The Elbert County tribune., 1917-12-07
WILSON'S
MESSAGE
Full Text of Presidents Address
Defining the War Issues and
Aims of American People.
MUST RESTORE LANDS
Says Peace for World Never Can
Be Negotiated with Present
Masters Of Germany.
FIGHTING TO FREE PEOPLE
War Not Upon Industry and En-
terprise of Teutons But on
Autocratic Rulers.
MUST RESTORE LANnS
FIGHTING TO FREE PEOPLE
western Newspaper Union News service.

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
Washington, Dec. 5.-President VIII
son delivered to Congress an address
Tuesday considered SO important in
its relation to international affairs,
that II had been transmitted in ad-
vance by the government to practical
ly every capital in the world.
The President spoke as follows:
Gentle. lcn OF the Congress:
Eigi months have elapsed since |
last h.la The honor of addressing you.
They have been months crowded with
events OF immense and grave signifi-
cance for us. | shall not undertake
to detail or even to summarize those
events.
The practical particulars OF the part
we have played in them will be laid
before you in the reports of the ex-
ecutive departments. | shall discuss
only our present outlook upon these
vast affairs. our present duties and
the immediate means of accomplish
ing the objects we shall hold always
In view.
shall not go back to debate the
causes of the war The intolerabie
wrongs done and planned against us
by the sinister masters of Germany
have long since become too grossly
obvious and odious to every true Am
erican to need to be rehearsed
But l shall ask you to consider
again and with 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 action must
move straight towards definite ends.
Our object is. of course, to win the
war. and we shall not slacken or suf-
fer ourselves to be diverted until it
is won. But 1t is worth while asking
and answering the question, when
shall we consider the war won?
From one point of view it is not
necessary to broach this fundamental
matter. do not doubt that the Am
erican people know what the war is
about and what sort of an outcome
they will regard as realization OF
their purpose In 1t. AS nation we
are united In spirit and intention.
l pay little heed to those who tell
me otherwise. i hear the voices OF
dissent--who does not? l hear the
criticism and the clamor of the noisy,
thoughtless and troublesome. l also
see men here and there fling them
selves in impotent disloyalty against
the calm, indomitable power of the ma.
ton. hear men debate peace who
understand neither its nature nor the
way in which we may attain 1t with
uplifted and unbroken spirits. But
know that none of these speaks for
the nation. They do not touch the
heart Of anything. They may be safe
ly left to strut their uneasy hour and
be forgotten.
But from another point of view,
believe that 1t is necessary to say
plainly what we here at the seat ol
action consider the war to be for, and
what part we mean to play in the set
tlement OF its searching issues. We
are the spokesmen of the American
people and they have right to know
whether their purpose is ours. They
desire peace by the overcoming oi
evil, by the defeat once for all of the
sinister forces that interrupt peace
and render it impossible, and they
wish to know how closely our thought
runs with theirs and what action we
propose.
ugly Face" Must Be Crushed.
They are impatient with those who
desire peace by any sort of comprom
ise-deeply and Indignantly impatient
but they will be equally impatient with
us If we do not make it plain to them
what our objectives are and what we
are planning for in seeking to make
conquest of peace by arms.
believe that l speak for them when
l say two things: First, that this in
tolerabie thing OF which the masters
of Germany have shown us the ugly
face. this menace OF combined intrigue
and force which we now see SO clear
ly as the German power, thing with
out conscience or honor or capacity
for coyenanted peace, must be
crushed. and If 1t be not utterly
brought to an end, at least shut out
from the friendly intercourse of the
nations: and, second, that when this
thing apd its power are indeed defeat.
ed and the time comes that we can
discuss peace-when the German peo-
pie have spokesmen whose word we
can believe and when those spokes-
men are ready in the name of their
people to accept the common judg-
ment 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
ungrudgingly. We know what that
price will be. 1t will be full. impair
tial justice-iustice done at every
point and to every nation the final
settlement must affect, our enemies
40 well as our friends.
You catch, with me, the voices of
humanity that are in the air. They
grow daily more audible. more articu-