Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1918-12-27

An appeal to Americas world CON
science is made by Herbert Hoover
toward food pr1vation and possible
famine from upwards Of 300,00O,0OO
people. Add in the home needs Of the
United States and 1t lie seen that every
man, woman and child must spare no
effort in production or conservation
u the Food Administrations under.
taking on behalf of this nation Is to be
carried out. II means that for every
pair Of hands in the United States
there are now four mouths TO feed.
Somehow or other at least 2OO0O,0O0
tons OF foodstuffs must be shipped
during the ensuing twelve months.
MT. Hoover is now in Europe arrang.
Ing that this vast relief work which 10
made possible by economy at home
shall be carried out with efficiency
abroad The text of his message to his
fellow oountrymen, which was an
nounced from almost every pulpit on
Sunday reads as follows:
Again in full confidence, call upon
the American people TO set aside sun
1ay, December first, and the week fol-
lowing for the consideration OF Amer
Ica's opportunity for renewed service
and sacrifice
Last summer, when the military sit
aation was acute, we assured the Inter-
Allied Food Conference in London that
whatever the war-food program Of the
Allies required we were prepared to
meet; that the Conference need not
consider whether or not we had the
Supplies-we were prepared to find
them; we pledged ourselves, by the
voluntary economy of our people, 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 change in the foreign situation
necessarily alters the details of our
food program, because the freeing of
the seas from the submarine menace
renders accessible the wheat supplies
Of India, Australia and the Argentine.
The total food demand upon the Unit.
cd States is not diminished, however.
On the contrary, it is increased. In
addition to the supplying of those to
whom we are already pledged, we now
have the splendid opportunity and OBJ
legation of meeting the needs Of those
millions Of people in the hitherto oc.
cupied territories who are facing 40
tual starvation. The people Of Bel
GUM, Northern France, Serbia, Rou
mania, Montenegro, Poland, Russia
and Armenia rely upon America fol- |
I'm OIL Of nfa ID a1an ar-ftn
pate in the preservation Of the newly |
liberated nations In Austria, nor can
we ignore the effect on the future
world Developments Of a famine con
dition among those other people whom
we have recently released from our
enemies. All these considerations
mean that upwards Of 200 million PEG
pie, in addition to thsae we are al.
ready pledged to serve, are now look
ing to us in their misery and famine.
Our appeal today is therefore larger
than the former appeal to the war
conscience" OF our people The new |
appeal is to the world Conscience |
which must be the guiding inspiration
OF our future program.
The President of the United States
has asked me to take charge for this
Government of this work. to perfect |
and enlarge the arrangements for food. |
stuffs to the populations of Belgium
and France now being released, and to
organize and determine the need OF
provision to the liberated peoples Of
Southern Europe to prevent such de
bacle as has taken place in Russia.
The determining factor for the sue.
cess Of such an enlarged appeal will
be the vivid consciousness in every In,
dividNal In each community of oblfga,
ton and opportunity. It IL that com,
mon recognition of Obligation that we
now wish to create. Such an intelli
gent world conscience" in the Amer.
lean people must be the main depend
ence Of the stricken countries OF the
world until normal conditions are
once more restored.
America by her participation In the
war has accomplished her detectives
OF self-defense and OF vindicating the
efficiency Of a government in which
the people, and the people only, are
sovereign She has established the
foundations of government by the peo-
pie throughout the enemy countries,
and this is the real bulwark Of world
peace. We have yet TO build on these
foundations. No government nor ma
ton can stand If its people are starv.
Ing We must 90 our part II the world
be not consumed 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 estaA-
fishing peace on earth but also their
conservation, by self-denial, to the
cause Of suffering humanity"
HERBERT HOOVER.