Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1917-12-08
President Demands War on Austria
Message TO All the World Out.
lining Americas Peace Ideal
Congress is Stirred

tions to international affairs. that Il
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 declaration OF war
against Turkey and Bulgaria at this
time
The President spoke. as follows
4 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
nlflcancc for us. 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 az.
| 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
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 and
with a very grave scrutiny our OBJ.
jectives 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 IL is
won. But II is worth while asking and
answering the question. When shall
we consider the war won?
From one point OF view il is not
necessary to broach this fundamental
7
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 H. 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 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
IT, nation. They do not touch the
heart of anything They may safely
be- lefi 10 strut their uneasy hour and
be forgotten.
Bui from another point Of view
believe that il is necessary % sas
plainly what We here al the seat OF
action consider the war to be for ana
what part we mean to play in the set
tlement of its searching issues. We
are the spokesmen of the American
people and they have right 10 know
whether their purpose IL ours. They
desire peace BY the overcoming of
evil by the defeat once for all OF the
sinister forces that interrupt peace
and render II impossible and they wish
10 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 II we do not make il
plain to them what our objectlves are
and what we are planning for ia seek
ing TO make conquest OF peace By
arms.
believe that speak for them,
when say two things: First. that this
intolerable thing OF which the mas
ters OF Germany have shown Us the
ugly face. this menace OF combined In.
trigue and force which We now see so
clearly as the German power a thing
without conscience or honor or capac
ity for coyenanted peace must be
crushed and, II II 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
pie have spokesmen whose word we
can believe and when those spokesmen
are ready in the name OF their people
to accept the common judgment of the
nations as TO what shall henceforth b.