Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-12-07
WILSON ASKS WAR ON AUSTRIA
IN HIS MESSAGE TO CONGRESS

spring out of the other partnership
of a real peace. But there would
be no aggression in that; and such a
situation, inevitable because of dis
trust. would in the very nature of
things sooner or later cure itself, by
| processes which would assUrediy
set in.
The wrongs, the very deep
wrongs. committed in this war will
have to be righted. That, of course.
But they cannot and must not be
righted by the commission Of SINH
lar wrongs against Germany and her
| allies. The world will not permit
! the commission of similar wrongs
as a means of reparation and set
Element Statesmen must by this
time have learned that the opinion
of the world is everywhere wide
awake and fully comprehends the
issues involved. No representative
of any self-governed nation will
dare disregard it by attempting any
such covenants Of selfishness and
| compromise as were entered into at
| the congress of Vienna. The thought
of the plain people here and every
| where throughout the world, the
| people who enjoy no privilege and
have very simple and unsophisti
Gated standards of right and wrong,
is the air all governments must
| henceforth breathe if they would
| live 1t is in the full disclosing
light of that thought that all poll
cies must be conceived and exc
cuted in this midday hour of the
worlds life. German rulers have
been able to upset the peace of the
world only because the German peu-
pie were not suffered under their
oil IN hO hn Rnr nrQI los n in
of the other peoples of the world
either in thought or in purpose.
Russian People Have
Been Poisoned by Falsehoods.
They were allowed to have no
opinion of their own which might
be set up as a rule of conduct for
those who exercised authority over
them. But the congress that con-
cludes this war will feel the full
strength of the tides that run now
in the hearts and consciences of
free men everywhere. It's conclu-
sions will run with those tides.
All these things have been true
from the very beginning of this
stupendous war; and | cannot help
thinking that if they had been made
plain at the very outset the sympa-
thy and enthusiasm of the Russian
people might have been once for all
enlisted on the side of the allies,
suspicion and distrust swept away
and a real and lasting union of pur-
pose effected. Had they believed
these things at the very moment OF
their revolution and had they been
confirmed in that belief since, the
sad reserves which have recently
marked the progress of their affairs
-1e nd
eminent of free men might have
been avoided.
The Russian people have been
poisoned by the very same false
hoods that have kept the German
people in the dark, and the poison
has been administered by the very
same hands. The only possible an
tidote is the truth. 1t cannot be
uttered too plainly 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
20 what | took the liberty of saying
10 the senate in January. Our en-
trance into the war has not altered
our attitude towards the settlement
that must come when it is over.
When / said in January that the ma
tions of the world were entitled not
only to free pathways on the sea
hut also to assured and unmolested
access to those pathways, l was
thinking, and am thinking now, not
of the smaller and weaker nations
alone, which need our countenance
and support, but also of the great
and powerful nations. and of our
present enemies as we'll as our pres
ent associates in the war. / was
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 temporary
foundations for the peace of the
world and must seek them candidly
and fearlessly. AS always, the
right will prove to be the expedient.
| Must Clear Away All
Impediments to Success
What shall we do, then, to push
this great war of freedom and JUS
tice to its righteous conclusion?
We must clear away with thor
ough hand all impediments to sue
cess, and we must make every ad-
justment of law that will facilitate
the full and free use of our whole
capacity and force as lighting
unit
One very embarrassing obstacle
that stands in our way is that we
are at war with Germany, but not
with her allies / therefore very
earnestly recommend that the con-
gress Immediately declare the
United States in a state of war
| with Austria-Hungary. Does II
seem strange to you that this
should be the conclusion of the ar
gument 1 have just addressed to
you? 1t is not. 1t is in fact the
inevitable logic of what l have said.
Austria-Hungary is for the time
| b being not her own mistress, put
simply the vassal of the German
| government We must face the
facts as they are and act upon
them without sentiment In TINS
stern business. The government OF
| Austria-Hungary is not acting
upon it's own initiative or in re-
sponse TO the wishes and Feelings
of it's own people, but as the instru-
rnent of another nation. we must
meet it's force with our own ana
regard the central powers as put
one The war can be successfully
| conducted in no other way
The same logic would lead also
| 10 a declaration of war NalhSt
Turkey and Bulgaria. They also
are the tools of Germany. But they
are mere tools and do not yet stand
i'm the direct path of our necessary
| acticn We shall go wherever the