The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-04-10
What DO The Death Lists Mean?

casualty lists begin to come in. But
then--oh! we will realize 1t then!
Utem-Private John Smith killed in
action on the field OF honor. A husky
man. who would make a good hay
pitcher. washing dishes Three
miles away n farmer crying for labor
without which he cannot produce
food. and without which food we can
not win the war;
Well. the casualty lists are coming
In constantly now. One stared you in
the face when you picked up the pa
per this morning. Another will be
boxed on the front page this after
noon. They are grim. every day af-
fairs now-the lists OF American boys
who have given their lives for this
cause. Every day they are dying
but DO we realize yet what II means
do we?
Utem-Private Bill Jones, dead in
the front line trenches: dead-but his
squad repelled the Huns attack
A double-iisted athlete serving cafe
brcakfasters with soft boiled eggs and
buttered toast . Plenty of women
who can do that work A farm
CT. within an hours ride. saying that
unless he gets labor he will fail to pro-
duce food.)
OH yes. the death lists resolve us
with a mighty purpose that this war
will never end until the thing for
which these boys died--the utter and
absolute crushing of Prussian mill
tary d'sspotism-is completely accom-
plished. But how thoroughly are we
putting that resolution into effect with
regard TO SO fundamental. and so i'm
mediate and so close-at- a prob
lem as the farm m-labor supply?
Qtern-Private Tom Black, dead of
wounds received while on patrol i'm
No Mans Land . . A brawny man,
who grew up on a farm. carrying
grips from the door to the desk OF a
hotel ''' A farmer nearby wiring his
congressman that unless he gets farm
labor the governments food -produc-
ton program will fail)
Probably no vital facts OF the war
have been more persistentiy present
cd than these: that without food we
cant win the war. and consequently
that the farms must increase their
production this year: that there Is a
nationwide shortage Of farm labor
which must he relieved or the food
cannot be produced. and that the
only possible source OF sufficient sup
ply In emergency labor from the towns
cnd cities But. can we sincerely say
the casualty lists have stirred us to
more than mere bombastic talk IL.
understanding these food facts, we fail
to turn to agriculture. every hand not
now usefully engaged in absolutely
necessary work?
utem-Private Henry Brown. died
OF wounds received lin bayonet
charge A group of able bodied
men idlins around the depot
Half "a dozen farms within "A mile o.
that station where food production
will fail unless farm labor is secured.)
For instance. Willie White strong
and ft-good football material--is so.
da jerkcr at the Main Street Drug
Store. Now Willie Is a nice enough
10y. AMI his job is a perfectly hon
orablc one. But his charming skill i'm
perfecting pineapple parfaits and his
delightfully."- artistic assembling OF
chocolate surdaes and banana splits
dO not just simply do not-help one
little bit in. whipping the Kaiser
There arc plenty OF nimblc-hngcred
young ladies who can slick their hair
straight back too and he bored and
hlose. aud poke cherries In the top OF
chunk OF ice cream just as grace
iully and successfully as William
thereby making II possible for that
young gentleman TO preside over a
plough or dig potatoes or work on Il
threshing machine.
utem Private George Green, kill
cd after he refused To surrender To an
enemy force Of superior numbers ta
y perfect specimen OF physical man.
hood operating an elevator \
dozen gb'ls ready for the job Two
dozen T. rmers in the ncichborhopd
looking for such man to help cul-
tivate and harvest feed crops. needed
to win the war;
And then there ~ Mike. at the Com
merclal Hotel who carries your grips.