The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1918-03-11
Davis Delivers Sermon
With Every Flour
Permit Issued

Atlanta, Nd, Midi Gil S.-1eOlSc ID.
Davis, food administrator for Lau-
rens county has originated in the
-four permit cards for farmers, what
he says is the greatest service any
order or ruling of the United States
Food Administration ever issued has
been made to perform.
The exemption card" says Mr. Da-
Wis, who is in Atlanta for a general
discussion of the Georgia situation
with Dr. Soule's office, us the biggest
thing this Office has done. The serv-
ice those cards are performing for the
country in the interest of the war
never will be fully estimated in Lau-
rens county, at least
Il have found in issuing those cards
to farmers an opportunity in the
county over which have jurisdiction
to make more than 1000 patriotic
speeches-to tell what | know about
the war and the food situation-and
I've found that to be exactly what's
needed And people want information
of the kind that rings to them with
reliable facts. Of course, it has kept
me busy reading and posting myself
SO l could give them facts, and l have
been careful to do that. But l don't
think l have lost single man. Ev-
eryone of those speeches has counted.
"The situation is like this: The very
people those cards were designed to
beneht-the farmers out in the coun-
try-are the ones who need to be
told war truths and food truths We
could get up public speaking every
day or night in the week, and we
wouldn't get them. When their -four
box gets empty, though, I'm bound to
get them, and sooner or later it's go
ing to get every one of them
The Georgia countryman is good
fellow if you set him right, and he is
the most ready man in the state to
fairly drink in the truth of a PROPOSE
ton once he feels he is getting it
straight.
when his flour gives out he can't
get any more in Laurens-without
buying an equal weight of other &C.
reals-unless he gets a permit card.
He has to come to my Office, or to the
place of one of the sub-representa-
tives, to get it. That gives me one
advantage, I've got him and l can
talk to him, and every time I have
issued permit card to farmer-by
the way, too, l have had to send
wire to this Office for another supply
half dozen times at least-I make
that farmer war speech. In round
numbers | have made about 1000 of
those speeches already. I tell him
every time, as briefly as l can, what
know about the war, why it's being
fought, what we've got to do to win
1t and why this country has got to
supply certain foods to the fighting
men. | alays tell them where | get
my information and impress them
with facts. AS studiously as possible
l put myself in position to give them
these facts as fast as they come out
and present clearly the necessity for
the conservation this country is prac-
ticing.
"Of course my audience is fire.
quently one individual when Pm de-
llvering one of those war speeches,
but | have become accustomed to it
and like it.
Il don't believe l have lost a
single man yet, and some luke-warm
fellows have come after these cards.
l find that the countryman is an
honest, loyal patriot at heart and he
wants war talk. When you can tell
him something he can pin his real
faith in his country he usually sticks
around until the whole story has been
told and then, | found it is the rule
rather than the exception, when that