Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-12-03
FULL TENT OF WILSON'S
ADDRESS BEFORE CONGRESS

The Presidents address 10 Congnss
Was as follows
Gentlemen Of the Congress: Tho
wear that has elapsed since last stood
before Son 10 fulfill my constitutional
duty 10 give Congress from tame 10 time
information on the state OF the Union
has been 80 crowded with great events,
great processes and great results that
, cannot hope to give yOu an adequate
picture of IT'S transactions or Of the isr
reaching changes which have been wrought
IN the life oi our nation and of the world
You have Yourselves witnessed these
things as have II is too soon 70 asses,
them, and We who stand in The midst 81
them and are part Of them arc less qualified
than men Of another generation Will be
10 say what they mean or even what they
have been.
But some great outstanding facts are
unmlStakablc and constitute IN . sense
part OF the public business wlth which II
is our duty 10 deal To state them Is
to sct the stage for the legislative AMI
executive action which must grow ont Of
them and which We have vrt 10 shape
and determine
CITES TIA y sPorTATToN or rEo0ps.
4 ycAr ago We had sent l45. los mon
overseas Since then we have sent / $50
5I3, an average Of To-, ,542 each month.
the number In fact rising in May last
TO 25.95I, In June to 2rS, TOO, 10 july
10 307 lS2 and continuing TO reach similar
figures IN August and September in
August $50, $40 and IN September 257 ,33S
No such movement Of troops ever took
place before across 5000 miles Of sea,
followed by adequate equipment and
supplies and carried safely through ex-
traordlnary dangers OF attack danger
which were like strange and infinitely
difficult TO guard against In all this
movement only 75S men were lost by
enemy attackS-630 OF whom were upon
a single English transport which was
sunk near the Orkney Islands.
GREAT INDUSTRIAL ACHIEVEMENTS.
need not tell YOU what lay back Of
this great movement of men and material
II is not invidious to say that back of II
lay q supporting organization of the IN
dustrles of the country, and Of all its
productive activities more complete,
more thorough in method and effective
in results, more spirited and unanimous
in purpose and effort than any other g
belligerent had ever been able To effect.
We prohted greatly by the experience
Oh the U1JlOUb WHICH lldQ dIitdQy I(tcD
engaged for nearly three years In the
eXigent and exacting business, their every
resource and every executive proficiency
to the utmost We were pupils. We
learned quickly and acted with prompt
ness and q readiness of cooperation that
justify our great pride that we were able
70 serve the world with unparalleled
energy and quick accomplishment.
HIGH PRAISE goR q. s. FIGHTERS.
But it is not the physical scale and
executive efficiency OF preparation, supply,
equipment and dispatch that / would
dwell upon, but the mettle 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. No soldiers or sailors ever proved
themselves more quickly ready for the
test Of battle or acquitted themselves with
more splendid courage and achievement
when put TO the test.
Those Of us who played some part IN
directing the great processes by which
the war was pushed irresistiblv forward
to the final triumph may now forget all
that and delight our thoughts with the
story Of what our men did. Their officers
understood the grim and eXacting task
they had undertaken and performed with
audacity, efficiency and unhesitating
courage that touched the story Of convoys
and battle with impershable distinction
at every turn, whether the enterprise
were great or small-from their chiefs,
Pershing and Sims, down to the youngest
lieutenant; and their men were worthy
OF thenl-such men as ha rdly need to be
commanded, and go to their terrible
adventure blithely and with the quick
intelligence Of these who know just what
it is they would accomplish.
PROUD or FELLow-CoUNTRYmEN.
am proud to be the fellow-countryman
Of men of such stuff and valour. Those
OF US who stayed at home did our duty;
war could not have cen won or the
gallant men who fought it given their
opportunity to win it otherwise; but for
many a long day we shall think ourselves
"accurs'd were we not there, and hold
our manhoods cheap while any speaks
that foughg, with these at st. Mlhiel or
ThieTy.
The memory OF those days Of triumphant
battle viii go with these fortunate men to