The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1918-12-06

at this time, but the conclusion that
1t was my paramount duty to go has
been forced upon me by considera-
elusive to you as they have seemed to
me.
Accept u. S. Bases of Peace.
The allied governments have &C
cepted the bases of peace which out
lined to the congress on the Sth of
January last, as the central empires
also have, and very reasonably desire
my personal counsel in their interpre-
tation and application, and it is highly
desirable that | should give it in order
that the sincere desire of our govern
ment to contribute without selfish pur
pose of any kind in settlements that
will be of common benefit to all the
nations concerned may be made fully
manifest.
The peace settlements which are
now to be agreed upon are of tran
sendent Importance both to us and
to the rest of the world, and | know
of no business Or interest which should
take precedence of them. The gallant
men Of our armed forces on land and
sea have consciously fought for the
ideals which they knew to be the
ideals of their country; have sought
to express those ideals; they have &C
copied my statements of them as the
substance of their own thought and
purpose, as the associated govern.
ments have accepted them; owe it to
them to see it, 50 far as in me hes
that no false or mistaken interpreta.
ton is pU. upon them and no possible
effort omitted to realize them.
It is now my duty to play my full
part in making good what they offered
in their life's blood to obtain. / can
think of no call to service which could
transcend this.
Never before have there been agen.
cies in existence in this country which
knew so much of the field of supply,
of labor and of industry as the war
industries board the war trade board,
the labor department., the food admin
lStratiOn and the fuel administration
have known since their labOrs became
thoroughly systematized; and they
have not been isolated agencies they
have been directed by men who rep
resented the permanent departments
Of the government and so have been
the centers of unified and cooperative
action. 1t has been the policy of the
executive, therefore, since the armis-
tice was assured (Which is in effect a
complete submission Of the enemy to
put the knowledge Of these bodies at
the disposal of the business men of
the country and to offer their intelli-
gent mediation at every point and in
every matter where it was desired.
Problem Economic One.
So far as our domestic affairs are
concerned the problem of our return
to peace is problem of economic
and industrial REIMBURSEMENT. That
problem is less serious for us than
it may turn out to be for the ma
tons which have suffered the disar-
engagements and the losses of war
longer than we.
While the war lasted we set UP
many agencies by which to direct the
industries of the country in the serv-
ices it was necessary for them to rem
der, 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 Serviceable in war, by
which to gain for the purchasing de-
partments of the government certain
control over the prices of essential
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 unnecessary
conflict or cOnfusion-by which, in
short, to put every material energy of
the country in harness to draw the
common load and make of us one team
in the accomplishment of a great
task.
entirely concur with the secretary
of the treasury in recommending that
the two billions needed in addition to
the four billions provided by existing
law be obtained from the profits which
have accrued and shall accrue from
war contracts and distinctively war
business, but that these taxes be con-
fined to the war profits accruing in
1918, or in 1919 from business origi-
mating in war contracts
urge your acceptance of his recon-
mendation that provision be made
now, not subsequently, that the taxes
to be paid in 1920 should be reduced
from six to four billions.
May I not hope, gentlemen of the
congress, that in the delicate tasks T
shall have to perform on the other.
side of the sea, in my efforts truly and
faithfully to interpret the principles