The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-05-23

n
'NS@ to June 2, by Gov. w. L.
Harding in a proclamation
which he issued today. In this proc
lamation the governor requests that
Iowa do her part toward purchasing
these liberty bonds. The following is
the governors word on liberty loan
week:
To the People Of Iowa:
| BY virtue Of the authority in me
vested, hereby brii< to the attention
of the citizens q the Commonwealth
of Iowa the movement to make LID
erty Loan Week" period Of nation
wide patriotic response and urge that
Iowa occupy her customary place IN
| the vanguard of her sister states.
, Our country is at war with foreign
nation, not as matter of choice, not
for conquest, not for greed Of gold and
not because of malice or hatred; but
rather to maintain our self respect, to
preserve to our people their guaran.
teed rights and to perpetuate and ex-
tend the principles of democratic gov
eminent so we'll established in our
own country and so essential to the
| liberty of mankind everywhere.
| This war is contest between dem
ocracy on the one side and autocracy
on the other for control of the world
| If we lose now by eur inaction or I'M
preparedness all the fighting and sui
fering Of the Revolutionary and Civil
Wars will have been for naught.
Our patriotism is on trial and the
test is whether or not our people will
help with their accumulated wealth
by loaning it to the Government in
this trying hour. A kindly Providence
and a Government in which the indi
vidual is supreme have made all our
people happy and prosperous. Now
in order to preserve this liberty, it is
our patriotic duty as a people to as
sist the Government by helping with
this wealth that is ours.
This is the hour when you can rem
/ der real service to your country and
to the world. If We do not respond
with our accumulated wealth now, in
the days to come it will mean the
sacrifice of untold thousands of lives
of the young manhood of our state
and country
| No loyal citizen will concern him
self now about acquiring more wealth
His whole thought should be to pre-
serve the principal and give the Fed
eral Government the benefit of what
ever use can be made Of it. Prop
lerty is as nothing when human life
| is at stake; human life is as nothing
when the fate of democracy is in the
balance I, therefore. call upon all
our citizens to respond to this Lib
Ierty Loan" to the point that it be
comes sacrifice.
| All banks and bond houses are au
thorized by our Federal Government
to receive subscriptions to this Lib
erty Loan The bonds have been is
sued in denominations within the
reach of all and the payments can be
arranged to suit the purchaser.
Therefore. by virtue Of the power in
me vested as Governor Of the State OF
Iowa. call upon all our people to sub
scribe to this loan and in accordance
Herewith set apart and designate the
period beginning May Twenty Seventh
and ending June Second, 1917, as
Liberty Loan Week." and I earnest
| ly urge that you make this week a
| time Of generous participation and
statewide manifestation of patriotic
loyalty.
In testimony whereof, I have here
unto set my hand and caused to be af-
fixed the Great Seal of the State.
| Done at Des Moines, this twenty
third day of May. 1917.
W. l.. HARDING.