The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-12-04
President Tells Congress Para.
mount Duty Is to Be at
Peace Conference.
TO KEEP NATION POSTED
Congress to Know All Details Of Pan
ley by cable-Reconstruction Is
Left to Lawmakers-Urees
Woman Suffrage.

LoLy z o. II -
the full text of President Wilson's
message, delivered by him before both
houses OF congress:
Text Of the Message.
Gentlemen of the Congress:
The year that has elapsed since |
last stood before you to fulfill my on.
stitutional duty to give the congress,
from time to time, information on the
state of the Union has been so crowd
ed with great events, great processes
and great results that | cannot hope
to give you an adequate picture of it's
transactions or of the far-reaching
changes which have been wrought In
the life of our nation and of the world.
You have yourselves witnessed these
things as | have. 1t is too soon to as
sess them, and we who stand in the
midst of them and are part OF them
are less qualified than men of another
generation will be to say what they
mean, or even what they have been.
But some great outstanding facts are
unmistakable and constitute in a sense
part of the public business with which
II Is u duty to deal. To state them
Is to set the stage for the legislative
and executive action which must grow
out of them and which we have yet to
shape and determine.
A year ago we had sent las ,918 men
overseas. Since then we have sent
1~.950,513, an average of 162,542 each
month, the number in fact rising in
May last to 245, 1851, In June to 27S, 760,
In July to 307,1S2 and continuing to
reach similar figures in August and
September-in August 2S9,570 and in
September 257,43S.
Movement 10 Unique.
No such movement of troops ever
took place before, across 5000 miles
Of sea, followed by adequate equip
ment and supplies and carried safely
through extraordinary dangers of at
tack - dangers which we're alike
strange and infinitely difficult to guard
against. In all this movement only
75S men were lost by enemy attacks
$50 of whom were upon a single Eng
lish transport. which was sunk near
the Orkney islands,
Fighters Are Praised.
But 1t 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 ave. 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 wal was
pushed irresistibly forward to the
final triumph may now forget all that
and delight our thoughts with the
story of what our men did.
need not tell you what lay back OF
this great movement of men and ma
teriaI. II Is not invidious to say that
back of 1t lay a supporting organiza
ton of the industries OF the country
and all It's productive activities more
complete, more thorough in method
: and effective In results, more spirited
l and unanimous in purpose and effort
than any other great belligerent hao
, ever beer able to effect. We profitec
, greatly by the experience of the ma
tons which had already been en-
. gagged for nearly three years in the
exigent and exacting business, theil
; every and every executive
proficiency taxed to the utmost. We
were the pupils. but we learned quick
" and acted with a promptness and
: readiness of cooperation that justif.
our great pride that we were able t.
0 serve the world with unparalleled
energy and quick accomplishment.
q Their officers understood the grin
h and exacting task they had undertaken
and performed with audacity, eff
, cheney and un~hesitating courage tina
touch tho story of convoy and battl'
with imperishable distinction at ever,
turn, whether the enterprise wer
great or small - from their CHIEFS
Pershing and Sims, down to the young
d est lieutenant, and their men worth
q of them-such men as hardly need t
be commanded, and go to their tel
a rible adventure blithely and with tn
: quick intelligence of those who kno'
Just what 1t is they would accomplish
I am proud to be the fellow countr,
man OF men of such stuff and valol
\ Those of us who stayed ct home di
!
LOO Wounded Arrive Horne
- ~ q lNLA .nn -.xrh