The Johnson City comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1916-1917, 1917-04-19
GOVERNOR RYE s
PROCLAMATION
PLEADING WITH THE PEOPLE TO
STAND BY THE PRESIDENT
AND CONGRESS-
TO FARMERS
REQUESTS ALL CITIZENS TO
THINK SOBERLY-THAT WE
MAY PROFIT WITH HONOR
To the People of Tennessee:

/ To the People of Tennessee:
Nashville, Tenn, April 16.-Presi.
dent Wilson, after days and months
of watchful waiting, eXerting every
effort to avoid a rupture with Ger
many, striving in every way to pre-
vent war, moved alone by deep con-
scicusness of duty to the American
people, governed and controlled by
unselfish motives, yielding to the al
most universal demand of a peace
, loving but patriotic people, on the
inst, requested the congress of the
United States assembled in eXtraordi-
nary session. to declare the recent
course of the Imperial German gov
ernment to be, in fact, nothing less
than war against the government and
the people of the United States that
it formerly accept the status of bel
ligerents thus thrust upon it and take
immediate steps, not only to put the
country in more thorough state of
defense, but also to exert all its pow
ers and employ all it's resources to
bring the government of the German
Empire to terms and end the war;
By reason of these conditions,
American has never faced a graver
crisis with reference to it's foreign
affair In all its history. Confronted
as we are by impending war, our
people should take counsel on the
vital question of food supply. 1t is
just as necessary to organize the peo-
pie for economic production in times
like these, as II Is to organize our
ssastsjss or defense. :.
Secretary Of Horticulture Houston,
in a statement issued March 27, gives
sound advice to the nation. He says:
Both for economic and patriotic
reasons, the American farmer should
strive this year for the highest STAN
dard of efficiency in the production
and conservation of food"
We have been SO prosperous and
lived so extravagantly until extrava-
gance has become a national vice. We
are VIGOROUSLY wasteful in the use
of food and we have never practiced
economy in food production.
Impressed with the gravity of the
situation, and being desirous Of invit-
ing the attention of our people to this
important question, |, Tom c. Rye
Governor of Tennessee, do by this
proclamation call upon all the peo-
pie Of the state to put forth every
effort for efficient food production
and especially do l urge you to so
plan and work, as you have never
planned and worked before, that our
people at home and abroad may be
properly fed.
Let me urge that you grow your
own food supplies for family and for
live stock, that you practice economy
conserve labor, avoid waste and deny
yourself luxuries.
DO not be tempted by speculative
prices to plant large crops with which
you are not familiar. or which disturb
the ordinary practices of sound agri-
culture.
The times demand that every citizen
think soberly and act wisely, so that
the high honor of the nation may be
maintained.
In order that we may profit the
more by the suggestion herein made,
and that they may result in some sub
stantial good, let me urge that repre-
sentatives of all organized bodies in
terested in agricultural productions
in Tennessee meet at some suitable
time and place in the near future
for a conference on the problems in
volved.
In testimony whereof, | hereunto
set my hand and cause the great seal
of the state to be affixed at the de-
partment in Nashville on this, the
third day Of April, nineteen hundred
and seventeen.
TOM G. RYE.
Governor
BY the governor,
IKE B. STEVENS,