Mexico Missouri message., 1918-06-20
Wilaey's Speech
Let's S Win The War

dent your teeling ana convictions and
am firm in the confidence that in
giving to the President the best CO.
operation that l can give as a member
only doing your will, but am at the
of the United States Senate, am not
same time serving the paramount in
terests of the country.
As see it, there is before US to-
day as a Nation, but one issue that is
worthy of serious consideration. We
are engaged in the most stupendous
undertaking to which this Nation has
ever set its hand. We have joined the
great Democracies OF Europe in the
task Of destroying a great and cruel
autocracy which has undertaken 10
obliterate from the world the princi-
pies upon which Christian civilization
and democratic governments are
founded, to substitute might for right,
and to bring all mankind in subsection
to the rules of cruel savagery. All
things else have been laid aside and
subordinated to the prosecution of this
great undertaking.
In other years, we have approached
campaigns when many issues were be-
fore the people, when the theories of
men and of parties were set forth in
personal and in party platforms, and
by their approval the progress of our
industrial and social development.
But today all such issues are laid a
side and are of no consequence. Cam
paigns have been conducted hereto
fore by candidates advocating some
particular form of control of trusts
and large corporations. Today the
great corporations of the country are
under the control of the Government
to an extent not dreamed of by the
most radical advocates of control a
score of months ago. Today the re-
sources of the great corporations of
the country are at the disposal of the
Government and their activities are
directed under government supervis-
ion, to the sole end of contributing
the full force of their power and re-
sources to the winning of the war.
entry into the war, by government
edict, reduced the price of steel be-
low the then prevailing price de-
veloped under unregulated competi-
tion to an extent that reduced the in
come of the great companies manufac
turing this essential war material by
three billion dollars per annum. The
action of the Government was accept
ed without complaint or mummur
The great directing heads Of the
greatest corporations in the country
have abandoned their private inter
ests at the call of the Government and
are giving their services to the con-
duct of the common business of us
all If there be those who doubt that
unselfish patriotism has moved these
great concerns to submit so readily
to the Goyernmet direction, / care not
to take issue with him and l need not,
for in the selfish interest alone may
be found ample reason for the course
they are pursuing. The farseeing
men of large affairs realize that all
gain is loss unless we win the war
and that all interests must be sub
ordinated to that cause. Under such
circumstances, how futile it void he
for us to waste our time in consider
alton of issues that have passed away.
The issues which confront us today
are serious. difficult, and dangerous.
The thought of the world is centered
upon the war because of the fact that
the destiny of mankind depends upon
its outcome. Until this conflict is
ended, we must devote all our ener.
gies to the single, supreme purpose
OF winning the war To this great
cause for human rights, for human
liberties, we have consecrated all
that we are and all that we possess,
and are prepared to bring into this
great struggle all that may be nee
essary by way of sacrifice and serv-
ice, to the end that victory and trus:
and permanent peace may be secured
for the benefit of humanity.
For more than year we have been
marshaling the energies and resourc-
es of the Nation for this stupendous
struggle. The organization which we
must have is an organization that will
bring to the work of carrying on the
war the full support of all our re.
sources Of capital and labor and mill
tary man-power. backed by all the
social eco~ o~''cal. and financial force
of the Nation, directed to a single