The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-07-27
Not Possible to Exeggerate Grav-
itp of Crises Facing Americans.
Asserts Vrooman
BUSINTSS MEN NEVER
BEFORE so PATRIOTIC
Have Offered Services and Prop
critics to Government-No
Man too Old to Enlist


the gravity of the, crisis that faces
sistant Secretary of Agriculture Carl
VrOOman in spirited address here to-
day before large crowd at the In
terstate fair grounds told his audience
that this is one of the most momen-
tous hours in our history, if not the
most fateful hour in all histroy for as
one of sisterhood of nations we are
face to face with wars most dreadful
handmaiden, Famine
mot as people, of course" the
secretary continued, for we can al.
ways hope to feed ourselves, but as
one OF sisterhood of nations, we are
face to face with famine right now
We may not be starving ourselves,
but millions of our fellow men are"
Mr.. VrOOman made two addresses
here today, one in the morning at the
Auditorium, and one in the afternoon
at the fair grounds and large crowds
turned out to hear him speak His
principal address, which was made at
the fair grounds, follows in part:
Business Men Patriotic.
Never before have the business
men of a nation showed such patri-
otism as they have shown in the Uni
ted States during the last three
months. Instead of regarding the war
as an opportunity to extort illegiti-
mate war profits from a dazed and
distracted government, many of them
have offered not only their services,
but their enormous business organfza-
tions and properties to the govern
ment on any condition it might see
tit to impose. This is splendid and
thrilling manifestation, of the real
American spirit.
80 Exceptions to Rule, ~.
Unfortunately, however, there have
been exceptions to this rule. Only re-
Gently we have seen the secretary of
the navy and .the chairman of the
shipping board forced into the arena
in a hand-to-hand struggle with an
organization of ..unpatriotic, selfish,
sodden steel magnates, intent. only
upon extorting from the government
despicable millions Of illegitimate
profits, while loyal, -blooded Amer,
leans were rushing eagerly forward
to sacrifice money, ambition and even
life itself, upon the altar Of the, coun-
try. -1sp 9ho o. 3hiI'Hn
"rhose of tsoit5r%hoIh 4hGl gods
have not vouchsa feF theh distinction
of service in tRe 'trehches,s $ Evidently
will find opportunity at home to show
courage, self-sacrifice and patriotic de-
vOtiOn fighting side by side with those
federal officials who have drawn down
upon themselves venomous abuse for
having dared to insist on keeping this
war free from any saint of graft, ex-
tortion, or other forms of illegitimate
war profits.
Must Have Armies.
"1f this war is to -, won, we shall
have to put several armies in the
field. If an army of civilian patriots
be not organized to stand behind the
president and fight this great fight for
business honor while our boys in
khaki are gaining for themselves and
for their country an pimpeEis hablet re-,
nown, fighting and dying triumphantlyj
in the trenches, that country will be
NioSl dICu dL ny
scramble for illegitimate war profits
on steel and coal, on munitions and
food. Men of America! This degra-
dation must not come. Ten million of
the flower of American manhood, by
the selective draft have had their
names written on the nations i'm
mortal roll of honor. The nation calls
today for an equal number of volun-
teers to fight in the business world
and at the ballot box, to make the
conduct of this war as clean and pa
triotic as heroic and selfsacrifcing at
home as it is in the trenches of France
and Flanders.
ANY man who is actuated by a
lower motive than this is not a red
blooded, loyal, hundred per cent Amer
ican. Any man who allows personal
interest, ambition or partisan preju-
dice to keep him from participating
in this militant civic crusade for ma
tional decency and self-respect, is un-
worthy to live under the flag that
floats over those boys of our own
flesh and blood whose lives are dearer
to us than anything save only free
dom and honor, but who today are
preparing to die unflinchingly that a
free America may live.
No Man Too Old.
every day we hear men regret that
they are too old to enlist. There is
no man too old to enlist in this home
guard of our national honor. There
is no man too old to make his sacri-
fee at the ship, the bank, the farm,
the ballot box, a sacrifice of greed
and partisanship, sacrifice of the
opportunity to extort illegitimate war
profits from country or from fellow
countrymen.
Every man who is fit to be the
countryman of the boys who are fight
ing in France to protect our free in
stitutions and the free institutions of
the world from the military despotisln
of the Hun and the Turks, has his
chance today to join with them in this
immortal crusade to make the world
safe for democracy" to establish a
permanent peace upon just and self
governing foundations.
mi.