The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1917-12-06
WILSON DEMANDS
war ON AUSTRIA
President Tells Congress In q
Ringing Address, America
Will Fight to a Finish
PEACE TALK now IS FOOLISH
Any Settlement With Germany and
Her Allies on Present Basis Would
Be Worse Than Foolish.

IN his annual address to Congress
President Wilson declared America
was In the present war to a finish
md will allow nothing to turn her
6side from the path to victory. He
recommends immediate declaration OF
war against Austria but not against
Turkey and Bulgaria
Following is the address in full:
Gentlemen of the Congress:
Eight months have elapsed since !
last had the honor OF addressing you.
They have been months crowded with
events Of immense and grave signifi-
canoe for us. shall not undertake to
recall or even to 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. l shall dis:
ouss only our present outlook upon
these vast affairs, our present duties
and the immediate means of accom-
Wishing the objects we shall hold al
ways in view.
II shall not go back to debate the
causes Of the war. The intolerable
wrongs done and planned against US
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 very grave scrutiny our
objectiYes 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
ourselves to be diverted until 1t Is
won. But it Is worth while asking
and answering the question, when
shall we consider the war won?
"From one point of view 1t is not
necessary to breach this fundamental
matter. do not doubt that the Amer
lean people know what the war is
about and what sort of an outcome
thew will regard as a realization OF
their purpose in it.
GAS Nation we are united in spirit
and intention. pay little heed to
those who tell me Otherwise. hear
the voices OF dissent-who does not?
I hear the criticism and the clamor Of
the noisy, thoughtless and trouble.
some. also see men here and there
fling themselves in impotent disloy.
atty against the calm, indomitable
power of the Nation. l hear men de.
bate peace who understand neither its
nature nor the way in which we may
attain it with uplifted Dyes sand I'M
broken spirits, but l know that mono
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 /
believe that 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 set
Element Of its searching issues. We
are spokesman Of the American peo-
pie, and they have a right to know
their purpose Is ours. They
desire peace by the overcoming Of
evil, by the defeat once for all Of the
sinister forces that interrupt peace
md render it impossible, and they
wish to know how closely our thought
runs with theirs and what action we
propose. They are impatient with !
hose who desire peace by any sort
3f compromise-deepfy and indignant
" impatient-but they will be equal |
b impatient with us II We do not make !
{ plain to them what our detectives
ire and what we are planning for In |
yeeking to make conquest Of peace by |
rmS.
The Price Of Peace.
/ believe that speak for them |
when I say two things: First. that this
thing OF which the mas
Iers Of Germany have shown us the
Ugly face, this menace Of combined
intrigue and force which Wa now see
70 clearly as the German power. q
hing without conscience or honor or
capacity for covenanted peace. must
pe crushed, and II It be not utterly
prought to an end. at least shut out
rom the friendly intercourse OF the
nations; and, second, that when this
hing and it's power are indeed de-
'eated and the time comes that We
IN discuss peace-when the German
,eople have spokesman whose word
70 can believe and when those spokes-
men are ready in the name OF their
,eople to accept the common judy
nent Of the nations - to what shall |
be the bases Of law and
G covenant for the life of the world
70 shall be willing and glad to pay
he full price for peace and pay It
We know what that price win be.
/ Win be full. impartial justice-tus-
loo done ct every point and to every
alton the flnal settlement must At
sct, our enemies ~ well as our
s1ends. \;
AProsniss 70 German People. +
You catch, with me-. the voices Of
lunauity that are IN the dir. They
row daily more audible, moro articu-
sse, more pefsuasive, and they come
rom the hearts Of man everywhere.
.hey insist that the waf shah not end
! vindaetivo actjoa q any KID; that
. nAtioa o. people ahall - r0bbe1 Or
nn1oAoA hocapoo n At1espoo6ble
ulGl1so1 q a1AH9o DooIy 1aAo @em-