The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1917-12-13
Washington, D. c., Dec. The pres
4dent smoke as follows, ssS

lasl nad the nOnOf OF ADDRESSING you. I
They have been months crowded with
events of immense and grave signifi- |
canoe for u.s. / will not undertake to
detail. or even to summarize, those
events. or the part we have played in
them. This will be laid before you in
the reports Of the executive depart
'ments. shall discuss only our present
outlook upon these vast affairs our
present duties and the immediate means
OF accomplishing the objects we shall
hold ALWAYS in view
War Aim Is to Win.
I shall not go back to debate the
causes Of the war. The intolerable
py the sinister masters of Germany
nave long since become too grossly
StoVlouS and odious to every true Amer
lcan to need to be rehearsed But I
ssnal ask you to consider again and
Win Win very grave scrutiny our objec-
ives ana the measures by which we
mean to attain them for the purpose of
discussion here in this place is action
aha our action must move straight to-
wards definite ends. Our object is
ol course to win the war. and we shall
not slaclSen or surfer ourselves to be
diverted until it is won. But It is
worth While asking and answering the
question when shall we consider the
war won?'
Safe to Let Pacifists Strut.
from one point of view it Is not
necessary to breach this fundamental
mater. 90 not doubt that the Ameri-
can people know what the war is about
ana what sort of an outcome they will
regard as a realization of their pur-
pose In 1T. AS nation we are united
! IN spirit and intention. I pay little
Ieed TO those who tell me otherwise.
near the voices of dissent-who does
not? l hear the criticism and the clamor
OF the noisy, thoughtless and trouble
some. | also hear men here and there
lNng themselves in impotent disloyalty
AGAINST the calm indomitable power Of
the nation. | hear men debate peace
who understand neither its nature nor
the way In which we may attain it,
with upllfted eyes and unbroken spirits
But !! know that none of these speaks
Tor the nation. They do not touch the
heart of anything. They may safely be
lett to strut their uneasy hour and be
forgotten.
But from another point of view
pelleve that it is necessary to say plain
~ what we here at the seat of action
consider the war to be for and what
part we mean to play in the settlement
or It's searching issues We are the
spokesmen of the American people and
they have right to know whether their
purpose is ours. They desire peace by
lhe overcoming of evil, by the defeat,
once for all, of the sinister forces that
interrupt peace and render it impos-
sibie, and they wish to know how close
~ our thought runs with theirs and
what actlon we propose. They are i'm
patient with those who desire peace by
any sort OF ompromise-deeply and
lndlSnantly impatient, but they will be
equally impatient with us if we do not
make 1T plain to them what our obiec-
yves are and what we are planning for
in seeking to make conquest Of neace
by arms.
Peace Terms Arc Stated.
Il believe that / speak for them when
I say two things:
tlrst, that this ntolerable thing Of
winch the masters of Germany have
shown us the ugly face, this menace of
combined intrigue and force which we
power, thing without conscience or
honor or capacity for covenanted
peace. must be crushed. and if it be not
utterly brought to an end, at least shut
Out nom the friendly Intercourse 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
spokesman whose word we can believe
and when those Spokesman are ready
In the name of their people to accept
the common judgement Of the nations
as 70 what shall henceforth be the bases
of law and Of covenant for the life of
the World-we shall be willing and glad
~ p''S eile luli piics LOT peace and pay
1t uEsrudginsly. We know what that
price will be. 1t will be full, impartial
justice-justice done at every point
and to every nation. The final settle
ment must affect our enemies as well
as our friends.
Against Punitive lndemnities.
You catch. with men, the voices of
humanity that are in the air. They
grow daily more audible, more articu-
late, more persuasive and they come
from the hearts of men everywhere.
They insist that the war shall not end
in Nindictive action OF any kind; that
no nation Or people shall be robbed or
punished because the irresponsible rul-
ers CT q single country have themselves
done deep and ahominable wrong 1t is
this thought that has been expressed in
the formula, no annexations, no con-
trihu,ions, no punitive inde1nnities,'
Just because this crude formula ex-
presses the instructive judgment as to
right Of plain men everywhere. it has
been made di!ieent use of by the mas
terso of German intrigue to lead the peo-
pie Of Russia astray-and the people
of every country their agents could
reach in order that premature peace
might be brought about before auto
cracv has been taught it's final and con-
yincing lesson, and the people of the
world nut in control of their own des-
times.
Declares Idea Is Good.
But the fact that wrong use has
been made of a just idea, is no reason
why a right use should not be made of
1T. 1t ought to be brought under the
patronage of it's friends. Let it be
said again that autccracy must first be
shown the utter futility of its claims
to power or leadership in the modern
world. 1t is impossible to apply any
forces are unchecked and undefeated
as the praSant masters of Germany