit sent to Europe
may mean and in a relative way will
mean an American boy kept out of
the trenches.
/ am more or less familiar with the
worlds food situation, and there is a
tremendous shortage both with the
ICentral powers, and with the entente
who are now actually engaged. There
has been a loss since the war began
of 55,OOO,000 head of cattale, some
5O-odd million head of hogs, and 80
odd million head of sheep. The fou..
things in the way of foodstuffs in
which the world faces almost a FAM
inc are, bread, meats, fats, and su-
gar. Through the Food Control Act,
congress has undertaken to drive out
Of business the specuator, gambler,
hoarder and greedy cormorant, and
by regulation to prevent these leech-
es from preying upon the people. 1
have confidence in the success of that
measure. 1t will not meet every ex.
pectation of it, but it will stabilize
prices. and in a large measure drive
out of existence those who would
take advantage of suffering human
ity.
But all things can not be accom-
plished by law. The people are no,
ready for it, nor has the necessity
ccme, and I trust it may never come.
when the stringent regulations con-
trolling the consumption of food in
all of the warning nations across tn,
water. Germany more so than any,
shall have to. be put into force in thi,
country. More can be accomplished
in food production and conservation
by voluntary action upon the part OF
patriotic people than by law. Our ap-
peal to you today is that you volun-
teer, save every ounce of foodstuffs
that you possibly can save without
actually stinting yourselves. The
kitchen waste of this country is esti-
mated to approximate q tremendous
| sim of c700 000 000 n....n