The Mena weekly star., 1917-04-19
TIE PRESIDENTS APPEAL.

the people, and especially the South,
 to the necessity of increased food
 production, on April i5, issued a
 further appeal. The Star regrets it
 cannot give space 10 every word of this address. In lieu of such it
 will give synopsis of the more
 important parts:
 In opening the President an-
 nounces that the navy is being put lupon an efficient basis, and that a
 great army will be created to carry forth the fighting for future peace
 and the security of the world-for
 democracy, but he says, We must supply abundant food for ourselves
 and for our armies and our sea-
 men not only, but also for a large part of the nations with whom we
 have now common cause" We must supply ships, materials from fields,
 mines and factories, mules, horses,
 etc, and that it is evident that our industries and farms must be made
 more prolific and more efficient, and that the men and women who de- vote their thought and energy to these things will be serving the lcountry and conducting the fight for peace and freedom just as truly and efficiently as the men on the bat tlefield OF in the trenches, and that hundreds of thousands of men lia-
 ble for military duty will of neces-
 sity be excused to sustain the work
 in the fields, factories and mines. Calling atention then, to the short
 food reserves, and the need of great
 CT supplies to meet the emergency,
 he says
 Upon the farmers of this coun- try, therefore, in large measure, rests the fate of the war and the | fate of the nations. May the Nation not count upon them to omit no step
 that will increase the production of their land or that will bring about the most effectual cooperation in
 the sale and distribution of their products? The time is short. It is of the most imperative import anee that everything possible be done and done immediately to make sure of large haryests. l 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 cer- tain that no pains and no labor IS lacking in this great matter. T particularly appeal to the farmers of the South to plant abundant foodstuffs as we'll as cot
 ton. They can show their patriot ism in no better or convincing way than by resisting the great tempta- tion of the present high price of cot-
 ton 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, comprehension of their national duty
 The President tells the middlemen of every sort that the eyes of the country will be especially on you, and urges them to give effective and unselflsh aid He seeks to impress a similar idea upon the railroads, managers and employees, and says to the miners:
 ITO the miner let me say that he stands where the farmer does: the work of the world waits on him. If he slackens or fails, armies and statesmen are helpless. He also is enlisted in the great service army. ?
 Speaking of economy and of put ting an end to the waste, Mir. Will son says:
 Let me suggest also that every one who creates or cultiyates a gar den 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 unpar- donable fault of wastefulness and extravabance."
 In urging that his appeal be giv-  en widest publicity, the President says:
 Tn the hope that this statement of the needs of the Nation and of the world in this hour of supreme crisis may stimulate those to whom 1t comes and remind all who need reminder of the solemn duties of time such as the world has never seen before, I beg that all editors land publishers everywhere will give as prominent publication as possi- ble to the appeal venture to sug- gest, also. to all advertising agene- cies that they would perhaps ren- der a 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 in- Inappropriate subject of comment and homily from their pulpits."