The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-04-28

May the Nation not count upon them TO
omit no step that will increase the pre-
duction of their land or that will bring
about the most effectua1 cooperation in
the sale and distribution of their pro-
ducts? The time is short. 1t is of the
most imperative Importance that every
thing possible be done and done imme-
diately to make sure Of large harvests- I
call upon young men and old alike and
upon able bodied boys of the land to ac-
cept and act upon this duty-to turn In
hosts to the farms and make certain that
no pains and no labor is lacking in this
great matter.
81 particularly appeal to the farmers of
the South to plant abundant foodstufs as
well as cotton. They can show their pa
triotism in no better or convincing way
than by resisting the great temptation OF
the present price of cotton and helping,
helping upon a great scale, to feed the
Nation and the peoples everywhere who
are fighting for their liberty and for our
own. The variety of their crops will be
the visible measure of their Somprehen
sion of their national duty.
States Ready TO Cooperate.
1.-The government of the United States
and the governments of the several states
stand ready to cooperate. They will do
everything possible 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 fertil-
izers and farm machinery, as well as OF
the crops themselves when harvested
The course of trade shall be as unham-
pered as it is possible to make it and
there shall be no unwarranted monopoli-
cation Of the Nations food supply by those
who handle it on it's way to the con-
sumner This is our opportunity to demon
strate the efficiency of great democracy
and we shall not fall short of it.
-
every sort, whether they are handling
our 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 disinterested. The country expects
you, as it expects all others, to forego
unusual profit, to organize and expedite
shipments of supplies of every kind, but
especially of food, with eye to the
service you are rendering and in the
spirit Of those who enlist in the ranks,
for their people, not for themselves. I
shall confidently expect you to deserve
and win the confidence of the people Of
every sort and station.
ITO the men who run the railways of
the country, whether they be managers
or operative employees, let me say that
the railways the arteries of the Ma
TONS life and that upon them rests the
immense responsibility of seeing to 1T
that those arteries suffer no obstruction
of any kind, no inefficiency or slackened
power. To the merchant let me suggest
the motto: Small profits and quick serv
ice;' and to the ship builder the thought
that the life of the war depends on him.
The food and the war supplies must be
carried across the seas matter how
many ships are sent to the bottom. The
places of those that go down must be
supplied and supplied at once.
ITO the miner let me say that he
stands where the farmer does: the work
of the world waits on him. If he slack
ems or fails, armies and statesmen are
helpless. He also is enlisted in the great
service army.
1.-The manufacturer does not need to
be told. 1 hope. that the Nation looks to
him to speed and perfect every process;
and want only to remind his employees
that their service is adequately indis-
pensable and is counted on by every man
who loves the country and its liberties.
A Time to Stop Waste.
LET me suggest also that every one
who creates or cultivates a garden helps
and helps greatly. to solve the problem of
feeding of the nations; and that every
housewife who practices strict economy
puts herself in the ranks of those who
serve the Nation This is the time for
America to correct her objectionable fault
of wastefulness and extravaganza. Let
every man and every woman assume the
duty of careful, provident use and ex
penditure a public duty, as a dictate
of patriotism which no one can now ex-
pect ever to be excused or forgiven for
| ignoring.
I'm the hope that this statement Of
the needs of the Nation and of the world
in this hour of supreme crisis may stimu-
| late those to whom it comes and remind
all who need reminder of the solemn dut-
les of a time such as the world has never
seen before. I beg that all editors and pub
fishers everywhere will give as prominent
publication and as wide circulation as pos
sible to this appeal 1 venture to suggest,
also, to all advertising agencies that they
would perhaps render very substantial
and timely service to the country if they
would give it widespread repetition. And
I hope that clergymen will not think the
theme of it an unworthy or inappropriate
| subject of comment and honily from their
pulpits.
1.-The supreme test of the Nation has
come. We must all speak, act and serve
together!
WOODROW WILSON,