New Britain herald. [microfilm reel] (New Britain, Conn.) 1890-1976, 1917-12-04
PRESIDENT WILSON'S
SPEECH IN Congress.
Continued from First Page)

Continued from First Page
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
which l took the liberty of saying to
the senate in January. Our entrance
into the war has not altered our atti-
tude towards the settlement that must
come when it is over. When I said i'll
January that the nations of the world
We're entitled not only to free path
ways on the sea but also to assured
and unmolested access to these path
Waps I was thinking, and 1 am think
ing now, not of the smaller and weak
er nations alone. which need our coun-
tenance 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 I was
thinking, and am thinking now of Aus
trla herself among the rest, as we'll as
of Serbia and of Poland. Justice and
equality Of rights can be had only at
a. great price. We are seeking pr
manent, not temporary, foundation for
the peace of the world and must seek
them candidly and fearlessly. AS al
ways, the right will prove to be the,
eXpeditent
'What shall we do then, to push
this great war of freedom and justice
to its righteous conclusion? We must
clear away with thorough hand all
impediments to success and we must
make every adjustment of law that
vii i+o4 f,.I1
our whole capacity and force as
fighting unit.
Zone very embarrassing obstacle
that stands in our way is that we are
at war with Germany but not with
her allies. T therefore very earnestly
recommend that congress Immediately
declare the United States in state of
Wars with Austria Hungary. Does it
seem strange that this should be tho
conclusion of the argument I have
just addressed to YOU 1t is not in
fact the logic Of what I have said
Austria Hungary is for the time being
not her own mistress but simply the
Vassal of the German government. We
must face the facts as they are and
act upon them without sentiment in
this stern business. The government
or Austria Hungary is not acting up
on Its own initiative or in response to
the wishes and feelings of its own po-
pies but as the instrument of another
nation. We must meet it's force with
our own and regard the central pow
ers as but one. The war can be sue
ceSstullI> 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
hat we should go only where imme-
1iate and practical considerations lead
is and not heed any others.
THE financial and military meas
Tres which must be adopted will sug-
geSt themselves as the war and its
develop but I will take
-he liberty Of proposing to you certain
other acts Of legislation which seem
to be needed for the support of the
war and Of the release of our whole
force and energy.
1t will be necessary to extend i'll GER
tain particulars the legislation of the
last session with regard to alien ems
mics, and also necessary I believe to
create very definite and particular
control over the entrance and depart
ure of all persons into and from the
United States
'Legislation should be enacted
defining as u criminal offense every
wilful vain of the presidential proc
lamations relating to enemy aliens
promulgated under section 4O67 of the
revised statutes and providing appro-
pirate punishments; and women as
we'll as men should be included under
the terms of the acts placing restraints
upon alien enemies. 1t is likely that
as time goes on many alien enemies
will be willing to be fed and housed
at the expense of the government in
the detention camps and it will be the
purpose of the legislation | have sug-
gested to confine offenders among
them in penitentiaries and other SIM
liar institutions where they could be
made to work as other criminals do.
"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 unre-
selfshness. While we have
eliminated prOfiteering in several
branches of the industry it still runs
rampant in others. The
farmers, for example, complain with
q 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 purchases; and SINH
lar inequities obtain on all sides.
"It is imperatively necessary that the
consideration of the full use of the
water power of the country and also