The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1918-12-03
MIR. HOOvERS MESSAGE

| lOWinS, IOF the CONSIDERATION OI Amer
ica's opportunity for renewed service
and sacrifice.
Last summer, when the military sit
uation was acute, we assured the In
ter-Allied Food Conference In London
that whatever the war food program
of the Allies required we were pre-
pared 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 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 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
ed States Is not diminished, however.
On the contrary, 1t 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 &C.
tual starvation. The people Of Bel
GUM, northern France, Serbia, Rou-
mania, Montenegro, Poland, Russia
and Armenia rely upon America for
immediate aid. We must also parti-
cipate in the preservation Of the new
ly liberated nations in Austria; nor
can we ignore the effect on the fu-
ture world developments of famine
condition among those other people
whom we have recently released from
our enemies. All these coneidera-
tons mean that upwards of 200 mil
lion of people, in addition to those
we are already pledged to. serve, are
now looking to us in their misery and
famine. Our appeal today Is there
fore larger than the former appeal to
the war conscience" of our people.
The new appeal is to the world con
science" 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
individual in each community of OBJ
legation and opportunity. It Is that
common recognition of obligation.
that we now wish to create. Such an
intelligent world conscience" in the
American people must be the main de.
pendence of the stricken countries of
the world until normal conditions are
once more restred,
America by her participation in the
war has accomplished her detectives
OF self-defense and of indicating the |
efficiency OF government in which |
the people, and the people only, are
sovereign. She has established the
foundations of government by the PEG.
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 stary
ing. We must do our part If the world
be not consumed in a flame of an
nrchy. The American people, in this
most critical period of our history
have the opportunity to demonstrate
not only their ability to assist in es-
tablishing peace on earth, but also
their conservation, by self-denlal, TO
the cause of suffering humanity.
HERBERT HOOVER
Mems, Ladies' and Children's