The chronicle=news., 1914-12-08

because 1T la our dearest present nope
that this character and reputation
may presently, in Gods providence
bring us an opportunity such as has
seldom been. vouchsafed any nation
the opportunity to counsel and OBJ
tain peace in the world and recon
Iciliation and a healing settlement OF
MAN. matter that has cooled and
INTERRUPTED the friendship of ma
lions. This is the time above all
others when we should wish and re-
Isolve to keep our strength by self
ling our ancient principles of ac-
|tion."
Washington, Dec. S.-President
Wilson's address to congress follows:
Gentlemen of the Congress:
The session upon which you are
Fnow entering will be the closing ses-
sion of the Sixty-Third congress, a
congress. | venture to say, which Will
long be remembered for for the great
Ibody of thoughtful and constructive
work which 1t has done in loyal re-
Spouse TO the thought and needs of
1.-THE country. | should like in this
address to review the notable record
of it; hut no doubt VIC stand too near
the work that has been done and are
Yourselves too much part of 1t to play
lthc part of historians toward 1t.
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 obliterated by
war. What we have done for our
own land and our own people we did
with the best that was in us, wheth-
| er of character or of intelligence,
with sober enthusiasm and conf
dence in the principles upon which
we were acting. which sustained us
at every step of the difficult UNDER
taking; but it is done. 1t has passed
from our hands. 1t is now an es-
talbished part of the legislation of
the country. Its usefulness, its ef-
fects will disclose themselves in ex-
lpcrience. What chiefly strikes us
! now, as we look about us during
these closing days of year which
will be forever memorable in the his
tory 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
common duty and the fact that VIC
representatives OF great people
whose thought is not of us but of
=. rcr1f wi oil
mankind in such circumstances as
these upon which we look amazed
and anxious.
War has Interrupted the means Of
TRADE not only but only the processes
of production. In Europe 1t is desr
ltroying men and. resources whole
sale and upon scale unprecedented
and appalling. There is no reason
to fear that the time is near, il it
be not already at hand, when several
of tile countries of Europe will find
lit difficult to do for their people
what they have hitherto been always
easily able tor do-many essential
and fundamental things. At any
lrate, they will need our help and our
manifold services as they have never
needed them before; and we SHOULD
be ready, more fit and ready than we
thave ever been.
| II is of equal consequence that the
nations whom Europe has usually
lsupplied with innumcrable articles
of manufactured commerce of which
they are in constant need and with
out which their economic develop
ment halts and stands still can now
get only small part of what they
formerly imported and eagerly look
Ito us to supply their all but empty
markets. This is particularly true OF
our own neighbors, the states, great
land small, of Central and South
America. Their lines of trade have
hitherto run chiefly not to our ports
hut to the ports of Great Britain. ana
of the older continent of Europe.
do not stop to inquire why, or to
make any comment on probable caus-
cs. What interests us just now is
lnot the explanation but the facts and
our duty and opportunity in the
presence of it. Here are markets
which we must supply, and we must
find the means of action. The Unit
ed States. this great people for whom
we speak and act, should be ready as
never before, to serve itself and to
serve mankind: ready with its re-
lsources. its forces OF production and
its means Of distribution.
| 1t is very practical matter, a
matter OF ways and means. We
have the resources but are We fully
|ready to use them? And, II We can
make ready what we have, have we
the means at hand to distribute it?
We are not fully ready: neither have
we the means of distribution. We
|are willing, but we are not fully
liable. We have the wish to serve and
Ito serve greatly, generously: but we
are not prepared as we should be.
We are not ready to mobilize our re-