Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1918-12-03
The president said: Gentlemen of the congress:

ne pl eSlQcnt Salu:
 Gentlemen of the congress-
 The year that has elapsed since l last stood before you to fulfill my constitutional duty to give to the con eress from time to time information on the state of the union has been so crowded with great events, great processes and great results that l cannot hope to give you an adequate picture of it's transactions or of the far reaching changes which have heen wrought in the life of our na- tion and of the world.
 You have yourselves witnessed these things, as have. It is too soon to assess them; and we who stand in the midst of them and arc part of them are less qualified than mei( 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 sense part of the pub- lie business with which it is our duty to deal To state them is to set the stage for the legislative and execu- tive action which must grow out of them Which we have yet to shape and determine
 A year ago we had sent 145.91S men overseas. ince then we have sent 1.950.513. an. average of 162,- 542 each month, the number in fact rising in May to 245,951, ill June to 27S .76O, in July to 3O7.1S2 and con- tinuing to reach similar figures in August and September-in August 2S9.570 and in September 257, ,43S. No such movement of troops ever took place before, across three thousand miles of sea-followed by adequate equipment and supplies. and carried safely through extraordinary dangers in attack dangers which are alike 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.
 need not tell you what lay back of this great movement of men and material. It is not invidious to say that back of it lay a supporting or ganization of the industries of the, of the country and all its productive ac- .ivities more complete, m>"e thorough
 in method and effective ill results, more spirited and unanimous in pur- poses and effort than any other great telligerent had ever been able to ef- feet. We profited greatly by the ex- perience of the nations which had al- ready been engaged for nearly three years in the cxigent and exacting business, their every resource and every executive proficiency taxed to the utmost We were the pupils. But we learned quickly and' acted with a promptness and a readiness of CO., operation that justify our great pride that we were able to serve the world with unparalleled energy and quick accomplishment. | .. But it is not the physical scale and executive efficiency of preparation. supply. equipment and dispatch that l would dwell upon, but the mettle and quality of tle, 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 them i selves more quickly ready for the | test CT DdLtic UT dCQuiCVCu SAOAA"SA'SS 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 irresisti- ply forward 70 the final triumph may l 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 auda- city efficiency and unhesitating cour- age that touched the story of con voy and battle with imperishable dis tinction atslevery turn. whether the enterprise were great or small-from their chiefs, Pershing and Sims. down to the youngest lieutenant; and thei' men were worthy of themsuch mer as hardly need to be commanded, and go to their terrible adventure blithsl, | ly and with the quick intelligence o1
 fContInued on page fiye)