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

Gentlemen OF the congress: The
year that has elapsed since I las
stood before you to fulfill my consti'
tutional duty to give the congress-
from time to time information or
the state OF affairs 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 transactions
or of the far-reaching changes which
have been wrought in the life Of ouI
nation and of the world. You have
yourselves witnessed these things as
have, 1t is too soon to assess
them; and we who stand in the
midst OF them and are part OF them
are less qualified than men Of anoth-
er generation will be to say what
they mean or even what they have
been. But some great, outstanding
facts are unmistakable and consti-
tute in a sense part of the public
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 and which we have yet to
shape and determine.
What Has Been Done
A year ago we had sent 1888
men overseas. Since then we have
sent 1,950.543. an average of 162,542
each month, the number in fact ris-
ing in May last to 245.951, in June
to 27S,760 and in July to 307,182 and
continuing to reach similar figures in
August and September-in August
289,57O and in September 257,439.
Only Lost 759 Men at Sea
No such movement of troops ever
took place before, across 5000 miles
of sea, followed by adequate equip
ment and supplies and carried safe
ly through extraordinary dangers OF
which were alike
strange and infinitely difficult to
guard against. In all this move
ment only 1853 men were lost by en-
envy attacks-G30 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.
A Great Feat.
It is not invidious TO say that back
OF it lay supporting organization of
the Industries OF the country and all
Its productive activities more COM
plete, more thorough in method and
effective in results, more spirited
and unanimous in purpose and effort
than any other great beIligerent had
ever been able to effect. We profited
greatly by tho experience Of the ma
tons which had already been en-
gagged 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
quickly and acted with a promptness
and a readiness of cooperation that
justify our great pride that we were
able to serve the world with unpar =
aueIed energy and quick accomplish
ment.
Due to Spirit of Nation,
But it is not the physical scale
and executive efficiency Of prep
aration, supply, equipment and
dispatch that ! would dwell up
on, but the mettIe and quality of
the officers and men we sent
over and of the sailors who kept
the seas, and the spirit of the ma
tion that stood behind them. No
soldiers, or sailors, ever proved
themselves more quickly ready
tST hIiG SO5k W baA6IG W StSHNtNhSN
themselves with more splendid
courage and achievement when
put to the test.
What Our Men Did.
Those of lis who played some part
in directing the great processes by
which the war 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. Their Officers understood
the grim and eXacting task they had
and performed with au-
dacity, efficiency and unhesitating
courage that touch the story Of con-
voy and battle with imperishable dis
tinction at every turn, whether the
were great or small-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 commanded and
90 to their terrible adventure bllthly,
and with the quick intelligence Of
those who know just what 1t Is they
would accomplish. / am proud to be
the fellow countryman Of men of such
stuff and Valor.
Praise For Home Folks.
Those of us who stayed at
home did our duty; the war could
not have been won or the gallant
men who fought it given their
opportunity to win it otherwise;
but for many long day we shall
think ourselves "aeeursed, we
were not there, and hold our man
hood cheap while any speaks
that fought" with those at st.
Mihiel or Thierry. The memory
of those days of triumphant bat
tie will go with these men
to their graves; and each will
have his favorite memory. "Old
men forget; yet all shall be for
cot, but he'll remember what ad.
Vanees and what feats he did
that day"
Struck in Fateful Hour
What we all thank God for with
deepest gratitude is that our men
went In force into the line OF natIle
lust at the critical moment when the
whole fate of the world seemed to
hang in the balance and threw their
fresh strength into the ranks of
freedom in time to turn the whole
tide and sweep OF the fateful strug-
it once for all, so that
it was back. back back
for their enemies, always back, never
again forward.
Defeat Soon Followed
After that it was only a scant
four months before the commanders
Of the central empires knew them
selves beaten: and now their very
eDiTeS are in LIQUIDATION,
Fine Spirit Of Nation
And throughout it all how fine the
spirit of the nation was; what unity
Of purpose, what untiring zeal! What
elevation OF purpose ran through all
it's splendid display Of strength. its
nntiring accomplishment. I have said