The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1917-04-03
Full Text Of Presidents
Address to i. S. Congress-

which these things are to be accom-
plished, we should keep constantly in
mind the wisdom of interfering as lit
tie as possible, in our own preparation
and in the equipment of our own mil
itary forces, with the duty-fOr it will
be n very practical duty-of supplying
the nations already at war with Ger
many WITH the materials, which they
can obtain only from us or by our as
sistance. They arc in the field and we
should help them in every way to be
effective there.
II shall take the liberty of suggest
ing through the several executive de-
partments of the government for the
consideration Of your committees.
measures for the accomplishment of
the several objects ] have mentioned. !
hope that it will be your pleasure to
deal with them as having been framed
after very careful thought by the
branch of the government upon which
the responsibility of conducting the
war and safeguarding the nation will
most directly fall.
while we do these things, these
deeply mOmcntouS things, let MS be
very clear ana make very clear to all
the world what our motives and our OBJ
jects are. My own thought has not been
driven from its habitual and normal
course by the unhappy events of the
asst two months and ! do not believe
that the thought of the nation has
been altered, or clouded by them.
II have exactly the same things in
mind now that / had in mind when
addressed the senate on the 22nd of
January last: the same that / had in
mind, when | addressed the congress on
the third of February and on the 2Gth
If February our object now, as then
is to vndicate the principles of peace
and justice in the life of the world as
against selfish and autocratic power
and to set up among the really free
and self governed peoples Of the world
such a concert of purpose and of ac-
ton as will hencefTth insure the OBJ
scrvance of those principles.
No Neutrality Against Autocracy.
"Noutrality is no longer feasible OF
desirable, where the peace of the world
is involved and the freedom of its peo-
pies, and the menace to that peace
and freedom lies in the existence of nu-
tocratic governments, backed by organ
lied force, which is controlled wholly
ny their will, not by the will of thcil
tralitY in such circumstances.
I'VE are at the beginning of an age
in which it will be insisted that The
same standards of conduct and of re,
sponsihilty for wrong done shall b.
observed among nations and their gov,
ernments that are observed among thu
| individual citizens of civilized states
1--WE have no quarrel with the Ger
man people; we have no feeling TOWARD
| them but one of sympathy and friend
that their government acted in enter
| ing this war. It was not with thci
previous consulting or approval.
1T was Il war determined upon n
war used to be determined on in tn
| Old unhappy days. when peoples Wcr
| nowhere consulted by their rulers an
| wars were provoked and WaGcd in tn
| interest Of dynastieS or of little group
| toned to use their felloWmcn as pawn
| and tools.
| Self governed nations do not fl
| their ncighhor states with spies, or Sc
the course of intrigue to bring abol
some critical posture of affairs. Whic
will give them an opportunity TO strik
and max" conquests Such designs ca
be successfully worked only under COY
er and where no one has the right
Task questions.
"Cunningly contrivcd plans of decor
ton or aggression, carried it may
from generation to generation, can
worked out and kept from the lgl
only within the privacy of courts
behind the carefully guarded conf
dences of a narrow and privilege
class. They are happily impossih
whore public opinion commands ar
!. insists upon full information concern
ing all the nations affairs
Peace Through Democracy.
"A steadfast concert for peace c;
never be maintained except by a par
nership of democratic nations. No a
tocratc government could be trust
to keep faith within it or observe
covenants. 1t must be a league of no
or, n partnership of opinion. lntrig
would eat its Vitals away: the plo
tingS of inner circles who could pl
what they would and render accou
to no one would be a corruption scat
, at its very heart. Only free pcopl
.