Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1917-12-07
President Requests Immedi-
ate Declaration of War
on Austria-Hungary.
PACIFlSTS ARE WARNED
Suggests That Instead of confining
Enemy Aliens in Comfortable In
ternment Camps That They Be
Put in Penitentiaries.

Washington President Wilson, adj
dressing the members of congress on
December 4, called upon congress to
declare q state of war against Austria
Hungary.
Pledging America to war TO victory
and declaring nothing shall turn us
aside, he asked that Austria Hungary
be formally listed among America s
enemies to remove this embarrassing
obstacle that stands in our way"
The president spoke as follows:
Gentlemen of the Congress:
Eight months have elapsed since
had the honor of addressing you. They
have been months crowded with events
of immense and grave significance for
u.s. I shall not undertake to detail or
even 10 summarize these events. The
practical particulars of the part we
have played in them will be laid before
you in the reports of the executive
departments. | shall discuss only our
present outlook upon these vast af-
fairs, our present duties and the i'm
mediate means of accomplishing the
objects we shall hold always in view.
1 shall not go back to debate the
causes of the war. The intolerable
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
shall ask you to consider again and
with a very grave scrutiny our OBJ
jectives and the measures by which
we mean to attain them; for the pur
pose of discussion here in this place
is action, 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 our
selves to be diverted until it is won.
But it is worth while asking and an
swering the question. When shall we
consider the war won?
From one point of view. it is not
necessary to breach this fundamental
matter. I do not doubt that the Amer
lean people know what the war is
about and what sort of an outcome
they will regard as a realization of
their purpose on it. AS a nation we
are united in spirit and intention.
HEAR DISSENTING VOICES.
1 pay little heed to those who tell
me otherwise. 1 hear the voices of
dissent-who does not2 I hear the
criticism and the clamor of the noisily
thoughtless and troublesome. I also
see men here and there fling them
selves in impotent disloyalty against
nation. l hear men debate peace who
understand neither its nature nor the
way in which we may obtain it with
uplifted eyes and unbroken spirits But
1 know that none of these speaks for
the nation. They do not touch the
heart of anything They may safely
be left to strut their uneasy hour and
be forgotten.
But. from another point OF view, be-
lieve that it is necessary to say plainly
what we here at the seat of action con-
slider the war TO be for. and what part
we mean to play in the settlement OF
its searching issues. We are spokesman |
iof the American people, and they have |
a right to know whether their purpose |
is ours. They desire peace by the over
coming of evil by the defeat once for 4
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 /
propose. They are impatient with those 1
who desire peace by any sort Of COM 1
promise-deeply and Indignantly impa- /
tient; but they will be equally impatient
with us if we do not make it plain TO
them what our detectives are and what |
we are planning for in seeking to make
conquest of peace by arms
HUNS MUST BE CRUSHED
believe that l speak for them when
say two things: First. that this intol-
cradle 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-a thing without con-
science or honor or capacity Tor cove
nanted peace-must be crushed and. il il
be not utterly brought to an end at
least shut out from the friendly inter-
course Of the nations; and second, that
when this thing and its power are in
deed defeated and the time comes that
We can discuss peace-when the German
people have spoken whose word we can
and when those spokesman are
ready in the name of their people to ac-
cept the common judgment of the ma
tons as to what shall henceforth be the
bases of law and OF covenant for the
life OF the world-we shall be willing and
glad 10 pay the full price for peace, and
pay it ungrudgingly. We know what |
that price win be- 1t win be full. i'm
partial justice-justice done AT every
point and to every nation that the final
must affect, our enemies as |
well as our friends.
You catch, with me, the voices of hu-
nanity that are I'm the air. They grow |
tally more audible. more articulate, more
hearts of men everywhere. They insist
hat the war shall not end in vindictive
action of any kind: that no nation or !
people shall be robbed or punished be-
,ause the irresponsible rulers of sin
tie country have themselves done deep
md abominabie wrong.
1t is this thought that has been ex- !
PRESSED in the formula, mo innovations {
10 contributions, no punitive indemni- {
les" Just because this crude formula
Expresses the instructive judgment as to !
light OF plain men everywhere. IL has 9
,een made diligent of by the mas e
ers of German intrigue 10 lead the peo- I
lie of Russia astray-and the people OF l
very other country their agents could {
each--in order that a premature peace !
night be brought about before autoc- {
acy has been taught its final and con- $
fncing lesson and the people of the h
sorid put in control OF their own desti- p
les.
But the fact that a wrong use has 2
cen made of just idea is no reason b
Thy right use should not be made OF h
! II ought TO be brought under the G
q tronage of its real friends. o
RUSH HUN MASTERS.
Let II be said again that autcc-scy =
,ust first be shown the utter futifity of :,
5 claims TO power or leadership in the .
lodern world 1t is impossible to apply =
nv standard of justice so long as such II
,rces are unchecked and indicated as 2
,e present masters OF Germany COM $
and Not until that has been done car o
ght be set up as arbiter and peace y
aker among the nations. But when o.
lat has been done-as God willing. Il a