Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1918-12-03
FORMALLY ANNOUNCES TRIP ABROAD:
he WILL keep CONGRESS FULLY INFORMED;
HIS MIND IS Open On THE RAILROAD 0UESTI0
THE TEXT OF WILSON'S
SPEECH TO CONGRESS-

ready for a new order. foi new
foundations of justice and fair
dealing.
We are about to give order
and organization to thise peace
not only for ourselves, but for
the other peoples Of the world az
we'll, so far as they will suffer
us to serve them. 1t is interna-
tional justice that we seek, not
domestic safety merely. Our
thoughts have dwelt Of late upon
Europe. upon Asia, upon the near
and the far East. very little upon
the acts of peace and accommo-
dation that wait to be perform
ed at our own doors. While we
are adjusting our relations with
the rest of the world is it not OF
capital importance that we
should clear away all grounds CT
misunderstanding with Our i'm
mediate neighbors and give proof
Of the friendship we really feel?
[ hope that the members Of the
senate will permit me to speak
once more Of the dnratified
treaty of friendship and adjust
ment with the republic of Colon
bia. l very earnestly urge upon
them an early and favorable ac-
ton upon that vital matter. /
believe that they will feel, with
r.I, AF aT1i~@
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.
So far as our domestic affairs
are concerned the problem of our
eturn to peace is a problem OF
economic and industrial read
justment. That problem is less
serious for US than it may turn
out TO be for the nations which
have suffered the disarTange-
ments and the losses CT war
longer than we. Our people,
moreover, do not wait to be
coached and led. They know
their own business, are quick
and resourceful at every read
justment, definite in purpose, and
self-reliant in action. Any lead
i3g strings we might seek to put
them in would speedily Become
hopelessly tangled 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 me-
date the process of change here,
there and elsewhere as we may.
l have heard much counsel as to
the plans that should be formed
and personally conducted to a
happy consummation, but from
no quarter have l seen any gen
eral scheme of reconstruction
emerge which l thought-it likely
we could force our spirited bus
mess men and self-reliant labor
ers to accept with due pliancy
and obedience.
Industrial Word
While the war lasted We set
up many agencies by which to
direct the industries of the coun-
try in the services IL was neces-
sary for them to render, by
which to make sure of an album
dant supply Of the materials
needed, by which to check under
takings that could for the time
be dispensed with and stimulate
those that were most serviceable
in war, by which to gain for the
purchasing departments of the
government a certain control
over the prices of essential arti-
cles and materials, by which to
restrain trade with alien enc
mics, make the most of the avail
able shipping, and systematic
financial transactions, both pub
lie 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 great task.
But the moment we knew the
armistice to have been signed
we took the harness of. Raw
materials upon which the gov
eminent had kept it's hand for
fear there should not be enough
for the industries that supplied
the armies have been released
and put into the general market
again. Great industrial plants
whose whole output and machin-
cry had been taken over for the
uses of the government have
ben set free to return to the uses
to which thy were put before the
war. 1t has not been possible to
remove so readily or so quickly
the control of foodstuffs and Of
shipping. because the world has
still to be fed from our grana-
ries and the ships are still need