Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1918-12-13
CHURCHES HEAR
HOOVER MESSAGE
"WorId Relief Week" Opens With an
Appeal From United States
Food Administrator
AID TO SUFFERING HUMANITY
Calls Upon American People to Do
monstrate Their Ability to
Establish Peace on Earth

montpelier, Dec. - World Relief
Week" opened in Vermont and the
rest Of the country yesterday by the
reading In the churches of the mes
sage from United States food admin
tstrator, Herbert Hoover, in which he
calls upon the American people ito
demonstrate not only their ability to
assist in establishing peace on earth,
but also their conservation by self-de-
NAL to the cause of suffering human
ty." Mr.. Hoover's message as read In
the churches is as follows:
Again in full confidence, call up
on the American people to set aside
Sunday. December first, and the week
following, for the consideration of
Americas opportunity for renewed
service and sacrifice.
Last summer, when the military
situation was acute, we assured the
Inter-Allied Food Conference in Lon
don, that whatever the war-food pro-
gram Of the Allies required we were
prepared to meet; that the Confer
ence need not consider whether or
not we had the supplies,-we were
prepared to 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 popula-
lions must be fed, and until another
season has passed they cannot feed
themselves.
'4The change in the foreign situa-
ton necessarily alters the details of
our food program, because the freeing
Of the seas from the submarine menace
renders accessible the wheat supplies
of India, Australia and the Argentine.
The total food demand upon the Uni
ted 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 obligation of meeting the needs
Of those millions Of people in the
hitherto occupied territories who are
facing actual starvation. The people
of Belgium. Northern France, Serbia,
Roumania, Montenegro, Poland, Rus
STA and Armenia rely upon America
for immediate aid. We must also par
ticipate in the preservation Of the
newly liberated nations III Austria;
nor can we ignore the effect on the
future world developments of fam
Inc condition among those other peo-
pie whom we have recently released
from our enemies. All these consid-
erations mean that upwards of 200
million people in addition to those we
are already pledged to serve, are now
looking to us in their misery and fam
inc. Our appeal today is therefore
larger than the former appeal to the
war conscience of our people. The
new appeal is to the world conscience
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
foodstuffs to the populations Of Bel
GUM and France now being released
and to organize and determine the
need of provision to the liberated peo-
Piles of Southern Europe to prevent
such debacle as has taken place in
Russia.
'@rhe determining factor for the
success of such an enlarged appeal
will be the vivid consciousness In
every individual in each community
of obligation and opportunity. 1t is
that common recognition of obliga-
ton, that we now wish to create.
Such m intelligent world con-
science in the American people must
be the main dependence of the strick-
en- countries OF the world until normal
conditions are once more restored,
America by her participation in
the war has accomplished her object
i've Of self-defeass and Of indicating
the efheisncy Of a government in
which the people, and the people only,
are sovereign. She has established
the foundations Of government By the
people throughout the enemy coun-
tries, and this Ia the real bulwark OF
world peace. We have yet to build
on these foundations.
No government nor nation can
stand If its people are starving. We
must do our part II the world be not
consumed In fame of anarchy.
"The American people, in this most
critical period Of their history, have
the opportunity to demonstrate not
only their ability to assist In estab-
fishing peace on earth. but also their
conservation by self denial. to thu
cause Of suffering humanity"