Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1913-12-06
PRESIDENT WILSON READS
HIS MESSAGE TO CONGRESS
Says There is But One Cloud on The Horizon and
That Hangs Over Mexico-Urges Farmers
and Currency Refolm---Need Of Railways in
Alaska Message Very Brief

Before both branches Of congress
Tuesday afternoon President Wilson
read his message, which is as fol
lows
Gentlemen of the Congress: n
pursuance OF my constitutional duty
to give to the Congress information
of the state of the Union, / take the
liberty of addressing you on severaI
matters which ought. as it seems tc
me. particularly to engage the alten
ton Of your honorable bodies. as Of
all who study the welfare and prog
ress Of the nation.
81 shall ask your indulgence If
venture to depart in some degree
from the usual custom of setting be
fore you in formal review the many
matters which have engaged the at
tention and called for the action Of
the several departments Of the Gov
eminent or which look to them for
early treatment in the future, be.
cause the list Is long, very long, and
would suffer in the abbreviation te
which | should have to subject H.
/ shall submit to you the reports Of
the heads of the several departments
in which these subjects are SCI
forth in careful detail. and beg tina,
they may receive the thoughtful at
tention of your committees and OF
all members of the Congress who
may have the leisure to study them
Their obvious importance, as eonsii-
tuting the very substance of the
business of the Government. makes
comment and emphasis on my part
unnecessary.
At Peace With World
"The country, I am thankful "a
say. is at peace with all the world
and many happy manifestations
multiply about us of a growing cor
dlality and sense OF community OF
interest among the nations, foreshad-
owing an age OF settled peace and
good viii More and more readily
each decade do the nations manifest
their willingness to bind themselves
by solemn treaty to the processes
Of peace, the processes of frank.
ness and fair concession. SO far the
United States has stood at the front
Of such negotiations. She viii,
earnestly hope and confidently be-
lieye, give fresh proof of her sin
cere adherence to the cause of in
ternational friendship by ratifying
The several treaties of arbitration
awaiting renewal by the Senate. In
addition to these, it has been the
privilege of the Department Of state
10 gain the assent, in principle. Of no
less than 81 nations, representing
four-ffths OF the population of the
world, to the negotiations of treaties
by which it shall be agreed that
whenever differences of interest or
OF policy arise which cannot be re-.
solved by the ordinary processes Of
diplomacy they shall be publicly an
alyzed, discussed and reported upon
by a tribunal chosen by the parties
before either nation determines its
course Of action.
There is only one possible stand.
ard by which to determine controv-
ersies between the United States
and other nations. and that IS com
pounded of these two elements: Our
own honor and our obligations 20
the peace of the world. A test SO
compounded ought easily to be made
to govern both the establishment o.
new treaty obligations and the I'M
depreciation of those already assum,
ed
Cloud over Mexico.