Southern Illinois Record

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VOLUME V.
FLORA, ILLINOIS, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 15,  1917
NUMBER 21
Government
It
Not Asleep
EVERYTHING IN WORKING ORDER
WORK AND   NOT  WORDS  NEEDED
Country Has Never Been in So
Complete   Accord With   the
President as it is Tpday
Washington, D. C, February 12. —With a condition graver than any¬ thing that has arisen since the Span¬ ish War, the activities of the Govern¬ ment do not indicate to the casual observer the true condition of af¬ fairs. The situation at this writing is different from any other In which the country ever found Itself. Vis¬ ible excitement Is lacking. The em¬ bassies and legations of the different countries, Including those of Ger¬ many, Austria and Turkey, still have their shades pulled up, and the av¬ erage observer does not give them one concern. At the German Em¬ bassy on Massachusetts Avenue, a few policemen In the vicinity of the big red building do not look out of place. The same condition applies to the Austrian Embassy, and It Is doubtful If one person out of ten knows where the Turkish Embassy Is. The homes of the British, Rus¬ sian and Frenc*! Embassies look Just the same as they did. Not even a flag ts displayed from these palaces on Sixteenth Street and Connecticut Avenue.
But let It not be thought that this Government Is asleep: let It not be Imagined that hustling work Is not ' being done at the State, War and Navy Building. No one can get in this building without a pass and even those personalty known and with passes are scrutiniied hy the watch¬ men.
The Country has never been tn so complete accord with the President as It is today. Blven thoae wbo have in the past criticised his appoint¬ ments, hts methods, his changes of mind and his speeches have nothing to Gay. The White House force is overwhelmed with eorrespondence. both telegraphic and mall, and It Is an open secret that the President and his offlcers are much gratifled with the expressions of sympathy and of¬ fers of assistance received from all sections of tho country.
There Is hardly a manufacturing concern worthy of the name that has not offered to turn over plant, ma¬ chinery and men to the Government. Instead of mass meetings and cheers, tho people went to work realizing that work, not words, is needed. Congress did not fall Into line be¬ cause It was already In line, and It needed nothing more than the sev¬ erance of diplomatic relations with Germany to bring forth the loyalty and devotion to the Republic that exists In both houses of Congress,
As one nieinber of Congress said, "All the administration has to do at this time is to ask for what it wants along the line of maintenance of national   honor,"
The Navy League of tho Ualted States quietly set its efflclent and powerful machinery in motion. In all parts of the country, state chair¬ men and secretaries were communi¬ cated with, and the ii.itional henil- quarters In Washington has begun Us work in aid of, firet of all, the Navy and then reliwf and prepared¬ ness In general. In connection wltli the .\merlcan Red Cross the Navv League will work In cooperation with the Navy Department. Tbe Woman'a Section has already b. euu Its work and as the da}s pass this work will bo systeinattzed more and more and efliciency IncreaRed. Mon ey has begun to roll In from patriotri fron- M:iiiie to Caiifornia to assist in the patriotic eudeavois.
The (luestioB is being asked, "What can we do''", meaning by "we" the United States. This ques¬ tion lias been answered by a student of International alfalrs and of pres¬ ent conditions abroad, who indlcutes that flrst of all the moral Influence of tbe I'nltod States Is of such tre¬ mendous vnlue that if nothing else were done It alone would be of great alil 19 the Entente Allies, But in addition to this moral support, ma¬ terial aid can be given, and undoubt¬ edly will be at the flrst outbreak of hostilities. In aiding the British Navy to sweep the seas clear ef subma¬ rines. The relief of the British and French patrol in the western .\ttanllc will bo of Inestimable, value. The European nation:; do rot need nmnl- li'ii'    il'  s"'»   'lU-'Utili*-  ''">¦¦  ¦¦ ¦ '¦'•¦