The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-12-02

US to make our fleets and armies
sure of their triumph.
The Patriotic Women.
And that shall we say Of the WON
en- quickening every task that they
touched; their capacity for organiza-
ton and cooperation which gave their
action discipline and enhanced the
effectiveness Of everything they at
tempted; their aptitude at tasks at
which they had never before tried
their hands, their utter self sacri-
flee alike in what they did and in
what they gave? Their contribution
to the great result Is beyond apprais-
al. They have added a new lustre to
the annals of American womanhood.
Equal Rights For Them.
The least tribute we can pay them
| is to make them the equals of men in
political rights as they have proved
themselves their equals in every field
Of practical work they have entered,
whether for themselves or for their
country These great days of COM
pleted achievements would be easily
marred were we to omit that act
of justice. Besides the immense
practical services they have rendered,
the women Of the country have been
the moving spirits in the systematic
economies by which our people have
voluntarily assisted to supply the
suffering peoples Of the world and the
armies upon every front with FOOD
and everything else that we had that
might serve the common cause. The
details of such q story can never be
fully written but we carry them in
our hearts and thank God that we
can say that we are the hnsman OF
such.
Turn to Peace Occupations.
And now we are sure of the great
| triumph for which every sacrifice
was made. It has come, come in its
completeness and with the pride and
inspiration of these days Of achieve
ment quick within us, we turn to the
tasks of peace again-a peace secure
against the violence Of irresponsible
nonarchs and ambitious military cot
cries and make ready for a new or
der, for new foundations OF justice
and fair dealing.
We are about to give order ana
organization to this peace not only
for ourselves, but for the other peo-
pies Of the world as we'll, so far as
they will suffer us to serve them. 1t
is international justice that we seek,
not dometsic safety merely.
| Wants Columbian Treaty Ratified
| Our thoughts have dwelt Of late
upon Europe, upon Asia, upon the
near and the far east, very little up
on the acts Of peace and accommo-
dation that wait to be performed at
our own doors. While we are ad-
justing our relations with the rest
of the world, is it not Of capital i'm
portance that we should clear away
all grounds Of misunderstanding with
our immediate neighbors and give
proof Of the friendship that we re-
ally feel? / hope that the members
Of the senate will permit me to
speak once more of the unratihed
treaty of friendship and adjustment
with the republic Of Columbia. very
earnestly urge upon them an early
| and favorable action upon that vital
matter. believe that they will feel
with me, that the stage Of affairs is
now set for such action as will be
not only just, but generous and in
the spirit of the new age upon which
we have so happily entered.
Reconstruction Talk
So far as our domestic affairs are
| concerned the problem of our re-
turn to peace is a problem Of eco
| nomic and industrial readjustment
| That problem is less serious for us
| than it may turn out to be for the
nations which have suffered the dis
| arrangements and the losses OF war
| longer than we. Our people, more
over, do not wait to be- coached and
| led. }TheysAnow their own business,
are quick and resourcefuI at every
! readjustment, definite in purpose
| and self reliant in action. Any lead
ing strings we might seek to put
them in would speedily become hope
| lessly entangled because they would
pay no attention to them and go
their own way. All that we can do
as their legislative and executive
servants is to mediate the process
| of change here, there and elsewhere
as we may. I have heard much
counsel as to the plans that should
| be formed and personally conducted
| to a happy contamination but from
no quarter have I seen any general
scheme of reconstruction" emerge
which I thought likely we could
| force our spirited businessmen and
self-reliant laborers to accept with
due pliancy and obedience.
Supervision of Supplies.
While the war lasted we set up
; many agencies by which to direct the
industries Of the country in the SER
vices 1t was necessary for them to
render, by which to make sure of an
abundant supply Of the materials
needed, by which to check undertake
| ings that could for the time be dis
pensed with and stimulate those that
were most serYiceable in war by
which to gain for the purchasing de-
partments of the government a GER
tain control over the prices Of essen
tial articles and materials, by which
to restrain trade with alien enemies,
make the most of the available ship
| ping and systematic financial trans
actions, both public and private, so
that there would be no miscarriage
! of decision, in short to put every
available energy in the country to
draw the common load and make of
us one team in the accomplishment
Of O great task.
Bans Removed.
But the moment we know the arm
| istice to have been signed we took
| the harness off. Raw materials upon
which the government had kept its
hand for fear there would not be
enough for the industries that sup.
piled the armies, have been released
and put into the general market
again. Great industrial plants whose
whole output and machinery had been
taken over for the uses of the gov
eminent have been set free to return
to the uses to which they were put
before the war. 1t has not been pos
sible to remove so readily or so
quickly the control of foodstuffs and
of shipping, because the world has
still to be fed from our granaries and