Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1914-12-12
President Points Out Big Prob
lens Which Confront
Congress.
MUST OPEN GATES OF TRADE
s,ips to Carry Goods to Empty Mar
vets Is imperative Necessity
Our National Defense Lies in
Our Cltizenry-Need
of Economy.

Washington, Dec. 8.-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
Rad 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
he Sixty-third congress, a congress, l
venture to say, which will long be re-
uembered 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 it; but
10 doubt we stand too near the work
that has been done and are ourselves
too much part of it to play the part of
historians toward it. Moreover. our
thoughts are now more CT the future
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 a confidence in the
4 principles upon which we were acting
which sustained US at every step of
The difficult undertaking; but it is
done 1t has passed from our hands
Il 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
cut partisan feeling. like men who
have forgotten everything but com
non duty and the fact that we are
representatives. of a great people
whose thought is not of us but of what
America owes to herself and to all
mankind in such circumstances as
these upon which we look amazed and
anxious
Europe viii Need Our Help.
War has interrupted the means of
Fade not only but also the processes
Of production. In Europe it is destroy
ing men and resources wholesale and
upon a scale unprecedented and ap-
palIIng. There is reason to fear that
tae time is near, if it be not already
al hand, when several of the coun-
Ties Of Europe will find it difficult to
90 Tor their people what they have
hitherto been always easily able to do
many essential and fundamental
la'ngs. At any rate they will need our
aep ana our manifold services as they
nave never needed them before; and
We should be ready, more fit and
ready than we have ever been.
II IS OF equal consequence that the
nations whom Europe has usually sup
phed with innumerable articles of
manufacture and commerce can now
ee' only small part of what they for
merry imported and eagerly look to US
!" supply their all but empty mar
Ae's. This is particularly true of our
o"n nelghbors, the states, great and
smali' of Central and South America.
mere are markets which we must sup
wy and we must find the means of ac-
uon The United States, this great
people for whom we speak and act,
should be ready, as never before, to
o7Ye itself and to serve mankind;
.eauy with its resources, its energies,
i'S forces Of production, and its means
q distribution.
We Need Ships.
ls a very practical matter, a mat
:" oi ways and means. We have the
,esolFces, but are we fully ready to
lSe mem? And If we can make ready
''Sl We have, have we the means at
-sou TO distribute it? We are not fully
Guy neither have we the means of
-'''oution. We are willing, but we
e not fully able. We have the wish
" serve and to serve greatly. gener-
Isl but we are not prepared as We
49, De- We are not ready TO mo-
S.'l~e cur resources at once. We are
wy prepared to use them Immediately
' rll al their best. without delay and
Stoout waste.
~ speak plainly we have grossly