Rockingham post-dispatch. [volume] (Rockingham, N.C.) 1917-1965, 1918-05-09
mot A LIVING CHILD.
'UNDER 8 IN POLAND
ALL HAVE sUccUMeED TO STAR
WALTON, WHICH WE COULD
HAVE ALLEVIATED.
CRYING FOR BREAD We WASTE
Editor Clarence Poe Sets Forth Need
OF informing Our Rural Popula-
ton Of True Conditions.

Editor Clarence Poe Sets Forth Need
, Of informing Our Rural Popula-
; ton OF True Conditions.
clarence Poe in Progressive Farmer)
She was a good woman and she
talked much about how good the Lord
had been to her and to her children.
But at the same time she said: mo
meatless and wneatless days for me!
I've got wheat enough and I've got
meat enough laid up in my pantry,
and my children Like 1t, and they are
going to have it as often as they want
it, and as much Of 1t as they want"
After hearing this well-meaning
woman talk, the writer picked up that
night European paper that comes to
the home and read this paragraph:
It is said that there is not living
child in Poland under eight years OF
age.
mot living child in Poland under
eight years of age!" With little bod.
les unable to endure the hardships
and starvation of war-ruined land,
they have died by thousands and tens
Of thousands. Thousands and tens Of
thousands Of mothere as good as the
woman who made this thoughtless re-
mark, mothers who loved their chill
dren as much as this mother loved
hers-they with heart-breaking help
lessness have seen their children
slowly starve before their eyes, while
American mothers say, 'No, I will
not even vary my diet in a harmless
way, l will not even make substitu-
lions to save meat and wheat, in order
that part of 1t may save the lives of
starving babies and little ones in Eu-
rope!"
No, we don't mean that any Ameri-
can mother Is saying this in words.
Certainly the good woman Of whom
we write would not have said ii or
thought it--and yet by her acts, that
was what she was saying. II someone
could have shown her a photograph
Of one starving Polish child, with wan,
pinched face and hollow eyes, crying
to its mother for bread she did not
have-oh. how quickly this American
mother would have said: Eyes, I
have plenty Of wheat and 1 have
plenty OF meat, and I'll gladly
divide my last crust TO save the nves
OF little ones like that" With such
Q picture before her eyes. how quick
ly would this American mother have
called TO mind the Last Judgments
awful curse On all the uncaring and
hard Of hearA Il was an-huAgered and
ye gave me no meat"
But she didn't Know. And thus
again the Lord che tries to worship
might lament as Of old over His peo-
pie, Israel doth not know: my peo-
pie doth not consider!" To this good
woman the Hoover rules for meatless
days and wheatless days we're simply
Government egulations-simply off,
eial red tape. She didn't know they
were meant to save the lives of little
ones once as fair, as merry, as bright
eyed, as loveinspiring as her own
dear boys and girls!
And today there are thousands Of
others like this mother who do not
know! Well-intentioned people, good
hearted people, God.fearing people!
But they simply do not know"
Friends and readers, it is our duty
to help these people know! Let US
give Of our money, but let US also give
Of sdr time and effort for campaign
Of education in these matters-to
show the need Of food regulation, War
Savings Stamps, Liberty Bonds, Red
Cross work. Y. M. c. A. and Y. w C.
A. campaigns! We must save food
for the starving; We must give money
to protect the wounded and to provide
wholesome moral recreation for our
soldiers instead Of unwholesome and
immoral dissipation. And IL our
farmers-as is so often charged-have
not supported these movements as
they should, it Is not because they are
more selfish, more hard-hearted, less
patriotic, than city people. 1t is only
because they have not been informed.
And all Of US who do really under
stand must here and now resolve to
help inform them. In every school, in
every Sunday school. in every farm
ers' club in every farm woman's club,
and even as part OF almost every
church service, our men and women
Of light and leading must do their
part 10 arouse rural America. In the
Revolutionary war It was the "embat-
tied farmers" at Lexington who ''fired
the shot heard around the world!" In
the Civil War 1t was the stubborn
courage of our farm men and the
steadfastness Of our country wcmen
that won the worlds applause for
Confederate feroism!
Because this war is a little farther
from our doors Is no reason why we
should play less noble part. And
there is little time to lose. Many PEG.
pie think that twelve months hence
pecae will be in sight. Let US resolve
therefore that during the coming year