The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1918-12-12
HOOVER GOES TO FIGHT
FAMINE IN EUROPE,
Message From Federal Food Admin
istration Outlines Gigantic Task
Which American People Must Full,
fill II She Prove Not False Te
Nations Pledge.

Which American People Must Full
fill II She Prove Not False To
Nations Pledge.
Attifa, the Hun, once boosted thaS
where his armies had passed no blade
of grass would grow. The passage OF
his modern prototypes through cap.
tured territories has likewise been
marked by devastation and desolation,
The foe has been driven back to his
lair, but Americas contribution to the
welfare of the world will not be com.
plete until the liberated people Of
Europe are restored to normal condi.
tons. Their first and crying need Is
for food and on behalf Of this nation
Herbert Hoover, Federal Food Admin,
istrator, has promised the shipment
of at least twenty million tons of food.
stuffs during the current twelve
months. That is wellnigh double the
total which even wartime economy
has been able to accomplish. 1t is a
task however from which a nation
with a world conscience" will not
shrink
Mr.. Hoover has gone TO Europe to
study the conditions and see what
measures are to be taken in order to
rescue its liberated peoples from
hunger and chaos. Economy at home
Will be supplemented with efficiency
abroad. All told there are 900, 900, 900
men, women and children looking
westward for food. Our allies come
first, then friendly neutrals, and finally
at the tail end of Europe's breadline
stands the hungry Hun himself 1t is
sound economic policy to see that he
gets enough sustenance to shoulder
the burden of his punishment But it
is human nature to see that he waits
with empty platter until his betters are
satisfied.
Mr. Hoover's message to his fellow
countrymen was declared from tho
pulpits on Sunday The last of that
message is a clear call for the most
drastic economy which a nation living
itself IN the midst Of plenty has ever
been asked to make for the welfare
Of humanity 1t is indeed a call to
Americas world conscience.
Again in full confidence" cables
Mr.. Hoover, 81 call upon the American
people to set aside Sunday, December
LIST, and the week following, for the
consideration Of Americas opportu.
nifty for renewed service and sacrifice
Last summer, when the military sit,
uation was acute, we assured the Inter.
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
10 find them; we pledged ourselves by
the voluntary economy Of our people.
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
OF India, Australia and the Argentine.
The total food den nd upon the Unit.
ed States is not diminished, however.
On the contrary, it 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 act
ual starvation. The people of Bel
GUM, Northern France, Serbia, Rou,
mania, Montenegro, Poland, Russia and
Armenia rely upon America for i'm
mediate aid. We must also participate
in the preservation Of the newly lib
Grated nations in Austria nor can we
ignore the effect on the future world
developments Of a famine condition
among those other people whom we
have recently released from our enc
mics. All these considerable mean
that upwards of two hundred million
people, in addition TO those we are
already pledged to serve, are now look.
ing to US in their misery and famine.
Our appeal today is, therefore, larger
than the former appeal to the "wal
conscience" Of our people. The new
dppCdl Is W Tic HOllN COlSClCuSCJ
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
debaCle 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 obi
CATION and opportunity 1t is thai
common recognition OF obligation that
we now wish to create. Such an in
telligent world conscience" In the
American people must be the main
dependence of the stricken countries
of the world until normal conditions
are once more restored.
America by her participation in tina
war has accomplished her detectives
of self-defense and of vindicating the
efficiency Of a government in which
the people and the people only, are
sovereign. She has established the
foundations of government by the PEG