The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1917-12-14
PRESIDENT ASKS
WAR ON AUSTRIA
Message to All the World
Outlining Americas
Peace Ideal
Present German Govern
ment Impossible in
League of Honor

Washington, Dec president Will
SON delivered to Congress an address,
considered so important in its rela-
lions to international affairs, that 1t
has been transmitted in advance by
the Government to practically every
other capital in the world.
Immediate declaration of war against
Austria-Hungary was recommended by
President Wilson.
The President did not, however,
recommend a declaration of war
against Turkey and Bulgaria at this
time.
The President spoke, as follows:
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 sig
nificance for u.s. shall not undertake
to detail or even to summarize those
events.
The practical particulars of the part
we have played in them will be laid be-
fore you in the reports of the executive
departments. shall discuss only our
present outlook upon those vast at
fairs, our present duties and the i'm
mediate means of accomplishing the
objects we shall hold always in view.
"our Object Is To Win the War;"
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
jectiyes and the measures by which we
mean to attain them; for the purpose
of discussion here in this place is
action and our action must move
straight toward definite aims.
Our object is. of course, to win the
war and we shall not slacken or suffer
ourselves to be diverted until it is
won But it is worth while asking and
answering the question, When shall
VIC COAS1QC1- LILO WdL WOAA
From one point of view it is not
necessary to breach this fundamental
matter. do not doubt that the Ameri-
can people know what the war is about
and what sort of an outcome they will
regard as a realization of their pur-
pose in it. AS nation we are united
in spirit and intention.
"Let Dissenters Strut Their Uneasy
Hours"
pay little heed to those who tell
me otherwise. hear the voices of
dissent; who does not? / hear the
criticism and the clamor of the noisy,
thoughtless and troublesome. ] also
see men here and there fling them
selves in impotent disloyalty against
the calm, indomitable power of the
nation. l hear men debate peace who
understand neither its nature nor the
way we may attain it with uplifted
eyes and unbroken spirits. But
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
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 the spokesman of the American
ND r;rr - L,
whether 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
and render it impossible and they wish
to know how closely our thought runs
with theirs and what action we pro-
pose.
They are impatient with those who
desire peace by any sort of COM
promise - deeply and Indignantly i'm
patient-but they will be equally i'm
patient with us If we do not make it
plain to them what our detectives are
and what we are planning for in seek
ing to make conquest of peace by
arms.
This lntoIerabIe Thing-Must Be
Crushed"
believe that l speak for them,
when l say two things: First, that this
intolerable thing of which the mas
tiers of Germany have shown us the
ugly face, this menace of combined in
trigue and force which we now see so
Nclearly as the German power, thing
Without conscience or honor or capae-
ity for covenanted peace must be
crushed and. if it be not utterly
brought to an end, at least shut out
from the friendly intercourse of the
nations; and second. that when this
thing and it's power are indeed defeat
ed and the time comes that we can
discuss peace-when the German peo-