Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-11-12
PRESIDENTS SPEECH
CONTINUED from Page 0ne.)

be resisted too far-because there was
always the possibility of getting armies
into the heart of that country quicker
than any other armies could be got
there. Look at the map of Europe now.
Germany, in thrusting upon us again
and again the discussion of peace, talks
about whatg Talks about Belgium,
talks about Northern France, talks
about Alsace-Lorraine. Well, those are
deeply interesting subjects to us and
to them, but they are not talking about
the heart of the mater.
Ambitions for Empire.
"Take the map and look at it. Ger
many has absolute control of Austria
Hungary, practical control of the Bal
kan states, control of Turkey, control
OF Asia Minor. l saw map in which
the whole thing was printed in appro-
pirate black the other day, and the
black stretched all the way from Ham
burg to Bagdad-the bulk of German
power inserted into the heart of the
world. If she can keep that she has
kept all that her dreams contemplated
when the war began. If she can keep
that, her power can disturb the world
as long as she Keeps it-always pro-
vided, for L feel bound to put this pro-
vision in, always provided the present
influences that control the German
government continue to control it.
Belief In German People.
81 believe that the spirit of freedom
can get into the hearts of the Germans
and find as fine a welcome there as it
can find in any other hearts. But the
spirit of freedom does not suit the plans
of the pan-Germans. Power cannot be
used with concentrated force against
free peoples if it is used by free
people.
You know many intimations come
to us from one of the central powers
that it is more anxious for peace than
the chief central power; and you know
that the people in that central power
know that if the war ends as it stands
they will in effect themselves be vas
sails of Germany, Notwithstanding that
their populations are compounded with
all the people of that part of the world,
and notwithstanding the fact that they
do not wish in their pride and proper
spirit of nationality to be so absorbed
and dominated.
"'Germany is determined that the
political power of the world shall be-
long to her. There have been such am
bitions before. They have been in part
realized. But never before have those
ambitions been based upon so exact and
precise and scientific plan of dom
nation.
Russian Situation.
"May 1 not say it is amazing to me
that any group of people should be so
ill-informed as to suppose, as some
groups in Russia apparently suppose,
that any reforms planned in the inter
est of the people can live in the pres
ence of a Germany powerful enough to
undermine or overthrow them by in
trigue or force9 ANY body of free men
that compounds with the present Ger
man government is compounding for its
own destruction. But that is not the
whole of the story. Any man in Amer
lea or anywhere else who supposes that
the free industry and enterprise of the
world can continue is the pan-German
plan is achieved and German power fas-
tened upon the world, is as fatuous as
the dreamers of Russia.
Pacifists Are Stupid.
What l am opposed to is not the
feeling of the paeifists, but their
stupidity. My heart is with them, but
my mind has a contempt for them. II
want peace, but know how to get it
and they do not.
fFYou viii notice that sent friend
of mine, Colonel House, to Europe, who
is as great g lover Of peace as any man
in the world; but I did not send him
on a peace mission. I sent him to take
part in a conference as TO how the war
was to be won. And he knows, as I
know, that that is the way to get peace,
if you want it for more than few
minutes.
I" All of this is a preface TO the con
ference that / referred TO with regard |
to what we are going to do. If we are
true friends of freedom-our own or /
else 's-we will see that the 1
power of this country and the produe-
tivity of this country is raised to abb
solnte maximum and that absolutely mo-
body is allowed TO stand in the way
of It,
HWhen I say that nobody is allowed
to stand IN the'way, I don't mean that
they shall be prevented by the power