The Monticellonian., 1918-12-06
WILL S0N'S ADDRESS OPENS
 REV SESSION. OF CONGRESS
Formally Announces His Trip to Europe Take Delbeiations-Expresses Hope of Public Suppor-Desres to See Treaty of Peace by Spring-No Definite
 Program of Reconstruction al This Time.

what it is they should accomplish.
 Il am proud 10 be the fellow -coua- tryman of men of such stuff and val or. Those of us who stayed at home did our duty; the war could not have been won or the gallant men who fought 1t given their opportunity To win it otherwise; but for many q long day We shall think ourselves ae- cursed we were not there and held our manhood cheap while any speaks that fought with these at St. Mihiel or Chateau Thierry. The memory of those days of triumphant battle will gG with these unfortunate men . their graves; and each will have his fayorite memory. Old men forget; yet all shall be forgot, but he'll re member with advantages what feats he did that dayi'
 What we all thank God for with deepest gratitude is that our men went in force into the line of battle Just at the critical moment when the whole fate of the world seemed to hang in the balance, and threw their fresh strength into the ranks of free dom in time to turn the whole tide and sweep off the fateful struggle turn 1t once for all. so that hence forth it was back, back, back for their enemies, always back, never again forward. After that it was only q scant four months before the com manders of the central empires knew themselves beaten, and now their very empires are in liquidation,
 And throughout it all how fine the spirit of the nation was; wha. unity of purpose, what untiring zeal. What elevation of purpose ran through all it's splendid display Of strength, it's untiring accomplish ment! I have said that those of us who stayed at home to do the work Of organization and supply will al- ways wish that we had been with the men whom We sustained by our la bor; but we can never be ashamed. It has been an inspiring thing to oe here in the minds of fine men who had turned aside from every private interest of their own and devoted the whole of their trained capacity to the tasks that supplied the sinews of the great undertakings
 The patriotism, the unselfshness. the thoroush-going devotion and dis tlnguished capacity that marked their toilsome labors, day after day, month after month, have made them fit mates and comrades of the men in the trenches and on the sea. And not the men here in Washington only They have but directed the vast achievement. Throughout innumera- ble factories, upon innumerable farms, in the depths of coal mines and copper mines and iron mines and copper mines, wherever the stuffs Of industry were to be obtained and prepared, in the shipyards, on the railways, at the docks, on the sea. In every labor that was needed to sus- tain the battle lines, men have vied with each other to do their part and do it well. They can look any man at-arms in the face and say, we also stroye to win and gave the best that was in us to make our fleets and ar mics sure of their triumph!
 And what shall We say of the wonl- en-of their instant intelligence, quickening every task that they touched; their capacity for organiza- ton and cooperation which gave their action discipline and enhanced the effectiveness of everything they attempted, their aptitude at tasks lo which they had never before set their hands; their utter sacrifice alike in what they did and in what they gave? Their contribution to the great re- suit is beyond appraisal. They have added new lustre to the annals of American womanhood.
 The least tribute we can pay them is to make them the equals of men
 n political rights as they have prov ed themselves their equals in every field of practical work they have en- tered, whether for themselves or for their country. These great days of completed achievement would be sad ly marred were we to omit that act of justice. Besides the immense practi- cal services they have rendered, the women of the country have been the moving spirits in the systematic econ omies by which our people have vol untarily assisted to supp.y the suffer ing peoples of the world and the ar mics upon every front with food and everything else that we had that might serve the common cause. The details of such a story can never be fully written, but we carry them at our hearts and thank God that we can say that We are the kinsmen of such.
 Another Troopship Sails.