Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1918-12-02
Wilson Says Acceptance Of His Peace Plans
Makes Presence at Conference imperative Does
Not Want Railroads Returned to Private Con.
toI Without Restrictions Message to Congress
on, Eve Of Departure.

in purpose and effor. than any other
greut belligerent had ever been able
10 effect.
I'VE p.cdtcd greatly by the OK
per.ence Of the nations which had al
ready been engaged for nearly three
years ir this exacting business -their
every resource taxed to the utmost.
We were the pupils. But we learned
quickly and acted with a prom ptness
and a readiness of corporation that
justify our. great pride that we are
able to serve the world with un.
paralleIed energy.
Spirit Of the Nation.
But Il is not the physical scale
and executive efficiency'o preparation,
supply equipment and dispatch saat l
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. E@ -
NO soldiers or sailors ever proved
test o. battle or acquitted themselves
with more splendid courage when put
to the test. Those of us who played
some part in directing the great pro-
cesses iby which the war was pushed
forward to the flnfial 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 touch
the story Of convoy and battle with
.r:aSSlS..1lJie uietirrSt.oT, al every turil,
whether the enterprises were great or
smalI-from their chiefs. Pershing and
Sims. down to the youngest lieutenant;
and their men were worthy Of them
such men as hardly need to be COM
manded and 80 to their duties with
quick INTELLIGENCE and know what they
would accomplish.
- preud Of Fellow countrymsn.
L ana proud to be. the fellow
OF men Of such stun and
valor. Those OF ns who stayed al, home
did our duty. the1war conid not have
been won nor. the gallant mer who
fought 1t given their opportunity to
Win it otherwise; but for many long
day We shall, think ourselves accursed
we were not there and hold our man
hood cheap while any speaks that
fought with these at ST. Mihiel or
Thierry. -
The, memory of those days Of
triumph and battle will go With these
fortunate men to their graves; and
e4ch will have his favorite memory.
"Old men forget; yet. all shall be
forgot. but he'll, remember with ad-
yantages what feats he did that day.
Empires in Liquidation.
What we all thank God for is that
our men went in force into the line Of
battle just at the critical moment when
the fate Of the whole world seemed to
hang in the balance and throw their
strength into the battle in time to turn
the whole tide of the fateful struggle
turn it once for all >so that thencesortsl
it was back, back, back for their enc
mics. always back. never again for
ward! After that it was only a scant
four months before the commanders of
the central empires knew ws'themselves
beaten. Aud now their very empires
are in liquidation.
'.And thruout it all. how fine the
spirit Of the nation was. What unity
Of purpose. what untiring zeal! have
said that all those>of us who stayed at
home to do the work Of organization
and supply will always wish we had
been with the men whom we sustained
by our labor; but we can never be
ashamed.
1T has, bccnYa inspiring thing to be
here in the midst of fine men, who had
turned aside from every private inter-
est Of their own and devoted their
whole training capacity to tasks that
supplied the sinews Of the whole great
The patriotism. the un-
the thorough going devo-
ton and DISTINGUISHED capacity that
marked their =toilsome labors, day after
day. month aftes.nonth. Dave. made
them AT mates and comrades Of the
men in the trenches and on the seas
compIimsnts For Every One.
"And not the men here in Washing
ton only. They have but directed the
vast achievemstt rhFuout innumer-
able factories upon ihnumeFable farms,
in the depths Of coal mines and iron
mines and copper mines, wherever the
staffs Of industry were TO be obtained
ind be prepared; in the ship yards. on
the railways. at the docks on the sea,
in every labor. that waA needed TO sls-
tain the battle lines sWeH have WED with
zach other to Do lhs2 part and to do Il