The Washington herald., 1914-12-09

Assurances to the business world Of a
rest from harassing legislation ana
statement as to the administrator at
titude toward the national defenses were
the chief features of the Presidents an
nual address to Congress.
The President declared himself as I'm
qualifiedly opposed to a large standing
army or to the maintaining of reserve
army At the same time, though, he
announced himself as fayoring a system
of voluntary military training for the
young men of the country.
The Presidents address contained sew
eral sly digs at Representative Gardner,
which were warmly applauded, the Mas
sachusetts Congressman himself joining
in the hand clapping that greeted the
Presidents declaration that this coun-
try never would have a large standing
army.
The President received a notably en-
thusiastic welcome from the Democratic
side of the House chamber. Repeatedly
he was interrupted by the applause. bur
the biggest demonstration came when
the President outlined his views on the
question of national defense.
The President urged upon Congress
wise economy" and outlined a legts-
lative program for the session which in
cluded legislation for the purchase of an
emergency merchant marine. conserva-
ton bills, legislation for the ultimate in
dependence of the Philippines and ratI-
fication of the London convention for
safety at sea.
Here is the address:
Gentlemen of the Congress:
The session upon which you are now
entering will be the closing session Of
the Sixty-third Congress, a Congress, I
venture to say, which will long be re-
membered for the great body of thought
full and constructive work which it has
done. i'm loyal response to the thought
and needs of the country. I should like
in this address to review the notable
record and try to make adequate asess-
ment of it: but no 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.
"Our program of legislation as to
business is now virtually completed.
1t has been put forth as we intended
as a whole, and leaves no conjecture
as to what is to follow. The road at
last lies both clear and firm to busi-
ness. 1t is a road which ii can travel
without fear or embarrassment. 1t
is the road to ungrudged, unclouded
success. In it every honest man, every
man who believes that the public in
terest is part of his own interest, may
walk with perfect confidence"
Moreover, our thoughts are now 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 by war. What We have
done for our own land and cur own peo-
pie we did with the best that was in us,
whether Of character or of intelligence,
with sober enthusiasm and a confidence
in the 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. 1t
is now an established part of the leSis-
lation of the country. Its usefulness, its
effects will disclose themselves in eX-
perience 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
without partisan feeling, like men who
have forgotten everything but a common
duty and the fact that We are repre- |
sentatives of a great people whose |
thought is not of us. Lut OF what America !
owes to herself and to all mankind in |
such circumstances as these upon which |
We look amazed and anxious.
War has interrupted the means of trade |
not only, but also the processes of pro- |
duction. In Europe it is destroying men /
and resources wholesale and upon a scale |
unprecedented and appalling. There is
reason to fear that the time is near, il
il be not already a hand, when several
cf the countries Of Europe will find it |
difficult to do for their people what they |
have hitherto been always easily able to |
Go-many essential and Fundamental
things At any rate, they will need our
help and our manifold services as they |
have never needed them before; and Ne |
should b. ready. more fit and ready than |
We have ever been.
America to supply Markets.
1t is of equal consequence that the na-
tions of Europe has usually supplied with !
articles of manufacture and !
commerce of which they are in constant .
need and without which their economic |
development halts and stands still can
now get only a small part of what they |
imported and eagerly look to Us
TO supply their all but empty markets.
This is particularly true of our own
neighbors the states. great and small.
of Central and South America. Their i
lines of trade have hitherto run chiefly