Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-12-02
Wilson's Message


sides the immense practical
services they have rendered, the
women of the country have
been the moving spirits in the
systematic economies by which
our people have voluntarily as
sisted to supply the suffering
peoples of the world and the
armies 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.
The Great Triumph
And now we are sure of the
great triumph for which every
sacrifice was made. 1t has come,
come in its completeness, and
with the pride and inspiration of
these days of achievement quick
within us we turn to the tasks of
peace again-a peace secure
against the violence of ire
sponsible monarcks and am ,
bilious military coteries ard
made ready for a new order, for
new foundations of justice and
fair dealings.
We are about to give order
and organization to this peace,
not only for ourselves but for
the other peoples of the world as
well, so far as they will suffer
us TO serve them. 1t is interna-
tional justice that we seek, not
domestic safety merely. Our
thoughts have dwelt of late upon
Europe, upon Asia, upon the
Near and the Far East, very lit
tie upon the acts of peace and
accommodation that wal. to be
performed at our ow1 doors.
While we are adjusting our rela-
tiCua with the rest OF the world
is it not OF capital importance
that we should clear away all
grounds of misunderstanding
with our immediate neighbors
and give proof of the friendship
we really feel? | hope that the
members of the Senate will per-
NIT me to speak once more of
the unratified treaty of friend
ship and adjustment with the re-
public of Colon Dia. / very earn
estly urge upon them an early
and favorable action upon that
vital matter. believe that they
will feel, with me, that the stage
of affairs is now set for such ac-
tion as will be not only just but
generous and in the spirit of the
new age upon which we have
so happily entered.
So Iar as our domestic affairs
are concerned, the problem of
our return to peace is a prob
lem of economic and industrial
readJustment. That problem is
less serious for us than it may
turn out to be for the nations
which have suffered the disar-
rangements and the losses of,
the war longer than we.
American People RcSourceful
Our people, however, do not
wait to be coached and led.
They know their own business,
are quick and resourceful at
every readjustment, definite in
purpose and self-reliant in ac-
tion. Any leading strings we
' might seek to put them in would
speedily become hopelessly tam
gled, because they would pay no
attention to them and go their
own way. All that we can do
as their legislative and executive
servants is to mediate the
process of change here, there
and elsewhere as we may
Hears Much Counsel
| have heard much counsel as
to the plans that should be
formed and personally conduct
ed to a happy consummation.
but from no quarter have | seen
any general scheme of recon
struction" emerge which 1
thought it likely we could force
our spirited businessmen and
self-reliant laborers to accept
With due pliancy and obedience.
While the war lasted We set
up many agencies by which to
direct the industries of the
country in the services it was
necessary for them to render,
by which to make sure of an
abundant supply of the materi-
ais needed, by which to check
undertakings that could for the
time be dispensed with, and
stimulate these that were most
serviceab BILE in war, by which to
gain for the purchasing depart
ments of the Government a cer-
tain control over the prices of
essential articles and materials,
by which to restrain trade with
alien enemies, make the most
of available shippind and sys-
tematize financial transactions,
both public and private, so that
there would be no unnecessary
conflict or confusion-by which,
in short, to put every material
energy of the country in harness
to draw the common load and
make of us one team in the ac-
complishment of q great task.
But the moment we knew the
armistice to have been signed,
we took the harness off. Raw
material, such as upon which
the government had kept it's
hands. for war but there should
not be enough for the industries
that supplied tho armies, have
been released, and put into the
general market again.
Great Plants Set Free
Great industrial plants whose
whole output and machinery
had been taken over for the
uses of the government have
been set free to return TO the
uses to which they were put be-
fore the war,