The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-04-21

manlty.
A representative body of citizens Of
all sections of Sumter county-rep-
resentative Of all businesses and pro-
fesions, particularly Of farmers, but
disappointingly small in numbers
gathered in the Court House at IL
o'clock this morning 70 attend the
civic preparedness meeting, called by
| the State committee. Mr.. A. G.
| Phelps, chairman Of the Sumter coun-
ty committee of public safety presi6-
ed over the meeting and introduced
the speakers. The meeting was open
ed with an invocation by Rev. w. E.
Thayer. The speakers of the day.
representing the State Committee
were Rev. Hugh r. Murchison, Of
Lancaster and Prof. w. II. Barton,
of Clemson College.
Mr.. Murchison delivered q most STIR
ring and earnest address, the keynote
of which was Service for Alp for
humanity's sake, as a patriotic duty
and as q surety for personal. State
and national protection in q world
gone mad with war, blood lust and
famine He laid great stress upon the
need, the desperate, immediate need
of thorough, Widespread cooperation
between all the forces controlled and
directed by the leaders Of each and
every community to arose farmers
and allied interests to the danger that
cOnfronts the South and the nation OF
a shortage Of food that will near
hunger and destitution to millions ir
this country and to the other million:
in Europe who are fighting the bat
tie for liberty and humanity. Hc
quoted statistics from the latest and
highest authorities demonstrating
food, but that unless there are boun.
tiful harvests this fall the world will
, face famine within the next twelve
months. He showed that the South
is not self-supporting, that with the de-
} mand for food from Europe and for
the great army that the United States
is now preparing to organize, there
will be little food that the other Sec
tions can spare for the South and
that little will command such high
prices that all the cotton that the
} South can produce will be swallowed
up and the people of the South will
still be hungry. The only hope. the
only salvation for the South is the
} fertile soil and the God-given oppor-
tunity of the crop growing season now
at hand to increase many times the
} acreage devoted to food crops and
thus produce food for themselves and
a surplus to help feed the hungry of
other lands. The opportunity to do
this is not only duty but in the situa-
tion a patriotic privilege that men
who love their country and would do
something for humanity cannot and
will not neglect, if the true gravity Of
the situation is but brought home to
them.
Mr. Murchison congratulated Sum-
ter county on the work that had been
| undertaken by the committee of public
safety, saying that the organization Of
township committees and the holding
Of meetings in all sections of the coun-
| ~ was directly in line with the plans
| Of the State committee of civic pre-
| paredness, and that he was most
I heartily gratified and encouraged by
the reports of hard work and public
| spirited cooperation that he had re-
ceived concerning the progress Of the
work in Sumter county.
Prof. w. II. Barton made a forcible
| talk on crop rotation, soil building
and the conservation of the fertility
| Of farm land. He asserted that the
| robbing Of the soil of its fertility by
lSHOItnI anu WdStelui HietHouS WttS
| the certain ana inevitable means of
| impoverishing the people and that
| was followed by the downfall of the
| nation. He discussed practical meth
DDS of farming and the means to be
adopted to conserve and increase the
natural fertility Of the soil, while at
,he same time deriving a comfortable
living from the farm. He urged that
more food crops be planted now and
hat they be literally fertilized and
properly cultivated
Both addresses wel listened 70
with the closest attention and it was
evident that the earnestness of the