The Washington herald., 1917-04-17
"The supreme Test"
lNeu Ynrh rimeal

The Presidents powerful appeal to all
the people of this country to do their
fun share. individually, to help the coun-
try in its fight for what we believe and
wish TO, be the rights Of mankind and
the future peace and security OF the
world" will stir the nation nightly.
When the President speaks his voice
reaches the remotest corners of the land,
and President Wilson has never spoken
more clearly, sincerely or convincingly
than in this short address The effect OF
1t cannot be doubted. 1t will be respond
ed TO with patriotic enthusiasm, with
steadfast determination on the part OF
the people to heed the Chief Magistrates
exhortation to speak, and act, and serve
together"
The vast military and naval prepara-
tiens which the government has in hand
he considers the simplest part of the
great task. The nation must not only
feed its soldiers and sailors but must sup
ply abundant food for a large part of
those nations with which we have made
common cause. With our enormous re-
sources we can accomplish all that he
asks, II every man, woman. and child
does his full share. We must have ships
to carry across the ocean the supplies
our allies need, submarines or no sub
marines" That Is the essential point,
that is the phrase that will be on all
lips. Submarines or no submarines" !"
our fleets Of supply ships must cross the
ocean, carrying food, raw materials for
the looms and manufactures OF England.
France, Italy. and Russia, rails and rail-
way rolling stock, cattle and horses.
Our industries must be made more ef-
tcient and prolific than ever, our farm
ers, who will have all the help the gov
ernment can give them, must increase
the productiveness of their lands. Upon
the South the President urges the need
OF planting foodstuffs in great quantities
as well as cotton. to forego the tempta-
tion to profit by the present prices of its
great staple, To the middlemen he utters
kindly word of caution and encoura ge-
ment, TO the railway men, managers and
operatives alike, to men and women in all
trades and professions, in all stations of
life, he directly delivers his message.
A noble, well-timed message it is, and
1t will arouse the people of this country
to strong sense of their responsibility.
All that is asked of them they can do,
better than any other nation in the
worlds history. Who can doubt that ''the
supreme test" will be bravely and sue
cessfully met?
Carrying the Truth to Germany,
New York word)
with the valiant cooperation of the
French aviation service sheets contain
ing a German translation Of President
wilson's war address to Congress pre-
pared by The World are being dropped
by thousands behind the German lines.
In any country not insensately gov
erned II might seem unnecessary for a
newspaper thousands OF miles away to
concern itself with informing the peo-
pie Of facts to them of the utmost i'm
portance. Not so in Germany! So far as
known, the address has appeared in full
in but a single German newspaper, and
In that the translation will require care
full study.
OF the sheets that come futtering
down from the air, most, perhaps, will
be wasted. Many will be read; and these
will pass clandestinely from hand to
hand. From them the soldiers fighting
for Germany will learn for the first time
what the President says of outrages
committed here by German agents: for
the first time they may read the kindly
expressions he uses toward the German
people, as distinguished from the govern
ment that oppresses, uses and mIsrep-
resents them. And these ideas may
they should-germinate and bear fruit.
All gratitude to the gallant men who
are risking their lives to drop in the Ger
man lines not deadly missiles but ideas
more deadly to autocracy! The time is
most OF us suppose-when a living Ger
man republican will be of far more value
than a dead German soldier.
Driving Back the Fire.
ATLANTA Cou5titutioa.)
The fact is becoming more and more
apparent, with every days developments,
that the thrones Of autocracy are doomed
to destruction by the very fire with which
they essayed nearly three years ago to
devastate the Iiberty-loving world.
A little group of despotic powers in
Europe, which would dominate the world
by ''the divine right of kings" started
the fire by which to terrify mankind into
submission. The flames grew into a con,
hagration, and the fire became a holo.
Caust. 1t laid waste to a large part OF
Europe. and burned on, leaving desola.
tion. misery and horror in its path.
But the civilized world ran to the res.
cue: and today practically every demo.
cratic nation of the earth is either &C.
lively or in sympathy arrayed under the
| banner of democracy. beating back the
| fires Of autocracy upon the very thrones
OF the despots.
Civilization and those peoples to whom
the words freedom" and human rights