The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1917-12-07
Of our present enemies as well as our
present associates In the war.
WAR WITH AUSTRIA.

| WAN WITH AOSthtA.
| was thinking and am thinking now
well as of Serbia and Of Poland. Jus
tice and equality Of rights can be had
| only at a great price. We are seeking
permanent, not temporary foundations FOR
! the peace of the world and must seek
them candidly and fearlessly. AS always
the right will prove to be expedient.
What shall we do, then, to push this
| great war of freedom and justice to Its
| righteous conclusion? We must clear
away with a thorough hand all impedi-
every adjustment of law that will facili-
tate the free and full use of our whole
capacity and force as fighting unit
One very embarrassing obstacle that
stands in our way Is that we are az war
with Germany, but not with her allies; !
therefore very earnestly recommend that
congress Immediately declare the United
States in state of war with Austria
Hungary. Does it seem strange to you
that this should be the conclusion, OF
you? 1t is not. 1t is in fact the in
evitable logic of what have said.
Austria Hungary is for the time. being
not her own mistress but simply the
vassal of the German government.
| We must face the facts as they are
and act upon them without sentiment In
this stern business. The government OF
| Austria Hungary Is not acting upon It's
| own ln1GldtlV6 OF Ill TeSpOllSc " ShC
wishes and feelings of its own peoples,
but as the instrument of another nation.
! We must meet its force with our own
and regard the central powers as but one;
The war can be successfully conducted
The same logic would lead also to
declaration of war against Turkey ana
| Bulgaria. They also are the tools OF
| Germany. But they are mere tools ana
do not yet stand in the direct pain OF
| onff
ever the necessities of this war carry
us, but it seems to me that we should
go only where immediate and practlcal;
considerations lead us and not heed any
| others.
FINANCIAL MEASURES.
The financial and military measures
which must be adopted. will suggest
themselves as the war and its undertake
ings develop, but I will take the liberty
| of proposing to you certain other acts OF
| legislation which seem to me to be need
ed for. the support OF the war ana dor
| the release of our whole force and ener-
| gy. 1t will be necessary to extend IN
| certain particulars the legislation OF the
last session with regard to alien enemies;
and also necessary, believe, to create
| a very definite and particular control over
the entrance and departure of all persons
| into and from the United States
Legislation should be enacted defining
as criminal offense every Wlllful vio-
lation of the presidential proclamatlons
relating to alien enemies promulgated
under section 4067 Of the revised statutes
and providing appropriate punishments;
and women as well as men should De
included under the terms OF the acts
placing restraints upon alien enemies IL
is likely that as time goes on many alien
enemies will be willing to be fed ana
F.! housed at the expense of the government
| in the detention camps and 1t would De
the purpose of the legislation have sug-
gested t" confine offenders among them
in penitentiaries and other similar in
situations where they could be made to
| work as other criminals do.
Recent experience has convinced me
| that the congress must go further IN au-
| thorizing the government to set limits 10
prices. The law of supply and demand,
I am sorry to say, has been replaced Dy
| the law of unrestrained selfishness. While
we have eliminated profiteering in sew
eral branches of industry, it still runs I'M
for example. complain with great deal
of justice that, while the regulation OF
| food prices restricts their Incomes no re-
| straints are placed upon the prices OF
most of the things they must themselves
purchase; and similar iniquities obtain on
| all sides.
USE OF WATER POWER.
1t is imperatively necessary that the
! consideration of the full use of the water
| power of the country and also the consid-
GRAFTON of the systematic and yet econom-
ical development of such Of the natural
resources of the country as are still under
the control of the federal government
should be Immediately resumed and af-
| firmatively and constructively dealt with
at the earliest possible moment: Tne
| pressing need of such legislation Is daily
becoming more obvious.
The legislation proposed at the last
session with regard to regulated combina-
tons among our exporters, in order to
provide for our foreign trade more ef-
fective organization and method of coop
GRAFTON, ought by all means to be COM
pleted at this session.
And l beg that the members of the
house of representatives will permit me
to express the opinion that it will be i'm
full and extravagant fashion with the
enormous appropriations of the public
moneys which must continue to be made,
If the war Is to be properly sustained,
unless the house will consent to return to
its former practice Of initiating and pre-
pared all appropriation bills through a
single committee, In order that RESPONSE
bility may be centered, expenditures
standardized and made uniform and waste
and duplication as much as possible
avoided
OTHER LEGISLATION.
Additional legislation may become nee
essary before the present congress again
adjourns in order to effect the most eff
icient coordination and operation of the
railway and other transportation sys-
TENS of the country; but to that shall,
II circumstances should demand, call the
attention Of the congress upon another
occasion.
If l have overlooked anything that
ought to be done for the more effective
conduct of the war, your own counsels
will supply the omission. What l am
perfectly clear about Is that in the pres
| ent session of congress our whole at
tention and energy should be concen-
trated on the vigorous, rapid and sue
cessful prosecution OF the great task OF
winning the war
We can do this with all the greater
zeal and enthusiasm because we know
that for us this Is war OF high prin-
ciple, based upon no selfish ambition
of conquest or spoliation; because we
know, and all the world knows, that we
have been forced into 1t to save the
very instance we live under from cor
peration and destruction. The purposes
of the central powers strike straight at
the very heart of everything we believe
in: their methods Of warfare outrage
every principle of humanity and OF
knightly honor; their intrigue has cor
rupfed the very thought and spirit Of
many of our people; their sinister and
secret diplomacy has sought to take our
very territory away from us and dis
rupt the union Of the states. Our safety
would be at an end, our nonor forever
suited and brought into contempt, were
we To hermit their triumph. They are
StriLinu at the very instance OF democ-