The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-12-03
President sAddress
To the Congress
Of the Congress

.sfhe wear that has elapsed since
Lat stood before you to fuIf1ll my CON
sllkuttcnal duty to give to the con-
Exuos from time to time information
on tho state Of the union has been
- crowded with great events and
xfeat results that ] cannot hope to
Rfve you an adequate picture OF its
transactions or of the far-reachinS
-xsAaneeA which have been wrought In
xhe life OF. onr nation aud OF ~;tfre
world. You have yourselves witness
ed. these things as | have. 1t is toe
so0n to assess 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 ID
eay what they mean or even what
tk1y have been. But some great out
standing facts are unmistakable and
constitute in sense part Of the pub
lie business with which 1t is our duty
70 deal To state them is to set the
stage for the legislative and execu-
TN aetion which must grow out OF
tifegn and which we have yet to shape
ana determine.
"A year ago we had sent 1898
men overseas. Since then we have
aant l,350,hls, an average of 162,542
each month, the number, in fact
to 271.7So. in July to s07,ls2, and
continuing to reach similar figures in
August and Septen BERN August
z4S.57o and in September 257,43S.
No such movement Of troops ever
took place before. across 3,00~ miles
Of "a, followed by adequate equip
rant and supplies. and carried safely
s140ngA extraordinary dangers OF
AAtnck-dangers which were alike
.6G.S ga 1AASR ~tx dfHTrY,l 10 r.a rd
AGAINST In all this movement only
Tee men were lost by enemy attack,
SO Of whom were upon a single Eng
h1A transport, which was sunk near
tAss orkncy islands.
n need mot tell you what lay back
~ this great movement of men and
unAsriAi II - not invidious 10 say
tba4 hack Of II hay the supporting or
mnaeanften Of the industries of the
apostsy and at AL ITS productive &C
uv1t5eB. thorough in method and
G01b<tvs IN result. more spirited and
annn1m0us In pur pose and Effort than
an ether great bclligerent had been
- 10 effect We profited greatly by
~ experience Of the nations which
a3f1AAy had been engaged for nearly
tn4Uo years in the exigent and exact
Inc business. their every resource and
4p49y executive proficiency taxed "a
Hut we learned quickly and acted
4 W1fA 4 promptness and Z readiness
II eo.operation that Justify our great
uf1de that we were able 20 serve the
W1fid with unparalleled energy AND
+ Qaiek aeon plishment.
Was Spirit That Won.
Y. But II in not the physical scale and
executive efficiency of preparation
khopiy, equipment and dispatch tha'
lsNuuld dwell upon; but the metti.
I aS14 quality OF the officers and mer
- sent over and OF the sailors who
eG1N the seas and the spirit of the
nation that stood behind them. NJ
SG3oiers or sailors ever proved them
noayes more quickly ready for the tes
Ofsbattle or acquitted themselves viii
nA1ee splendid courage and achieve
H1ent when put TO the test. Those o.
~ who played some part in directins
the great processes by which the wal
Was pushed irresistibly forward II
4 fhe flnal triumph may now forget al
that and delight our thoughts viii
I the story Of what our men did.
Iheir officers understood the grin
and exactng task they had under
taken and performed II with an au
dhetfy. efncienty and unhesitatips
7NUrxxx rhHt t0ucf NE story or con
voy and battle with imperishable dis
tinction at every turn. whether The
enterprise were great or small. from
their great chiefs, Pershing and Sims
a6Nn to the youngest lieutenant: and
sls-anse vsrs-serthy OF them. such