Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1918-12-03
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Washington, Dec. >. - President
Wilson addressed congress today:
Reviews Past Year.
The president said:
Gentlemen of the Congress; The
year that has elapsed since last
stood before you to fulfill my con-
stitutional duty to give the congress
from time TO time information on the
state of the union, has been so crowd
ed with great events, great processes
and great results that l cannot hope
to give you an adequate picture of its
transactions or of the far-reaching
changes which have been wrought in
the life of our nation and of the
world You have yourselves Witness
ed these things as / have. II IS too
soon to assess them; and who stand
in the midst of them and are part of
them are less qualified than men of
another generation will be to say
what they mean or even what they
have been. But some great out
standing facts are unmistakable and
constitute in a sense part of the pub
lie business with which il is our duty
TO deal. To state them is to set the
stage for the legislative and executive
action which must grow out of them
and which we have yet to shape and
determine.
A year ago we had sent 1888
men overseas. Since then we have
sent 1,950,513. an average of 1852
each month, the number in fact rising
in May last TO 245.951, in June to
27S,760; in July TO 307.lS2. and con-
tinuing to reach similar figures in
August and September--in August
2S9,570, and in September 257 ,438.
No such movement of troops ever
took place before. across three thou
sand miles of sea, followed by ade-
quate equipment and supplies and
carried safely through extraordinary
dangers of attaek-dangers which
We're alike strange and infinitely diff
ficult TO guard against. In all this
movement only 1853 men were lost by
enemy attacks-630 of whom were
upon single English transport,
which was sunk near the Orkney
islands.
need not tell you what lay back
of this great movement of men and
material
II is invidious TO say that back OF
il lay supporting organization of the
industries of the country and all Its
productive activities more complete,
more thorough in method and effec-
tive in results, more spirited and
unanimous in purpose and effort than
any other great beligerent had ever
been able to effect. We profited
greatly by the experience of the ma
lions which had already been engaged
for nearly three years in the exigent
and exacting business. their every re-
source and every executive profici-
ency taxed to the utmost. We were
a. t,t xun Ina nh
and acted with a promptness and a
readiness of cooperation that justify
our great pride that we were able to
serve the world with unparalleled
energy and quick accomplishment.
Metal of Soldiers Praised.
But it is not the physical scale and
executive efficiency of preparation
supply, equipment and despatch thai
I would dwell upon, but the mettlt
and quality of the officers and men
we sent over and of the sailors who
kept the seas. and the spirit OF the
nation that stood behind them. M
soldiers or sailors ever proved them
selves more quickly ready for the tes
of battle or acquitted themselves witt
more splendid courage and achieve
ment when nut to the test Those o.
us who played some part IN directing
the great processes by which the wal
was pushed irresistibly forward to tn
final triumph may now forget all tina
and delight our thoughts with thu
story of what our men did. Thei
officers understood the grim and ex
acting task they had undertaken ant
performed with audacity, efficienc.
and unhesitating courage that toucl
the story of convoy and battle witt
imperishabe distinction at every turn
whether the enterprise were great o
small-from their chiefs, Pershinl
and Sims, down to the youngest lieu
tenant and their men were worth
of them-snch men as hardly need I
be commanded and go to their terri
BILE adventure blithely and with tn
quick intelligence of those who kno'
lust what it is they would accom-
plish / am proud to be the fellow
countryman of men of such stuff an
yalour. Those of us who stayed a
home did our duty; the war could nc
have been won or the gallant me
who fought ii given their opportunit
TO win 1t otherwise; but for many
long day we shall think ourselve
"accursed we were not there. an
hold our manhoods cheap while an
speaks that fought" with these at s
Mihiel or Thierry. The memory {
those days of triumphant battle wi
70 with these fortunate men to the
graves: and each will have his favol
lite memory "Old men forget; yet a
shall be forgot. but he'll remembt
with advantages what feats he di
that day."
What we all thank God for wit
deepest gratitude is that our me
went into force into the line or ba
tie Just at the critical moment whe
the, whole fate of the world SCENE