Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1917-04-20

One of the greatest State papers
ever issued by any National execu-
tive is the personal appeal of Presi-
dent Woodrow Wilson made on last
Sunday evening to every man, woman
and child in the United States. 1t is
great from the fact that one man,
the chief executive of a great nation
by the suffrage of the people of that
nation, speaks and appeals as a citi-
zen to 100,000,000 of his fellow citi-
zens and through the press of the
country, practically all of this hun
dred million people will receive his
message--and best of all they will re-
spond with enthusiasm to the appeal
of that message.
1t is great from the fact that this
president of ours has the vision which
enables him to see and know the place
and part which every citizen, down
to the children have in the greatest
world crisis of all history and is able
to point out to farmers, merchants
manufacturers, housekeepers in short
every trade profession and calling in
cluding the children of the nation the
service which they may render and its
importance in the winning of the VIC
tory which must be won.
1t is great from the fact that it re-
veals the President as man who has
risen above the level of partisan poll
tics to meet and grapple with great
emergency, in so doing he has demon
strated his worthiness to be classed
as one in the ranks of the truly great
Americans.
President Wilson has vision of a
great service not only to the nation
but as we'll to the whole world and he
is setting before the people of this
nation the splendid example of giving
himself unreservedly to that service
He is entitled to the wholeheartec
loyal support and cooperation OF
every American and he must not be
hindered in the work in which he
leads this American people by the
careless, useless and oft times sense
less expression of adverse criticism of
his actions. We Americans have much
to say of our privilege of criticlsing
even our highest officials in their &C
tions, it is we'll for US at this time tC
remember that we also have the higt
privilege as American citizens of keep
ing our opinions to our selves. The
time has come when one of the du.
ties of every American citizen is tc
keep his mouth shut unless he has
something to offer that will really
help and encourage his fellow citizens
or warn of real danger or at least until
he is sure that he speaks wisely and
well.
The war upon which we have en-
tered is characterized by President
Wilson as a terrible war for demo-
cracy and human rights" and it fol
lows that "there is not a single sell
fish element in the cause we are fight
ing for. "We are fighting for what we
believe and wish to be the rights Of
mankind and for the future peace 2nc
security of the world.
To do this great thing worthily and
successfully, we must devote our.
selves to the service without regard
to profit or material advantage ano
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 is and how many
things, how many kinds and elements
of capacity and service and self sacri
fee it involves"
The President looks upon the put
ting of the navy on war footing anC
the creating and equiping of grea
army as the simplest parts of the task
the vitality important things are tina
I'VE must supply abundant food fol
ourselves, our armies and our seamen
also for a large part of the nations
with whom we have now made com
mon cause"
eve must supply ships by the hun
dreds out of our shipyards to carry t.
the other side of the sea, submarine
or no submarines, what will every da!
be needed there.
Abundant materials out of ou
mines, fields and factories with whicl
not only to clothe and equip our owl
forces on land and sea, but also t,
clotne and support our people fo
whom the gallant fellows under arm
can no longer work."
The President also points out tina
this country will have to help cloth
and equip the armies with which W
are cooperating in Europe, keep tn
looms and manufactures in raw ma