The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1917-04-19

free men everywhere Thousands,
nay, hundreds of thousands of men
otherwise liable to military service
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
they will be as much part Of the great
patriotic forces of the nation as the
men under fire.
Word for the Farmers.
II take the liberty. therefore, OF
addressing the word to the farmers
of the country and to all who work
on the farms: the supreme needs of
our own nation and of the nations
with which We are cooperating is an
abundance of supplies and especially
of foodstuffs. The importance of an
adequate food supply, especially for
the present year is superlative.
Without abundant food, alike for
armies and the peoples now at war,
the whole great enterprise upon
which we have embarked will break
down and fail. The worlds food re-
serves are low. Not only during the
present emergency but for some time
after peace shall have come both our
own people and large proportion of
I the people of Europe must rely upon
harvests in America. Upon the farm
ers of this country, therefore, in
| large measure rests the fate of the
war and the fate of the nations. May
| the nation not count upon them to
omit no step that will increase the
production of their land or that will
| bring about the most effectual CO.
operation in the sale and distribu-
tion of their products? The time is
short. 1t is of the most imperative
Importance that everything possible
be done and done Immediately to
make sure of large harvests. l call
upon young men and old alike to ac-
cept and act upon this duty-to turn
in hosts to the farms and make GER
tain that no pains and no labor is
| lacking in this great matter.
To Southern Farmers.
''I particularly appeal to the farm
ers of the South to plant abundant
foodstuffs as we'll as cotton. They
can show their patriotism in no bet
ter way then by resisting the great
temptation of the present price of
cotton and helping, helping upon a
great scale, to feed the nation and
the people everywhere who are fight
ing for their liberties and for our
own. The variety of their crops will
be the visible measure of their CON-
prehension of their national duty.
THE government of the United
States and the governments of the
several States stand ready to cooper
ate They will do everything posi-
BILE to assist farmers in securing an
adequate supply of seed, an adequate
force of laborers when they are most
needed, at harvest time, and the
means of expediting shipments of
fertilizers and farm machinery as
we'll as of the crops themselves when
harvested. The course of trade will
be as unhampered as it is possible to
make it and there shall be no unWar-
ranted manipulation of the nation S
foodstuffs by those who handle it on
it's way to the consumer. This is our
opportunity to demonstrate the ef-
| ficiency of great democracy and we
shall not fall short of it!
To the Middlemen.
This let me say to the middlemen
of every sort, whether they are han
ding foodstuffs or our raw materials
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 un-
usual profits, to organize and eXpe-
dite shipments of supplies of every
kind, but especially of food, with All
eye to the service you are rendering
and in the spirit of those who enlist
in the ranks, for their people, not for
themselves. | shall confidently eX-
pect you to deserve and win the con-
fidence of people of every sort and
station.
To the Railroad Men.
ITO 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 responsible
| ho% Wi