Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-12-12

,dent Wilson formally announced his
intention to go to Paris for the peace
conference. saying the allied govern
uents have accepted principles enunci'
ated by him for peace and it Is his
paramount duty to be present.
The message follows:
Gentlemen of the Congress:
The year that has elapsed since l
last stood before you to fulfil my con.
stitutional duty to give to the congress
from time to time information on the
state OF the union has been SO crowded
with great events, great processes and
great results that / cannot hope to give
you an adequate picture Of its transac.
tons or Of the fa~r-reaching changes
which have been wrought in the life Of
our nation and OF the world You have
yourselves. witnessed these things, As
have.
= year ago we had sent 1898 men
overseas. Since then We have sent
1,s5o.513. an average Of 1882 each
month, the number. in fact, rising in
May last to 245,951, in June to rs, 100,
in July tc. 3o7.1S2 and continuing 10
reach similar fittrts IN August and
S~optembe---!n August 269.570 and in
Soufe7hber a57 43s, 10 such movement
OF troops egcrtoo sol place befdfe, across
1900 miles of sea, followed by AIDE,
I!ate Equipment and supplies, and car
fled safely through extraordinary dan
gers Of att~ack-~Gangcrs which were
alike strange and infinitely difficult to
guard against. In all this movement
only 75S men were lost BY enemy at.
tacks-G30 of whom were upon a sin
gle English transport which was sunk
near the Orkney islands.
need not tell you what lay back of
this great movement Of men ma
terial. 1t is not inyidious to say that
back Of it lay q supporting organiza-
ton Of the industries Of the country
and all its productive activities more
complete, more thorough in purpose
and effort than any other great bel
llgerent had ever been able to effect.
We profited greatly by the experience
Of the nations which had already been
engaged for nearly three years in the
exigent and eXacting business. their
every resource and every executive
proficiency taxed to the utmost. we
were the pupils. But We learned quick
ly and acted with a promptness and a
readiness of cooperation that justify
our great pride that we were aole 10
eerye the world with unparalleled en-
r and quick accomplishment.
But it is not the physical scale anc
executive efficiency of preparation
supply, equipment and dispatch that
would dwell upon, but the mettie anS
quality of the officers and men we sen
over and of the sailors who kept ths
seas, and the spirit of the nation tina
stood behind them. No soldiers, OF
sailors, ever proved themselves more
quickly ready for the test OF battle o.
acquitted themselves with more sp!en
did courage and achievement when pu
10 the test. Those Of us who played
some mart in directing the great proc
esses by which the war was pushed II
rrsistibIy forward to the final triumph
may now forget all that and dellgn
our thoughts with the story OF VIVA
u men did. Their officers undel
stood the grim and exacting task Ihe
had undertaken and performed wit
audacity. efficiency and unhesitatin
courage that touch the story OF II
and battle with imperishabie dlstln'
ton at every turn, whether the enlel
prise were great or small--from thel
chiefs, Pershing and Sims. down to IN
youngest lieutenant; and their me
were worthy of them-such men q
hardly need to be commanded, 6
to their terrible adventure blithe'y an
with the quick intelligence OF thos
who know just what 1t Is they "oul
accomplish. am proud to be the IL
low.countryman Of men Of sutn stu
and valor. .
Those of us who stayed at home d
our duty; the war could not have bet
won or the gallant men who fought
given their opportunity to win 1t 9TH
wise; but for many a long day we sn'
think ourselves "accursed We, were n
there, and held our manhoods cne'
while any speaks that fought WI ",
these at st. Mihiel or Thierry' =
memory Of those days of trlur'pha
battle will 80 with these fortuna
me to their graves; and eacn "
have his favorltc memory. oi" III
forget; yet all shall be forgot. ort IN
remember with advantages what fes
he did that day"
And what shall We say OF inc "o
en--of their instant intelligen'
quickeniny every task that 70
touched; their capacity for organ
ton and cooperation, which ave IN
action discipline and enhanced the
scctiycness Of everything they
tempted. their aptitude at TASKS
which they had never before set IN
hands. their utter snlf.sacsifice ana
what they did and in what thoy 60
Their contribution 10 tb' great res