The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1917-12-05
port of the war and for the release

port of the war and for the release
Of our whole force and energy.
''Tt will be necessary to extend IN
further particulars the legislation OF
the last session with regard to alien
enemies; and also necessary, [ be-
lieve, to create a very definite and
particular control over the entrance
and departure of all persons into and
from the United States.
Legislation should be enacted de-
fining as a criminal offense every will
full violation of the presidential pro-
clamation relating to alien enemies
! promulgated under section 4067 of
the revised statutes and providing ap-
propriate punishments and women as
we'll as men should be included IN
the terms of the acts placing restraint
upon ali alien enemies. 1t is likely
that as time goes on many alien enc
mics will be willing to be fed and
housed at the expense of the govern
ment in the detention camps, and 1t
| would be the purpose of the legisla-
ton I have suggested to confne of
tenders among them in penitentarieS
and other similar institutions where
/ they could be made to work as other
criminals do.
Profiteering "ImprudentIy Rampant"
Recent experience has convinced
me that the congress must go further
in authorizing the government to set
| limits to prices. The law of supply
! and demand I am sorry to say, has
been replaced by the law Of unres-
/ trained selfshness. While we have
eliminated profteering in several
| branches of industry, it still runs i'm
prudently rampant in others. The
! farmers, for example, complain with
a great deal of justice that while the
! regulation of food prices restricts their
| incomes, no restraints are placed upon
! the prices of most of the things
/ they must themselves purchase, ana
similar inequalities obtain on all sides.
! at is imperatively necessary that
! the consideration Of the full use OF
! the water power of the country and
also the consideration of the syste-
matte and yet economical development
/ of such of the natural resources OF
| the country as are still under the
| federal government should be imme-
diately resumed and affirmatively and
i constructively dealt with at the earli-
/ est possible moment. The pressing
need of such legislation is daily be-
! coming more obvious.
The legislation prepared at the last
Z I'd RI ~
| binations among our exporters in or
! der to provide for our foreign trade
| a more effective organization of CO.
operation ought by all means to be
completed at this session.
and I beg that the members OF
the house of representatives will per
nit me to express the opinion that II
will be impossible to deal in any but
! ion with the enormous appropriations
! of the public moneys which must con-
/ tinue to be made, if the war is to be
/ properly sustained, unless the house
| will consent to return to its former
practice of initiating and preparing all
! committee, in order that responsibility
may be conferred, expenditures stand
| ardized and made uniform and wants
and duplication as much as possible
/ avoided.
Additional legislation may also be-
! come necessary before the present
| congress again adjourns in order to
! effect the most efficient coordination
| and operation of the railway and oth-
! er transportation systems of the coun-
! try; but to that l shall. If clrcum-
stances should demand. call the atten-
ton of the congress upon another &C.
j casion.
] "If l have overlooked anything that
! ought to be done for the more effec-
! tive conduct of the war your own
counsels will supply the omission.
What 1 am perfectly clear. about is
gress our whole attention and energy
Should be concerned on the vigorous
| and rapid successful prosecution OF
the great task of winning the war.
I'VE can do this with all the great
er zeal and enthusiasm because we
know that for us this is war of big
7 principle, debased by no selfish ami
| nation or conquest or spoliation; be.
cause we know, and all the world
knows, that we have been forced into
! 1t to save the very institutions we
live under from corruption and de.
powers strike straight at the very
heart of everything We believe in;
every principle of humanity and of
knightly honor; their intrigue has cor
rupted the very thought and spirit OF
many Of our people; their sinister and
| secret diplomacy has sought to take
| our very territory away from US and
disrupt the union of the states. Our
! safety would be at an end, our honor
/ forever sullied and brought into con-
tempt were we to permit their trl-
! umph. They are striking at the very
existence of democracy and liberty.
ut is because it is for us a war of
| high, disinterested purpose, in which
the free peoples of the world are band
ed together for the vindication of
! right; a war fol. the preservation OF
dear of principle and of purpose. that
we felt ourselves doubly constrained
to propose for its outcome only that
which is righteous and Of irreproach-
able intention, for our foes as we'll as
for our friends. The cause being just
like motive and quality. For this we
can fight, but for nothing. less noble
or less worthy of our traditions. For
this cause we entered the war and
for this cause we will battle until the
last gun is fired.
seems to me the time when it is most
necessary to speak plainly, in order
that all the world may know that even
in the heat and ardor of the struggle
and when our whole thought is OF
carrying the war through to its end
we have not forgotten any ideal or
principle for which the name Of Ameri-
ca has been held in honor among the
nations and for which It has been our
glory to contend In the great genera
lions that went before us. A supreme
moment Of history has come. The
eyes Of the people have been opened
and they see. The hand of God is
laid upon the nations. He will show
them favor, l devoutly behave. onlv
II they rise to the clear heights o.
his own justice and mercy"