Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-12-04

The Presidents message, in full. fol-
lows:
December 4, 1917.
Gentlemen of the Congress: Eight
months have elapsed since I last had
the honor, Of addressing you. They
have been months crowded with events
OF immense and grave significance for
US. 1 shall not undertake to retail or
even to summarize those events Tho
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 these vast affairs.
our present duties. and the immediate
means Of accomplishing the objects we
snail hold always in view.
shall not go back to debate the
causes Of the war. The intolerable
wrongs done and planned against US by
me 5ne sinister l1a masters Of Germany have
ana od1ous to every true American to
need to be rehearsed. But shall ask
you to consider again and with a very
grave scrutiny our detectives and the
measures by which we mean to attain
them; for the purpose of discussion
here In this place is action. and our ac-
tion must move straight toward def
mite ends 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
ana answering the question, When shall
we consider the war won?
Know What War Is About.
From one point of view It is not
= necessary to broach this funda-
the American people know what the
war ts about and what sort of an
outcome they. will regard as a
realization of their purpose in 1t.
AS a nation We are united in spirit
those who tell me otherwise. 1 hear
the voices Of Ndissent,-who does
not? I hear the criticism and the
clamor of the noisily thoughtIess
and troublesome. also see men
in mere ana there hing themselves in
calm. indomitable power of the ma
tion. I hear men debate peace who
understand neither its nature nor
the way in which we may attain it
with upHfted eyes and unbroken
spirits. But I know that none Of
these speaks for the nation. They
do not touch the heart Of any
thing. They may safely be left to
strut their uneasy hour and be for
But from another point Of view r
believe that It ts necessary to aay
plainly what we here at the seat of
action consider the war to be for
ana what part we mean to play in
tho settlement Of its searching is
sues. We are the spokesmen Of the
right to know 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 1t
impossible. and they wish to know
now closely our thought runs with
theirs and what action we propose.
They are impatient with those who
desire peace by any sort OF compro-
mise-deeply and Indignantly impa-
tfent-but they will be equally Inn
patient with us IL we do not make 1t
plain to them what our objectives
are and what we are planning for in
seeking to make conquest Of peace
by arms.
Speaks for Americans.
I believe that speak for them
when I say two things: First, that
this 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
power. Thing without conscience
or honor or capacity for covenanted
peace. must be crushed, and. II it be
not utterly brought to an end, at
least shut out from the friendly in
tercourse 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
spokesmen whose word we can be-
lieve and when those spokesmen are
randy in the NJ THAR g.
accept the 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 to pay the full
price for peace. and pay it un-
grudgingly. We know what that
price will be. 1t will be full, i'm
partial justice-justice 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 be-
cause the irresponsible rulers Of a
single country have themselves done
l.
this thought that has been express
ed in the formula mo annexations
no contributions. no punitive indem-
mites" Just because this crude for
mula expresses the instructive tudg-
ment as to right OF plain men every
where 1t has been made diligent use
of by the masters OF German in
trfgue to lead the people of Russia
astray the people of every
other country their agents could
reach. in order that a premature
peace might be brought about before
autocracy has been taught its final
and convincing lesson, and the peo-
pie Of the world put in control Of
their own destinies.
Patronage Of Real Friends.
But the fact that a wrong use
has been made OF a just idea is no
reason why a right use should not
be made of it. 1t ought to be
brought under the patronage of its
real friends. Let 1t be said again
that autocracy must first be shown
the utter futility OF its claim tn
power or leadership in the modern
world. 1t is impossible to apply
any standard OF justice SO long az
such forces are unchecked and un-
defeated as the present masters of
Germany command. Not until that
| has been done can right be set IN
"A arbiter and peace-maker anonr
| the nations. But when that has
| been done-as, God willing, it as
| suredly will be-we shall at last be
| and this II the time to avow our
| purpose to do 1t. We shall be free
/ to base peace on generosity and
/ Justice. TO the exclusion Of All selfish