The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1917-04-20

can snow thelr pdtrlOLlSm IN no pet
ter or more convincing way than by
resisting the great temptation of the
present price of cotton and helping
helping upon great scale, to feed
the nation and the peoples every
where who are fighting for their
Liberties and for our own. The va
riety of their crops will be the visible
measure of their comprehension of
their national duty.
The Government of the United States
and the Governors of the several
states stand ready to cooperate. They
will do everything possible to assist
farmers in securing an adequate sup
ply of seed, an adequate force of
labOrerS when they are most needed,
at harvest time, and the means for
eXpediting shipments of fertilizers
and farm machinery as well as the
crops themselves when harvested.
The course of trade shall be as un-
hampered as it is possible to make it
and there shall be no unWarranted
manipulation Of the nations food sup
ply by those who handle it on its way
to the consumer This Is our oppor-
tunity to demonstrate the efficiency
of a great democracy, and we shall
not fall short Of it.
This let me say to the middlemen
of every sort, whether they are hand
ling our foodstuffs or our raw mater
ialS Of manufacture or the products of
our mills and factories: The eyes Of
the country will be especially upon
you. This is your opportunity for
signal service, efficient and disinter-
ested. The country expects you, as it
expects all others, to forego unusual
profits, to organize and expedite ship
ments of supplies Of every kind, but
especially food, with an eye to the
service you are rendering and in the
spirit Of those who enlist in the ranks,
for their people, not for themselves
l shall confidently expect you to de-
serve and win the confidence of peo-
pie of every sort and station.
To the men who run the railways
of the country, whether they be man
ayers or operative employees, let me
say that the railways are the arteries
of the nations life and that upon them
rests the immense responsibility of
seeing to it that these arteries suffer
no obstruction of any kind, no inef1-
cheney or slackened power. To the
merchant, let me suggest the motto:
Small profits and quick service; ;
and to the shipbuilder, the thought
that the life of the war depends upon
him. The food and the war supplies
must be carried across the seas, no
matter how many ships are sent to
the bottom. The places of those that
go down must be supplied and sup
piled at once. To the miner, let me
say that he stands where the farmer
does: The work of the world waits
on him. If he slackens or fails,
armies and statesmen are helpless
He also is enlisted in the great ser
vice army. The manufacturer does
not need to be told, | hope, that the
nation looks to him TO 1yeed and per-
feet every process; and I want only
to remind his employees that their
services absolutely indispensable and
is counted on by every man who loves
the country and its liberties
Let me suggest also that everyone
who creates or cultivates a garden
helps greatly to solve the problem Of
the feeding of the nations; and that
every housewife who practices strict
economy puts herself in the ranks of
those who serve the nation. This is
the time for America to correct her
objectionable fault of wastefulness
and extravaganza. Let every man and
every woman assume the duty of care
full, provident use and expenditure as
public duty, as a dictate of pa
triotism which no one can now expect
ever to be excused or forgiven for ig-
nOring
In the hope that this statement of the
needs Of the nation and of the world in
this hour of supreme crisis may stimu-
late those to whom it comes and remind
all who need reminder of the solemn
duties of time such as the world has
never seen before, | beg that all edi-
tors and publishers everywhere will
give as prominent publication and as
wide circulation as possible to this
appeal venture to suggest also to
all advertising agencies that they
would perhaps render a very substan-
tial and timely service to the country
if they would give it widespread re-
petition, And | hope that clergymen
will not think the theme of it an un-
worthy or inappropriate subject of
comment and homiIy from their pull
pits.
The supreme test of the nation has
come. We must all speak, act and
serve together!
WOODROW WILSON.