The Robesonian., 1917-04-19
PRESIDENT ISSUE APPEAL
TO AMERICAN PEOPLE

Entire Nation Called Upon for War
Service-"The Supreme Test of the
Nation Has Come and We Must All
Speak, Act and Serve Together
Says the Presidents Proclamation
! The whole nation was called upon
for war service in formal procla
nation Sunday night by President
Wilson. Declaring that mere fight
ing will be fruitless," the President
demanded the active support and CO.
operation Of men and women in ev-
cry walk Of life,-"a great interna-
tional service army. From the far
mer to the housewife, each Individual
was called upon to do his or her share
in conserving and making available
for was use the vast resources Of ,
the nation.
"The supreme test of the nation
has come" said the Presidents proc
lamation; 1--WE must all speak, act
and serve together"
The President declared that while
the navy. is rapidly being placed on
an effective war footing, and great
army is about to be created and
equipped, these are the simplest
parts of the great task to which we
have addressed ourselves"
He declared that the first great
thing to be done was to supply abund-
ant food, not only for the United
States and it's fighting forces, but
for large part of "the nations with
whom we have now made common
cause"
The imperative need for American
ships was emphasized by the Presi
dent, who declared that they must be
built by the hundreds to carry vast
quantities of supplies across the
seas, "submarines or no submarines.
They must, he declared, carry to the
people of England and France and
Italy and Russia, the things with
which "they have usually supplies
themselves, but cannot now afford
the men, the materials or the ma
chinery to make"
cit is evident to every thinking
man," said the proclamation, ''that
our industries, on the farms, in the
shipyards, in the factories must be
made more prolific and more effic-
lent than ever and that they must
be more economically managed and
better adapted to the particular re-
quirements Of our task than they
> have been; and what l want to say
is that the men and women who de
vote their thought and their energy
r. to these things will be serving the
country and conductino the fight fol
| peace and freedom just as truly anc
! just as effectively as the men on the
battlefield or in the trenches. The
industrial forces of the country, me1
and women alike, will be a great ma
! tional, a great international service
| army-a notable and honored host en-
gagged in the service of the natlo1
and the world"
| The President called on the farm
ers of the nation for an immediat
increase in the production of foo
stuffs, asserting that upon the far
ers of this country in large measur
rests the fate Of the war and the fat
of the nations" He urged young an
old alike to turn to the farms. H
appealed particularly to the farm
ers of the South to plant abundar
food crops as we'll as cotton.
The proclamation pledged the &C
operation of the government of tn
United States and the several Stat
governments in the campaign for sci
vice. 1t declared that they would as
sist the farmers to get adequate see
supplies and fertilizers. The Pre-:
ident declared that the governme1
would see to it that there was r
manipulation OF the nations foc
supplies, and that the trade wou
continue as "unhampered as poss
ble'. The middlemen of the matte
- were warned to forego unusual pro
it's, and to render patriotic and e
!. ficient service The railroads of Il
country, managers and men. WEI
-. urged to prevent any obstruction
the transportation facilities of Il
nation.
The motto "Snall Pofits al
Quick Service" was prescribed i
tie proclamation for the mercha1
ard it called upon the shipbuilder a
the miner and the manufacturer
give the best service in their powel
The cultivation of food gardel
was outlined by the President as o
way to help. He called upon t
housewives of the country to prs
tice strict economy and to preve
waste.