The Robesonian., 1917-12-06
the United States.

Legislation should be enacted defin-
ing as criminal offense every wflful
violation of the presidential proclama-
ton relating to alien enemies promul-
gated under Section 4067 Of the Re-
vised Statutes and providing appro-
pirate punishments; and women as
well as men should be included under
the terms of the acts placing re-
straints upon alien enemies. 1t IS
likely that as time goes on many
alien enemies will be willing to be fed
and housed at the expense of the gov
ernment in the detention camps and
it will be the purpose Of the legisla-
ton l have suggested to confine Of
tenders among them in penitentiarles
and other similar institutions where
they could be made to work as other
criminals do.
Recent experience has convinced me
,, that the Congress must go further in
authorizing the government to set
limits to prices. The law Of supply
and demand, | am sorry to say, has
been replaced by the law of unre-
strained selfishness. While we have
eliminated profiteering> in several
branches Of industry, it still runs i'm
pudently rampant in others. The far
mers, for example, complain with
great deal of justice that, while the
regulation Of food prices restricts
their incomes, no restraints are placed
upon the prices of most of the things
they must themselves purchase; and
similar inequalities obtain or all sides.
1t is imperatively necessary that
the consideration Of the full use Of
the water power Of the country and
also the consideration of the SYSTEM
attic and yet economical development
of such of the natural resources of
the country are still under the con
troll of the Federal government should
be Immediately resumed and affirm
atively and constructively dealt with
at the earliest possible moment. The
pressing need Of such Legislation is
daily becoming more obvious.
The legislation proposed at the last
session with regard to regulated COM
binations among our exporters, in or
der to provide for our foreign trade
a more effective organization and
method of cooperation, ought by all
means to be completed at this session.
And beg that the members of the
House Of Representatives will permit
me to express the opinion that it will
be impossible to deal in any but a
very wasteful and extravagant fash
ION with the enormous appropriations
Of the public moneys which must con-
tlnue to be made, if the war is to be
properly sustained, unless the House
Will consent to return to it's former
practice of initiating and preparing
all appropriation bills through sin.
gle committee, in order that response
blllty may be centered, expenditures
standardized and made uniform and |
waste and duplication as much as pos
sible avoided.
Additional legislation may also be- !
come necessary before the present
Congress adjourns again, in order to
effect the most efficient coordination
and operation Of the railway and 9th
er transportation systems of the
country, but to that I shall, if circuno-
sta: ices sno7ll3 demdr J, call aJte -,tion
OF the C>ngre IS upo3 another occas
lCn.
+ have O. ~ar}ookcd aryttl,ilg that
ought TO De oone Tor the more effec-
tive conduct of the war, your own
counsels will supply the omission,
What L am perfectly clear about is
that IN the present session of the
Congress our whole attention and en-
ergy should be concentrated on the
rapid and successful PROSE
cution of the great task of winning
the war. winning
We can do this with all the great
er zeal and enthusiasm because we
know that for us this is a war of high
principle: debased by no selfish am
oltlon OF conquest or spoilation; be-
cause we know and all the world
knows, that we have been forced into
II to save the very institutions we live
under from corruption and destruc.
ton. The purposes of the central
powers strike straight at the yerv
heart OF everything we believe in.
their methods Of warfare outrage
every principle of humanity and
honor; their intrigue has
corrupted the very thought and snirit
OF many OF our people; their sinister
ana secret diplomacy has sought to
take our very territory away from us
and disrupt the union of States. Our
ssa1ety would be at an end, our honor
forever sullied and brought into con-
tenpJ were we to permit their tri-
umph. They are striking at the very
eA1stence OF democracy and liberty.
1t IS because it, is for us a war of
IF II os.lii'oleSIeu purpose IN which
an 5he Tree peoples of the world are
panueo together for the vindication of
right, war for the preservation If If
our nation and of all that it has hold
dear OF principle and of purpose. that
we feel ourselves doubly constrained med
TO propose for it's outcome onlv thai
wnlch IS righteous and of irreproacho
able intention, for our foes as we'll
as Tor our friends. The cause beinu
just and holy, the settlement musf
De De OF like motive and quality. For
snls we can fight, but for nothino
lGss noble or less worthy of our tra.
ulelons. tha FOR this cause we entered
hat+1n Int war ana Tor this cause we will
have spoken plainly. because This
seems to me the time when it ;s n,ns9 ,,.9
necessary ne to speak plainly, in order %
that all the world NAV know tb.t ~