The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1917-12-04

men everywhere. Its conclusions will
run with those tides.
"All these things have been true at
the very beginning Of this war; and
I cannot help thinking that If they
had been made plain at the very out
set the liberty and enthusiasm of the
Russian people might have been once
for all enlisted on the side of the
Allies, suspicion and distrust quickly
swept away and real and lasting un-
ion of purpose effected. Had they be-
lieved these things at the very mo-
ment of their revolution, and had they
been confirmed in that belief since,
the sad reverses which have recent
ly marred the progress of their af-
fairs towards an ordered and stable
government Of free men might have
been avoided.
1.-The Russian people have been
poisoned by the very same falsehoods
that have kept the German people in
the dark and the poison has been ad-
ministered by the very same hands
The only possible antidote is the
truth. It can not be uttered too plain
ly or too often.
Seemed To Be Duty.
From every point of view there
fore, it has seemed to be my duty to
speak these declarations of purpose.
to add the specific interpretations to
what I took the liberty of saying to
the senate in January. Our entrance
into the war has not altered our at
titude toward the settlement that
must come when it is over.
when 1 said in January that the
nations of the world were entitled not
only to free pathways upon the sea,
but also to assured and unmolested
access to those pathways l was think
/ ing, and l am thinking now, not of the
smaller and weaker nations alone,
which need our countenance and sup
port, but also of the great and power
full nations, and of our present enc
mics as well as our present associates
in the war. l was thinking, and am
thinking of Austria herself. among
the rest as we'll as of Serbia and of
Poland. Justice and equality of
rights can be had only at great
price. We are seeking permanent,
not temporary foundations for the
peace of the world and must seek
them candidly and fearlessly. AS al
ways, the right will prove to be the
expedient.
What shall we do, then, to push
| this great war of freedom and justice
to its righteous conclusion? We must
clear way with a thorough hand all
| impediments to success and we must
make every adjustment Of law that
will facilitate the full and free use Of
| our whole capacity and force as a
| fighting unity.
"One very embarrassing obstacle
! that stands in our way is that we are
at war with Germany but not with
| her allies. I therefore very earnestly
recommend that the Congress inn
| mediately declare the United States
| in a state of war with Austria Hin
gary Does it seem strange to you
that this should be the conclusion of
argument I have just addressed to
| you? 1t is not. 1t is, in fact, the
the vassal of the German government.
We must face the facts as they are
| and act upon them with out sentiment
in this stern business. The govern.
ment of Austria-Hungary is not acting
upon its own initiative or in response
to the wishes and feeling of it's own
people but as the instrument of an
other nation.
Central Powers as One.
! 1--WE must meet it's force with our
own and regard the Central powers as
but one. The war can be successfully
conducted in no other way. The same
logic would lead also to a declaration
of war against Turkey and Bulgaria.
They also are the tools of Germany.
But they are mere tools and do not
yet stand in the direct path of our
| necessary action. We shall go wher-
ever the necessities CT this war carry
us, but it seems to me that we should
go only where immediate and practical
considerations lead US and not heed
| any other.
The financial and military meas
ures which must be adopted will sug.
gest themselves as the war and it's
understanding develop, but I will take
the liberty of proposing to you certain
other acts of legislation which seem
to me to be needed fer the support of
the war and for the release of our
whole force and energy.
ut will be necessary to extend in
certain particulars the legislation of
the late session with regard to alien
enemies; and also necessarily, l be-
| lieve, to create very definite and par
ticular control over the entrance and
| NSpeti wi = VI OH pSi SOl1o tl1lo oAo IL oIA
the United States.
Legislation should be enacted de,
filming as criminal offense every vii
full violation of the presidential procla
nation relating to alien enemies, pro-
mulgated under Section 4067 of the
Revised Statues and providing appro-
pirate punishment, and women as we'll
as men should be included under the
term of the act placing restraint 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 government in the
detention camps and it would be the
purpose of the legislation I have sug-
gested to confine offenders among
them in penitentaries and other sim
liar institutions where they could De
made to work as other criminals do.
Must Set More Prices.
Recent experience has convinc ed
me that the Congress must go further
in authorizing the government to set
| limits to prices. The laws of supply
and demand, am sorry to say, have
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 other.