Jasper County Democrat, Volume 21, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 April 1918 — MAKE BULLETS OF PENNIES [ARTICLE]

MAKE BULLETS OF PENNIES

William Allen White Says Loan Gives Home-Stayers Their Work. By WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE, [Editor of Emporia (Kan.) Gazette.] Back of the German lines every ounce of food is conserved and distributed with fairly equitable precision ; every yard of cloth is numbered and entered into the war strength of the empire. Every pennyweight of German coal is handled with scientific care, and the one end and aim of all this autocratic control of food and clothing and heat is the winning of the war. There is no other purpose in the German mind. Every German mark is a German soldier; every grain of gold is doing its full share to work oui that indomitable purpose. Heye in America we must realize that the war will not be won on any front, but in our own hearts. This is a clash of civilizations. We must develop in our hearts a democratic purpose as strong and as carefully directed as this autocratic purpose of Germany. We, too, must make soldiers of our cornstalks, defenders of our wool, cotton and silk, make every pound of coal an American pound, and we must make bullets of our pennies. If we fail to develop this democratic purpose in the eye-to-eye, knee-to-knee, hand-to-hand struggle on the front, then our civilization will do down. To fail to support our soldiers with ammunition, food, clothing and coal will weaken them for thte great conflict at the great moment, and that weakening will come from our hearts at home. It will come if we are slow with bur financial support of the men. The Liberty loan furnishes us with the only way we home-stayers can practically show our purpose. Our patriotism will be measured by our performance toward the Liberty loan. What we lend to our country in this time of need will measure our love of the freedom our fathers bought. It is at stake. The autocratic purpose of Germany, iron-willed and yet unbroken, aimed at world conquest, is threatening us. What is freedom worth to you? It Is worth w'hat you lend to your government in this hour of Its awful need.