Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1917-12-06

only RntIdote Truth
The Russian people have been poi
| soned by the very same falsehoods
that have kept the German people in
the dark and the poison has been ad-
ministered by the very same hands.
The only possible antidote is the
truth. 1t cannot be uttered too plain,
ly or too often.
From every point of view, there
fore, it has seemed to be my duty to
speak these declarations of purpose,
to add these specific interpretations
to what took the liberty of saying
to the senate in January.
Our entrance into the war has not
altered our attitude toward the set
Element that must come when it is
over. When / said in January thai
the nations of the world were en-
titled not only to free pathways up.
on the sea but also to assured and
unmolested access to those pathways,
Il was thinking, and | am thinking
now, not of the smaller and weaker
nations alone, which need our con
tenance and support, but also of the
great and powerful nations. and Of
our present enemies as well as our
u dsSotiotCo III " Il a.
thinking, and am thinking now, Of
Austria herself, among the rest, as
well as of Serbia, and of Poland.
Justice and equality of rights can
be had only at a great price. we
are seeking permanent, not tempo
rary, foundations for the peace OF
the world and must seek them can
didly and fearlessly.
Must Clear lmpediments.
What shall we do, then, to push
this graf war of freedom and jus,
tice to its righteous conclusion? We
must clear away with a thorough
hand all impediments to success and
we must make very adjustment OF
law that will facilitate the full and
free use of our whole capacity and
force as a fighting unit.
One very embarrassing obstacle
that stands in our way is that we
are at war with Germany but not
with her allies. l therefore very ear
nestly recommend that the congress
Immediately declare the United States
in a state of wal with Austria-Hun-
gary. Does it seem strange to you
that this should be the conclusion of
the argument have just addressed to
you? 1t is not. 1t is in fact the in
evitable logic of what / have said.
Is German vassai.
Austria-Hungary is for the time be
ing not her own mistress, but simply
the vassal of the German govern
ment. We must face the facts as they
are and act on them without sentia
ment in this stern business. The gov
eminent of Austria-Hungary is not
acting on its own initiative, or in re
Spouse to the wishes and feelings of
it's own peoples, but as the instrument
of another nation.
We must meet it's force with our
own and regard the central powers
as but one. The wal car be success
fully conducted in no other way. The
same logic would lead also to a
declaration of war against Turkey
and Bulgaria. They also are the tools.
of Germany. But they are mere tools
and do not yet stand in the. direct
path of our necessary action We shall
go wherever the necessities of this
war carry us, but it seems to me that
we should go only where immediate.
Clln "a ~ 3hhbAAo iN@NA -
and not heed any others.
The financial and military meas
ures which must be adopted will sug-3
gest themselves as the war and its
undertakings develop, but / will take
the liberty of proposing to you GER
tain other acts of legislation which
seem to me to be needed for the sup
port Of the war and for the release
of our whole fore and energy.
1t will be necessary to extend in
certain particulars the legislation OF
the last session with regard TO alien
enemies. And also necessary, I be-
lieve, to create a very definite and
particular control over the entrance
and departure of all persons into and
from the United States.
Profiteering Rampant.
While we have eliminated profteer-
ing in several branches Of Industry,
it still runs i%mpudently rampant in
others.
The farmers, for example, com
plain 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 themselves must
purchase. and similar inequalities OBJ
tain ON all sides. /
1t is impefatively necessary that
the consideration of the full use oi
the wafp, power Of the country and
also the consideration Of the syste
matte and YET economical develop
ments Of such of the natural re
sources of the country as are still un
der the control of the federal gov
ernment should be Immediately re
suned aud afirmatiyely and con
struetively dealt with ct the earlies
possible moment. The pressing meet
of such IS islation is daily becoming
more obvious.