Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1918-05-09
Secretary McAdOO's Great
Speech For Liberty Loan

~ M ilt1A llNi'tlffi ~ - sltI a bit'u-
m. barber pole on the ocean" And he
aid. lyon must sail tll5e ships on =
course prescribed by me. l viii mark
az the course on the high seas where
th7t course. However If you do they
can't so At all; or II ynu do, ! will
SIM. them Then he said: You must
rot start them from any port unless You
telegraph or cable me m advance when
thcy are going 10 start And then he
said; Also telegraph nc 1T The same
lire what cargo they arc carrying
That married generosity and scheme on
the part Of the German kaiser almost
Overwhelming me as l utter il.
Fellow citizens, that is literally what
the Kaiser ordered this great free ma
ton TO DO on the 3lst Of January, 1877.
WHAT was. the answer 10 II? Even
then, In spite Of all the transgressions
Of eur right, the Violations of interna-
ttonal law, the brutal murder Of our de-
lense'ess men, women and children, on
the high seas, we only undertook to put
through a measure for armed neutrality,
in order to enable our seamen, men,
women and children. to have one gun
uNor the ships in order that, If they
were attacked by the dastardiy assassin
of tho seas, they could defend themselves.
But you know what happened to that
Why, we had people in ttls country who
were SO I7ckrg in the knowledge ano
spirit Of American people that they III
busterod that resolution to death in the
eenats, and left the president of the
United States and Congress without the
9uthor'ty 20 even put gun on an Amer
lean vessel to protect your rights on the
nigh seas. ANplause).
The kalser's Big Surprise.
What followed? The 4th of March.
when that Congress adjourned and left
the president in that position, he called
q special session Of the Congress of the
United States-the new Congress-for
what purpose? To give the German Kali
ser an answer he would not mistake. We
gave it to him on the 9Th day or Ap,r,
lSIl, ana ana it was the surprise of the kai-
sers life. CApplause).
He had come to believe that we were
a money loving people, that we were
material people, we had neither the love
I # independence nor liberty in our hearts
He had been told that there We're wide
streaks Of yellow blood in the Ameri-
can population. He had been told that
the German American element in this
puntry was so strong that we wouldn't
declare war upon Germany nor resist any
aggression upon our rights. We told him
@omethinS in an inspiring paragraph, en-
hodied in resolution OF Congress in
which we declared war, and which we
pledged all the resources Of America unto
Liberty until (applause) Until Liberty
again was won, and until this menace to
the independence and the rights of free
peoples Of the world was absolutely eX-
tinguished from the earth. And we arc
not going to stop, my friends, until it Is
done (Applause).
These tragic events which are happen
ing upon the battle line in France today,
noble, glorious France, (applause) l can't
think of France without enotion-the
spirit OF that glorious republic, that in
domitable people who, in the hour of our
extreme need came. and helped us to
plant liberty and independence upon the
soil Of this great nation. (Applause)- !
was impatient myself for the opportunity
of making common cause with her in or.
der that We might repay the , debt Of
gratitude that America has owed that
great nation for more than hundred
years. In spite Of what is happening
on that battle line; in spite Of the fact
il has been bent. it has not broken, and
by the help Of Americas arms by the
help of valiant America represented by
our boys in khaki and our blue jackets
|, upon the high seas, that line shall never
break. (App,ause).
Situation Is Serious.
Let me tell you, my friends. you must
rot mistake the seriousness. however OF
the situation l do not believe that the
people of this country. in the interior OF
the country particularly, have come to
visualize or realize the meaning of this
war | do not think you realize here
that your life and liberty are actually
imperilled. want to tell you with all
the solemnity and emphasis / can put
into it, don't think that because you
sleep in comforta bic beds with plenty to
eat and plenty to wear, with police to
protect you at night and the officers of
! the law to enforce order. don't think tina t
! your liberties are not imperlled. l tell
! you you never were in position of
| greater peril since this great republic
was begun
Our Duty to Sacrifice.
We have organized 1850, 900 grand
American boys into an army which ]
know will be invincible when it gets on
that front (Applause) BUT ] don't
want you people to imagine, ladies and
| gentlemen, that when, under the opera =
! lions Of this great democratic selective
draft law and the operations of that
splendid impulse of patriotism which has
always made the American man in those
times when his country was in peril vol
! unteer: don't imagine when we reach out
by the impartial and democratic selective
draft in every state, county, city. village
or hamlet in the American union and
! touch this man and that man, your sons
and my sons. and say, 1--WE choose you
and we choose you" to go out and die,
/ if need be. that Americas liberty may
be saved. We choose you because you
have the spirit of freedom in you; we
know your loyalty; we know your cOur-
age; we know you will fight to the death
(applause); we choose you because you
are the most fit to make this great sacri-
I flee for American ideals and for world
X democracy Don't think that after you
I have done that and you are compliment
ling them with bands playing inspiring
music to the stations, and have sent them
liaway with fear and good wishes, and
your hearts are drawn with anguish for
few days. perhaps constantly, but time
tempers AL things, don't think, ladies
and gentlemen, that, when you have done
that. that your part in this war is over,
End you have nothing else to do. All
Your part is lust beginning, because isn't
! = more sacred duty a more sacred task,
~nsting upon us who stay at home, to 80
the limit Of sacrifice in order that our
roble sons shall not de? applause.
Our first duty is to do everything we
can for them We don't have to die
back of the lines in order to help them.
The worst thing we could do back of the
lines is to die: we must live to help them;
and while we are living, we must not be
shirkers at this time. (Applause).
A War Of Production.
A war under present conditions is not
n war merely of soldery, ladies and
gentlemen 1t isn't a war merely Of
physical courage and bravery, essential
as thev are. 1t is war of production.
1t Is a war of the mobilization OF q
powerful nation, asserted upon those
battle fronts through the men we choose
to make the sacrifices in the exercise
and assertion of that might and we need
to give them the things they 1mpera.
lively require. aud their sacrifices Will
be fruitless unless every man, woman ana
child in America goes to the limit OF
their means. (Applause):
What can they do: ! am asked the
question constantly as l go from one