The Dermott news., 1918-07-11

government in its management of the
war and these things pertaining to the
war. am old foggy enough to blindly
follow when led by men like Woodrow
Wilson.
A word as to what brought these men
to Sunny Side might be of interest to
your readers. 1t was in February
when the owners of Sunny Side finally
closed the trade by which they became
the owners of Sunny Side, too late to
get many new tenants. We immediate
ly began to regair our houses and are
still at it, but we soon saw that what
we most needed was labor that was
not now producing anything. That if
We took tenants from other plantations
we stopped as much production there
as We started at Sunny Side; so we
reasoned that if we could arrange to
work this land with labor not now pro-
ducing anything, we would be doing
our Country real good, while to permit
this land, as fertile as any upon the
American continent, to lay idle at
time like this is little short of crime.
We first tried to get Mexicans from
Mexico, but failed. We then learned
of these informed Germans and made
application to the Government for
them. They at first refused because
Germany does not require labor from
interns and neither does any of our
Allies. But after considering my re-
quest thoroughly, they decided that as
they had many deserving men in intern
ment, men, many of whom had volun-
tarily asked for internment two years
before we declared war on Germany.
men who had made no effort to assist
Germany in any way, and men who
were known to be opposed to the mill
tarism of Germany, and democratic in
their views. the Government finally de-
cided to parole the best of these for
farm laborers, provided they could be
assured of their good treatment and
the men would voluntarily go. The
plantation was inspected by govern
ment men and reported as suitable
place. and the Germans wanted to
come.
A great many of our neighboring
planters and business men have con-
graduated US upon getting this labor.
No word of protest is heard except
from one small community some twenty
five miles away. We cannot under
stand the motive. Some say it is en-
viousness, other, that it is a CHEAP
BRAND of politics. Being timid. strug
Cling strangers we are unable to under
stand. There is not ene> shousanth as
much danger in these men who were
honest enough to acknowledge them
selves to be aliens as there is in some
of these who boast Of their purchase of
bonds, etc. The eye Of the govern
ment is upon them and they know it
Some say that Mr.. Warfield. chairman
of the Levee Board, has become 80 Of
Tended at his government that in the
event of high water, he would not at
tempt to save the levee if these Ger
mans are permitted to remain on Sun
ny Side. We probably have more di
rect interest in the Mississippi levee
than any individual plantation in the
County. but even were we not directly
interested ourselves. we can assure the
people that in the event of high and
dangerous water that we will not only
do our full duty in guarding and pro-
tecting the levee but in guarding the
Germans also; and our actions will not
be controlled by whether we approve
what our Government does or not.
No people on earth have the good of
the Country more at heart than the
owners and managers Of the Sunny Side
Plantation. nor would any one make
greater sacrifices in order to feed our
Boys at the front and assist in feeding
our Allies. Every stock holder is ma
tive of an adjoining state. All of our
managers are either natives of Arkan-
sas or long time residents of this sec
ton.
Capt. Jim B. Amburn is the gen.
eral farm manager at Sunny Side. For
the last forty years no man has worked
harder in every water fight to protect
the people than Jim Amburn. He has
given lavishly of both brain and Drawn.
many times not stopping for rest or
sleep for days. He is still an Ameri-
can in all the broadness and bigness of
that term.
We have doubtless been wrong in not
consulting the powers that be at Read
land and our only excuse for not doing
so is that from force of habit we are
willing to risk the mature judgment of
the officials at Washington in matters
of this kind.
We hope you will give this article