The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1912-12-10
WAR BRINGS new
TASKS And DUTIES
President Points Out Big Prob
lens Which Confront
Congress.
MUST OPEN GATES OF TRADE
Ships to Garry Goods to Empty Mar
kets Is Imperative Necessity
Our National Defense Lies In
Our citlzenry-Need
of Economy.

Washington, Dec. S-The new tasks
and duties imposed upon the United
States as a result of the European war
occupied the greater portion of Presi'
dent Wilson message to congress
read today before a joint session OF
the two houses The message follows;
Gentlemen of the Congress:
The session upon which you are now
entering will be the closing session OF
the Sixty.third congress, congress,
venture to say. which will long be re-
membered for the great body OF
thoughtful and constructive work
which It has done, in loyal response
to the thought and needs of the coun-
try ! should like in this address to re-
view the notable record and try to
make adequate assessment OF 1t; but
no doubt we stand too near the work
that has been done and are ourselves
too much part OF II to play the part OF
historians toward 1t. Moreover, our
lllOu6ulo ulO iON VI NhO AuNAA -
than of the past.
While we have worked at our tasks
OF peace the circumstances OF the
whole age have been altered by war.
What we have done for our own land
and our own people we did with the
best that was in us, whether Of char
acter or of intelligence, with sober
enthusiasm and confidence In the
principles upon which we we're acting
which sustained us at every step of
the difficult undertaking; but 1t Is
done. 1t has passed from our hands.
1t is now an established part of the
legislation OF the country. Its useful
ness, its effects, will disclose them
selves in experience. What chiefly
strikes us now, as we look about us
during these closing days Of a year
which will be forever memorable in
the history of the world, is that we
face new tasks, have been facing them
these six months, must face them in
the months to come-face them with
out partisan feeling. like men who
have forgotten everything but a com
mon duty and the fact that we are
representatives Of great people
whose thought is not of us but of what
America owes to herself and to al
mankind in such circumstances as
these upon which we look amazed ant
anxious.
Europe Will Need Our Help.
War has interrupted the means o
trade not only but also the processes
of production. In Europe it is destroy
ing men and resources wholesale ant
upon a scale Unprecedented and ap
palling. There is reason to fear tina
the time is near, II II be not alread!
at hand, when several of the coun
tries of Europe will find 1t difficult L
do for their people what they hav,
hitherto been always easily able to dc
many essential and Fundamental
things. At any rate they will need ou
help and our manifold services as the,
have never needed them before; an
we should be ready, more fit an
ready than we have ever been.
1t is Of equal consequence that tn
nations whom Europe has usually SUI
piled with innumerable articles G
manufacture and commerce can nov
get only q small part of what they fol
merly imported and eagerly look to u
to supply their all but empty MAJ
kets. This is particularly true of ou
own neighbors. the states. great an
small, of Central and South Americi
Here are markets which we must SUI
ply, and we must find the means of az
tion. The United States, this grea
people for whom we speak and ac
should be ready, as never before,
serve itself and to serve mankind
| ready with its resources, its energie
\ its forces of production. and its mean
H OF distribution.
H We Need Ships.
II is u very practical matter, ma
ter of ways and means. We have tn
resources, but are we fully ready
use them? And If we can make read
what we have, have we the means 1
hand to distribute It? We are not full
ready; neither have we the means I
: distribution. We are willing. but "
are not fully able. We have the wis
to serve and to serve greatly, gene
ously; but we are not prepared as "
:. should be. We are not ready 10 m
: biliSe our resources at once. We al
not prepared to use them immediate
and at their BEST without delay ar
without waste.
To speak plainly we have gross