The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1917-12-04
pecember 4. 1917.

the honor OF addressing you. They
have been months crowded with
events Of immense and grave signifi-
canoe for US. I shall not undertake
60 retail or even TO summarize those
events. The practical particulars CT
the part we have played in them Will
be laid before you in the reports or
the Executive Departments. l shall
discuss only our present outlook upon
these vast affairs, our present duties,
and the immediate means of ac-
complaining the objects we shall holo
always In view.
shall not GO back TO debate the
causes Of the war. The intoleraple
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 ana
with a very grave scrutiny our Cd
Sectiyes and the measures by when
ws mean 10 attain them; for the pur-
nose Of discussion here in this place
4. 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 suHer
ourselves to be diverted until II Is
won. But IT is worth while asklhs
and answering the question: "heS
shall we consider the war won!
FROM one point of view it is not
necessary to breach this fundamental
natter / do not doubt that the Amer
tran people know VIZ the war IS
about and what sort of an outcome
they will regard as a realization oil
their purpose in it. AS nation we
are united in spirit and intention L
nav little heed TO those who tell me
otherwise. hear the voices OF as
aent-who does not? / hear the crltl-
cIsm and the Glamour Of the noislly
thoughtless and troublesome. also
sac men here and there fling them
seIves In impotent disloyalty against
the calm, indomitable power of the
1.tion 1 hear men debate peace who
nnderstand neither its nature nor the
1rav in which we may attain II with
uplifted eyes and unbroken splrits'
T3trt 1 know that none OF these speaks
for the nation. They do not touch the
heart of anything. They may sately
he left to strut their uneasy hour ana
be forgotten
But from another point Of view 1
heIIeve that it is necessary to say
action consider the war TO pc TOT
and what part we mean to play in
the settlement Of its searching issues
we are the spokesman OF the Ameri-
can people and they have right 10
know whether their purpose Is ours
Fhey desire peace by the overcoming
Of evil. by the defeat once for all OF
the sinister forces that interrupt
peace and render It Impossible, ana
they wish to know how Closely our
Thought runs with theirs and what
elton we propose. They are impa.
liant with those who desire peace by
any sort of compromise-deeply and
Indignantly impatient-but they VIII
be equally impatient with us II we
do not make il plain to them What
our detectives are and what we are
planninE for in seeking to make con-
quest OF peace by arms.
1 believe that I speak for them
when I say two things: First that
Shis intolerable Thing OF which the
masters Of Germany have shown us
the ugly face, this menace OF COM
bined intrigue and force which we
now see so clearly as the German
mower, a Thing without conscience or
honor or capacity for convenanted
peace, must be crushed and, il IL be
not utterly brought to an end, al
least shut out from the friendly In
fercourse Of the nations: and, second
that when this Thing and its power
are indeed defeated and the time
comes that we can discuss peace
when the German people have spOkes
men whose word We can believe and
when those spokesman are ready in
the name of their people to accept
me common judgment OF the nations
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 20 pay the fun price
for peace. and pay it ungrudgingly.
We know what that price will be. II
will be full, impartial justice-jus-
tiee done at every point and to every
nation that the final settlement must
AFFECT, our enemies as well as our
friends.
You catch. with me, the voices of
humanity that are in the air. They
grow daily more audible, more ar
ticulate. more persuasive. and they
come from the hearts OF men every.
where They insist that the war shall
not end in vindictive action Of any
kind: that no nation or people shall
be robbed or punished because the ir.
responsible rulers Of a single coUn'
Try have themselves done deep and
abominable wrong 1t is this thought
that has been expressed in the form
ula No anneNatiOns. no contributions
70 punitive indemnities' Just because
this crude formula expresses the in
stinctivs judgment as to right Of
plain men everywhere IL has beer
made diligent use OF by the masters OF
German intrigue to lead the people
OF Russia astray-and the people Of
every other country their agents
could reach, in order that a premature
peace might be brought about before
Rutocracy has been taught its fina
and convincing lesson, and the people
of the world put in control OF theil
SWn destinies.
But the fact that q wrong use hal
been made Of a just idea is no reason
why q right use should not be mad,
9f It. II ought to be brought undel
the patronage Of its real friends Let q
be said again that autoeraey mus
1irst be shown the utter futility OF III
claims to power or leadership in tn,
modern world. II Is impossible Il
apply any standard OF justice so Ions
as such forces are unchecked and un'
defeated a. the present masters o.
S3RFnsny command. Not until thG'