Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1918-01-17
SITUATION is SERIOUS;
WE MUST ACT ACCORDINGLY


WE MUST ACT ACCORDINGLY
Yesterdays dispatches indicate that
the food situation is tremendously
serious, that hundreds of thousands
in Europe are actually threatened with
starvation unless the United States
can give relief, and the fact is brous5;
home that on the first OF last Decem-
Der we had shipped all our excess
supply of wheat. To win the war we
must ship more. We must get along
with far less of the foods needed
abroad by substituting other foods.
Every one knows about what the
fighting man has ahead. says Grant
land Rice in an article written for the
committee on public information. His
business, in the main. is to fight. But
how about the work OF those back of
the lines? I have in mind. as pre-
Jude. two major league ball clubs. The
first team had the leadership and the
material TO win with. There vas no
question Of this. But the fan support
at home was Iacking-both IN the way
OF attendance and direct encourage
ment. The home fans apparently took
II for granted their club would win
the pennant and for this. or other rea-
sons, were lukewarm in their support,
and overcritical of any managerial or
playing mistakes.
The result was purely human turn.
The club finally became discouraged,
began to sag in morale. began to Won
der Just what the use was in playing
for that type of support. Needless to
say II lost the flag. The second team
had good, average material, but moth.
ing bordering upon the invincible. But
it carried the full and complete sup
port OF it's home fans who paid their
money at the box office and who stood
back OF their club on the field as
loyal in defeat as in victory. Back in
the grandstand and the bleachers they
helped to fight for their club. This
team. with its morale finely nodded
by such support, fought its way to the
front, and held the peak against bet
ter looking clubs.
These are not hypothetical cases.
They are not what might have hap.
pened. They are what actually took
place.
War is only game upon a mighty
scale. Like any other game, it re
quires leadership, material, team play,
training, sacrifice--and support back
of the lines.
What are the concrete. definite ways
OF giving this support back of the
lines "
That war;" remarked Ian Hay (Maj.
Beith) recently, will be won by the
allies to a certainty. If the nerve and
nerves of the people back of the lines
only hold out"
Those back of the lines, who are
not in position to serve at the front,
can help UNNECESSARILY to win this war
nav Nhb ~ WIN bittiNf Sptfu IL Nuts
will only keep their minds upon the
injunctions of TIE day--if they will
keep their minds upon economlzing,
upon sacrificing. upon swinging into
line with the most effective team play
the world has ever known. The entry
who docs his bit" on the ball field
never wins a pcnnant It is the one
who docs his all"
There isn't an American who does.
Mt wish down through the depths of
his soul for swift and proper end.
ing Of this war. This goal can only
be reached by united team play back
OF the lines, by united sacrihc, united
economy. united aid. united loyalty.
united concentration upon the main
object ahead, the winning and the
ending OF the war. The longer citi.
gems put off their day Of complete
sacrifice, OF needed economy. OF com.
plete team PLAY, the longer this war
goes on and the greater the sacrifice
that waits ahead.
49,