The Colorado statesman., 1918-12-07


of the public. necessary for the re-
Ieasa of credit to those who are ad-
ministerIAg tao railways. necessary
fo9 the protection OF their security
holders The old policy may %
changed much or little. but surely IL
cannot wisely be left as It was.
hope that the Congress Will nave .
complete and impartial study or tho
whole problem instituted at once ana
prosecuted as rapidly as possibie.
II stand ready and anxious to re-
lease the roads from the present con
troll and | must do so at very early
date IL by waiting until the statutory
limit of time ia reached snan DO
merely prolonging the period OF doubt
and uncertainty which Is hurtIui 10
every interest concerned.
The Peace Conferences.
I welcome this occasion to an
nounce to the Congress my purpose
to Join in Paris the representatives
of the governments with wnicn "e
have been associated In the war
against the central empires for tho
purpose OF discussing with them the
main features OF the treaty OF peace.
I realize the great inconvenlences that
will attend my leaving the country,
particularly at this time. but the com
clusion that it was my paramount
duty to go has been forced upon me
by considerations which l hope viii
seem as conclusive to you as they
have seemed to me.
"The allied governments have &C
cepted the bases of peace which out
lined to the Congress on the Sth Oh
January last, as the central empires
also have, and very reasonable desire
my personal counsel in their interpre-
tation and application. and 1t is high
ly desirable that / should give II In
order that the sincere desire OF OUR
government to contribute without self
ish purposes of any kind to settle
ments that will be of common benefit
to all the nations concerned may be
made fully manifest. The peace set
Elements which are now to be agreed
upon are OF transcendent Importance
both to us and to the rest OF the
world, and / know OF no business or
interest which should take precedencs
of them.
Duty to Make Trip.
"The gallant men OF our armed
forces on land and sea have conscious
ly fought for the ideals which they
knew to be the ideals OF their country;
I have sought to express those ideals;
they have accepted my statements OF
them as the substance OF their own
thought and purpose. as the assoct>
ated governments have accepted them;
l owe it to them to see to II. SO far
as in me lies, that no false or mis-
taken Interpretation is put upon them.
and no possible effort omitted to real
lie them 1t is now my duty to play
my full part in making good what
they offered their life's blood to OBJ
tain. l can think OF no call to service
which could transcend this.
81 shall be in close touch with you
and with affairs on this side the wa
ter, and you will know all that | do.
At my request the French and Eng.
lish governments have absolutely re-
moved the censorship Of cable news
which until within a fortnight they
had maintained and there is now no
censorship whatever exercised at this
end except upon attempted trade COM
munications with enemy countries. II
has been necessary to keep an open
wire constantly ayailat's between
Paris and the Department of State
and another between France and the
Department Of War. In order that
this might be done with the least =.
possible interference with the other
uSCo VI tiiC CdpiCS, L hhSc tothpOl
taken over control OF both cables In
order that they may be used as .
single system. l did so at the advice
of the most experienced cable Off
cials and l hope that the results will
Justify my hope that the news of the
Lext few months may pass with the
utmost freedom and with the least
possible delay from each side of the
sea to the other.
May l not hope, gentlemen OF the
Congress, that in the delicate tasks
shall have to perform on the other
side of the sea, in my efforts truly
and faithfully to interpret the princi-
pies and purposes of the country We
love, / may have the encouragement
and the added strength of your unit
ed support? l realize the magnitude
and difficulty of the duty l am under
taking; l am poignantly aware of its
grave responsibilities. / am the serv-
ant OF the nation. 1 can have no pri-
vate thought or purpose of my own
In performing such an errand. i go
to give the best that is in me to the
common settlements which l must
now assist in arriving at In conference
with the other working heads of the
associated governments. | shall count
upon your friendly countenance and
encouragement. l shall not be mac
cessible. The cables and the wireless
will render me available for any coun-
sci or service you may desire of me.
and l shall be happy in the thought
that l am constantly In touch with
the weighty matters of domestic policy
with which we shall have to deal
shall make my absence as brief as
possible and shall hope to return with
the happy assurance that IL has been
possible to translate into action the
great ideals for which America has
striven."