The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-12-04
HOOVER APPEALS! E Us!
10 The PEOPLE; L; {
Asks All Americans to Save
Food for Starving
Europe.
UNLESS We FURNISH THE
FOOD MANY WILL PERISH
Hundred Million or More Are
On Verge Of Starvation Now
and Food Supply is Practical
" Exhausted.

Washington, Dec. Again, in
full confidence, I cali upcn the Amer
lean people to set aside Sunday, De-
cember. lst, and the week following,
for the consideration OF america IS
opportunity Tor renewed service and
sacrifice
y Last summer, when the military
situation was acute, we assured tEe
lnter-Allied Food Conference in Lon
don, that whatever the war-food pro-
cram of the allies required we were
l.epared to meet; that the conference
need not consider whether or not we
had the suppiies-we were prepared
to find them; we pledged ourselves,
by the voluntary econony of our peo-
pie, to have the reserves in food to
supply all necessities. The ending OF
the war does not release US from the
pledge. The same populations must
be fed, and until another season has
passed they cannot feed themselves.
The che nge in the foreign situation
necessarily alters the details OF our
food program, because the freeing OF
the seas from the submarine menace,
of India, Australia and the Argen-
tine The total food demand upon
the United States is not diminished,
however. On the contrary. il is in
creased. In addition to the supplying
Of those to whom we are ALREADY
pledged, we now have the splendid
opportunity and obligation Of meet
ing the needs Of those millions o.
people in the hitherto occupied ter
ritories who are facing actual starva-
ton. The people OF Belgium. North
ern France, Serbia, Rounanla, Nor
tenegro. Poland, Russia and Armenia
rely upon America for immediate aid
We must also participate in the pres
ervat;on Of the newly liberated n2-
tons in Austria; nor can we ignore
the effect On the. future world de-
yeloDments Of a farn:ce con.ltlcn
among those other people whom we
have recently released from our enc
mics. All these considerations mean
that upwards Of 900 million people,
in addition 10 those we are ALREADY
pledged to serve. are ROW looking u
us in their misery and famine. GuF
appeal today is therefore larger than
the former appeal 10 the war con-
science" Of cur people. The new ap.
peal is to the world conscience,
which must be the guiding insplra-
;ion of our future program.
The president of the United Stato'
has asked me to take charge for this
government Of this work; to perfect
and enlarge the arrangements for
foodstufTs to the populations of Bel
GUM and France now being released,
and to organize and determine TIE
need Of provision to the liberated PEG
pies of Southern Europe to prevent
such debacle as has taken piGce il:
Russia
The determining factor for the sue
| cess of such an enlarged appeal WI!
/ be the vivid consciousness IN every
individual IN each community Of oh-
legation ard opportunity. It is tha:
common. recognition oG obligation that
! we now wish 20 create. Such an intel
l;gent world conscience" in Che
American people must be the mai:.
dependence OF the stricken countries
of the word until normal conditions
are. cnce moro restored.
America, by her participation in
the war, hes accomplished her objec-
tives Of seif-defense and of vindicat-
ing the efficiency OF a government IN
which the people, and the people
only, are sovereign. She has estao-
!ished the foundations OF government
/ by the people through the enen1y
countries, and this is tie real bu;-
wa:k of world peace. We have yet
to build on these foundations. Nc
government nor nation can stand If
!! its people are starving. We must
do our part if the world be not con-
surled in fame Of anarchy.
The American people, in this most
critical period of their history, have
! the opportunity to demonstrate not
only their ability to assist in establish
| in peace on Garth. but also their
conservation. by self-denial, TO the
cause Of suffering humanity.
Herbert Hoover.