Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1914-12-11
President Wilson'S Address To
Congress

AZ the National Csp1tl4 u Z pant meeting
u bl6h trsnctses u Cossrsss "a TGesdsy
last Thoae ssbsects u Ehost pstlsc interest
which he dSelt Bpon are gwen besor@ in
substance
Gentlemen u the Consfsss
The session gpDn which yoa are nos
entering SiH be the cs1s.aS sess1ri II
the SiTiy-thiro CoDsssss. : CoasTess. I
venture 10 ssy. shich vii bas be fsrssn-
bered fog the great body II thsD1zhtfgi snd
Constructive Nosk shieh il has doEs. 10
I.yal resp1nse 70 the thossht and needs Il
the cIuntry si5Ogd Ike IN this address u
review The n0tsble feooFd and Try % make
adequate assessment II il bat 10 d0ght
We 0snd mo near the p0sk that has BEEN
dime and are ourselves t1p rnach part II II
70 play the part n hiscogisns uySard IL
M19e0yeF. oar thoughts are noa mnge u
the future than Of the past While ne
have VOTED at oar tasks 81 peace the
circumstances q the ShoIe sss have teen
altered ~ var. What ne have dous tx
our 0Nn land and oar OSn people We did
With the best that vas 10 %, whether II
character o. Of intelligence. With sJher en-
thusissrn and cDnhdencs 10 the psincipls
BpOn which We were acting which sue
tanned ~ AT every step Of the difficult IN
dertakins; but il Is done. 1t has passed
from our hands. Il ia Dos an established
part n the legislation 81 the c0gntrY. Its
usefulness. It's effects viii dis1iose them
selves In experience. What chiefly strikes
us n0N. a. NE NIX about ns during these
cIOsios days Of year which will BE- fog-
ever memorable ia The history Of the word.
IL that We face new tasks. have been fac
Ing them these sir months. must face them
in the nSlnths % come-fsce them without
partisan feeling. like men who have for
g16,en everything but eonnon duty and
the fact that We are representatives. 81 a
great peOple Wf0se thought IL not Of us.
but Of What America ONes u herself and 70
all mankind In such circumstances a. these
sp1n which We loOked amazed and anxious,
War hss interrupted the means II trade
r,ot only. but slao the processes d pfod1c-
ton. In Europe IL Is destroying men and
resources wholesale and upon scale IN
psecedented and appalling, There Is reason
70 fear that the time is near, If il be not
already at hand. when several 81 the eOun-
tines Of Europe will find it difficult % do
fa their people what they have hitherto
been always easily able 10 dO-many essen
tial and fundamental thing. Al any rate,
they win need our help and our manifold
services az they have never needed them
before and We should BE- ready. more ft
and ready than We have ever been.
ANyIc1 To SUpTLY ENTITY MAREEIs.
II 10 d equal consequence that the ma
lions whom Europe has usually supplied
with innumerable articles Of manufacture
and commerce u which they are in con-
slant need and without which their eco
nOmic development hslts and stands still
can now get only small part Of what
they formerly imported and eagerly IOok
10 VA 10 supply their all but empty markets.
This Ia particularly true Of our own neigh
bOfs. the states. great and small, Of Cen
trail and South America. Their lines Of
trade have hitherto run chiefly athwart
the seas. not 20 Our ports. but 70 the ports
Of Great Britain and Of the older continent
Of Europe ! do not stop to inquire why.
OF 20 make any comment On probable
causes What interests "a just now il not
the explanation. but the fact. and Our duty
and opportunity in the presence Of H. Here
are markets which We must supply. and
We must find the means Of action. The
United States. this great people for whom
we speak and act, should be ready. a.
never before. TO serve itself and 10 serve
mankind ready with its resources. its
energies. its forces Of production. and is
means Of distribution.
II ia very practical matter. matter
Of ways and means. We have the resources.
but are We fully ready to use them7 And.
IL We can make ready what we have. have
We the means at hand 10 distribute IL We
are not fully ready neither have We the
means Of distribution. We are willing.
but we are not fully able We have the
wish to serve and 10 serve greatly. gener-
Ously: but we are not prepared as We
should be- We are not ready to mobilize
our resources at once. We are not pre-
pared to use them Immediately and at
their best. without delay and without waste
NAuosAL DEFEssE.
IF asked. Are you ready TO defend your
selvesH' We reply. Most assuredly, TO the
utmost. and yet we shall not turn America
into military camp. We will not ask our
young men to spend the best years Of their
lives making soldiers Of themselves. There
Is another sort Of energy in us II will
know how 10 declare itself and make itself
effective should occasion arise. And espe-
cinlly when half the world Is on fire we
shall be careful 10 make our moral insur-
ance against the spread Of the conhagra-
ton very definite and certain and adequate
indeed.
let us remind ourselves. therefore. Of
the only thing we can do or will do We
must depend In every time Of national
peril. In the future as In the past not upon
a standing army, nor yet upon a reserve
army. but upon citizenry trained and
accustomed 10 arms.
More than this carries with 1t a reversal
Of the whole history and character Of our
polity. More than this. proposed at this
time. permit me TO say, would mean merely
that we had lost our self-possesson. that
we had been thrown of our balance by a
war with which we have nothing to do,
whose causes cannot touch u.s. whose very
existence affords US opportunities Of friend
ship and disinterested service which should |
make us ashamed Of any thought Of hos
tllity or fearful preparation for trouble"
NATIONAL ECONOMY.