The Fayette falcon. (Somerville, Tenn.) 190?-current, 1919-01-03
Governors Proclamation


Near East and issued q proclamation
setting aside the week of January IL
as the time for everyone in the state to
contribute to the relief fund of$3OO, 600
for Tennessee. This is the Volunteer
States part Of the $50, 1000 fund that
will be raised at the same time thruout
the United States.
An this money goes to relieving the
distress of millions of unfortunates in
the Western Asiatic countries. All ex-
penses of management, clerical labor
and transporting this fund to the scene
Of need are met by subscriptions re-
sceiyed from chanaels other than during
the campaign of January IL to 10.
Following is the Governors procla-
notion:
Victorious peace has come to cur
national cause bringing with it great
cause for rejoicing. At the same time
there is good reason for sober thought
for the citizens of Tennessee. We,
here in America, rejoice because we
know German oppression will never
again threaten US: we rejoice because
our men are coming home; we rejoice
because our losses have not been heavy
compared with the losses of our Allies,
and we rejoice because the enemy has
not ravaged our land.
although Americas losses have
been least of all, it has gained equally
with all Allied countries in the victory.
The freedom which has not cost us
heavily in comparison 10 others has cost
many peoples their life blood. Their
ands have been devastated of homes
and industry and the mainstay of their
prosperity gone with the death of their
young manhood.
eve are the only nation with sufii
-cent food and funds to administer to
the distress of these countries which
are so greatly in need of our help. The
needs of France, Belgium and Italy can
be reached through governmental re-
lief measures and are being attended to
by our government as well as the gov
ernments of all the Allies. To reEch
the millions of untortunates in the
Near East it Is necessary to dePend on
the succor of voluntary organizations.
The American Committee for Relief in
the Near East endorsed by President
Wilson and Secretary Lansing, has at
tempted to raise during the week of
January IL to 10, $50, 900, 600 TO keep
the 1900, 900 destitutes of the Near
East from dying of starvation, and
Tennessee is asked to give only one
one. hundredth OF this $50, 100000,
"Word comes from the Near East
that people fall dead daily from want,
and the need is continually growing
worse. Our own present state of ,iv.
ilizatioD originated in that section. it
was from there that the Disciples were
sent out to spread the word of Him
whose day of birth we have so fittlngly
observed.
This section is backward in every
respect and is contaminated with dis
ease. The Arme:ians. the Industrious
people of tho Near East, have been
massacred and deported by the Turks
at German instigation, so that the
progress of the whole section will be
greatly delayed, yet from this part of
the world many future American cit-
zens will come and much will depend on
our efforts now to help them become
healthy, vigorous individuals who will
throw themselves into the melting pot
of America.
Therefore, l. Tom c. Rye, Governor
of the Commonwealth of Tennessee, do
sat aside the week of January IL to 10
IS time every citizen shall give
thought TO the needs of the unfortunates
in the Near East and shall contribute
as generously as he has goods. We
canEot refuse to give now because we
have already given. Distress in the
world is so great that it can be relieved
only by unwesried giving. And no
where is distress greater than in the
Near Esst.
"The $50. 900, 900 which the American
Committee for Relief In the Near Eat
asks the people of the United States
contribute Is to be used for feeding.
clothing and putting back on self-sur-
porting basis the 100000 Armenian
and Syrian refugees. il is. imperative
that Tennessee's full quota OF $500, 900
shall be raised. II anything less than
the fall amount is raised some Of tue
needy cases cannot be cared for and
must beturned away to die. The pei
sons distributing aid who turn away an.
plican,s they are unable to care for are
literally signing the desth warrants Of
these people
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