Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1914-12-10
war Brings new
TASKS and DUTIES
President Points Out Big Prob
lens Which Confront
Congress.
MUST OPEN GATES Of TRADE
ships to Carry coeds 20 Empsy Mao
ssss 10 imperative Necessity
Our National Defense Ilss In
Our cisixsnry-Nesd
Of Economy.

Washington. Dec. s-rhe new tasks
and duties imposed upon the United
Stsfes as a result Of the European var
occupied the xrerter portion Of Presi-
dent Wilsoe message to congress
read today before Joint session Of
the two houses The message follows:
Gentlemen Of the Congress.
The session upon which you are nov
entering viii be the closing session Of
the Stxty-third congress. q congress. I
venture to say. which will long be re-
membered for the great body Of
thoughtful and constructive work
which II has done. In loyal response
TO the thought and needs Of the coun-
Try should Ike In this address to rs-
view the notable record and try to
mako adequate assessment Of IL; but
no doubt We stand too near the work
that has been dons and are ourselves
too much part OF IL to play the part Of
historians toward H. Moreover. our
thoughts are nov more Of the future
than Of the past
While We have worked at our tasks
OF peace the circumstances Of the
whole age have been altered hy war.
What We have done for our own land
and cur own people We did with the
best that was In us. whether Of char
aeter or Of intelligence. with sober
enthusiasm and n confidence tn the
principles upon which We were acting
which sustained Us at every step Of
the difficult undertaking: but IL Is
done II has passed from cur hands.
II is now an established part Of the
legislation Of the country. Its useful
hess. It's effects. viii disclose them
selves in experiences. What chiefly
strikes Us now. as We look about u
during these closing days Of a year
which viii be forever memorable IN
the history OF the world. Ia that We
face new tasks. have been facing them
these six months. must face them In
the month"; to ccme-face them with,
cut partisan feeling. IKE men who
have forgotten everything but . com
mon duty and the fact that ve an
representative Of o great peopls
whose thought 10 not of N but of VIA
America owes 20 herself and tD n
nankind IN saeh circnnnenneus Z
tAn1s upm8 vA1eA we lnnk amnznh N
Esrsps vsss esssa O. 49,
War has inferrup<sA ths msnns q
trade not only but also the process
Of production In Europe IL 10 destroy
ing men and resources Wholesale an,
upon 4 scale unprecedented and 40
paIlinx- There in reason to fear tha
the time is near. IL II be not alread,
1t hand when several Of the coun
tries Of Europe will ind IL difficult d
do for their people what they hav,
hitherto been always easily able to do
1any essential and fundamental
things. AT any rate they viii need oul
help and our manifold services rs the,
have never needed them before: ans
We should be ready. more nt ans
ready than we have ever been
It is OF equal consequence that thu
nations whom Europe has usually sup
piled with innlmerabls articles O
manufacture and commerce can nov
get only a small part Of what they for
meriy imported and eagerly look 10 q
to supply their all but empty mar
kets. This Is particularly true OF on
own neighbors. the states. great ans
small. Of Central and South America
Here are markets which We must sup
ply. and We must find the means Of nc
ton The United States. this grea
people for whom We speak and act
should be ready. a. never before. d
serve itself and to serve mankind
ready with its resources. its enerxies
its forces Of production. and its mean
Of distribution
We Need shIpsl
II Is a very practical matter. Q mai
tar Of ways and means We have II
resources. but are We fully ready d
use themf And if We can make read
what We have. have We the means a
hand to distribute IL, We ara not fun
ready: neither have We the means Q
distribution We are willing. but "
are not fully able. We have the wis
to serve and to serve greatly. geneI
cusly; but we are not prepared a. v
should be- We are not ready 20 md
biiize our resources at once We ar
not prepared to use them immediafsi
and az their best without delay an
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