The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-04
WILSON TELLS
AMERICAS aim
IN GREAT WAR
No Conquest on Germany's
Commercial Enterprise.
Remove Power of Kaiser, Who
Upset Peace of World.
SHOWN US THE UGLY FACE
Resent Kaiser's Attempt To
Rule World by Arms.
Price of Peace To Be Justice to
All Nations Alike.

Washington, Dec. president Will
son delivered to congress today an
address considered so important in its
relation to international affairs that
it has been transmitted in advance by
the government to practically every
capital in the world.
Text of Message.
The president spoke sfallQWsi---,-
Gentlemen of the Congress:
Eight months have elapsed since
last had the honor uf addressing you.
They have been months crowded with
events of immense and grave signifi-
canoe for us. I shall not undertake to
recall or even to summarize those
events.
The practical particulars of the
part we have played in them will be
laid before you in the reports of the
executive departments. l shall dis
cuss only our present outlook upon
those vast affairs, our present duties
and the immediate means of accom-
plishing the objects we shall hold al
ways in view.
shall not go back to debate the
causes of the war. The into1erable
+ wrongs done, and planned against us
by the sinister masters of Germany
have long since become too grossly
obvious and odious to every true
American to need to be rehearsed- But
I shall ask you to consider again and
with a very grave scrutiny our obJec-
tives and the measures by which we
mean to attain them; for the purpose
/ of discussion here in this place, is ac-
ton and our action must move
straight toward definite ends. Our
object is, of course, to win the war
and we shall not slacken or suffer
ourselves to be diverted until it is
won. But it is worth while asking
and answering the question. when
shall we consider the war won?
/ All Know Purpose of War.
From one point of view it is not
| necessary to broach this fundamental
| matter. I do not doubt that the
American people know what the war
| is about and what sort of an outcome
they will regard as realization of
! their purpose in it.
As a nation we are united in spirit
and intention. 1 pay little heed to
| those who tell me otherwise | hear
the voices of dissent-who does not
! hear the criticism and the clamor of
| the noisily thoughtless and trouble
/ some. L also see men here and there
| fling themselves in impotent disloyalty
against the calm, indOmitable pow
er or the nation. l hear men debate
peace who understand neither its ma
ture nor the way in which we may at
tain it with uplifted eyes and unbrok-
en- spirits. But I know that none of
| these speaks for the 1.ation. They do
not touch the heart of anything. They
may safely be left to strut their un-
| easy hour and be forgotten.
| But from another point of view
believe it is necessary to say plainly
what we here at the seat of action
consider the war to be for and what
part We mean to play in the settle
| ment OF its searching issues. We are
| the spokesmen of the American neo-
pie and they have a right to know
| whether their purpose is ours They
desire peace by the overcoming of evil
| by the defeat once and for all of the
sinister forces that interrupt peace and
render it impossible and they wish to
| know how closely our thought runs
with theirs and what action we pro-
pose. They are impatient with those
/ who desire peace by any sort of COM
promiseEdeeply and Indignantly i'm
patient, but they will be equally i'm
patient with us if we do not make it
plain to them what our objectives are
and what We are planning for in seek
ing to make conquest of peace by
arms.
Stamp Out German Intrigue
believe that I speak for them when
| l say two things: First, that this in
htolerable thing of which the masters
of Germany have shown us the ugly
face, this menace of combined intrigue
and force which we now see so clearly
as the German power, thing without
| conscience or honor or capacity for
covenanted peace, must be crushed
and if it be not utterly brought to an
(CbnffuUo6 on Pace TsxvS