Omaha daily bee., 1918-12-03
.TTyASHINGTON, Dec. 2-Fol-
wv lowing is the complete text

udy on It's reassenOling lot the nnal
session.
Gentlemen of the Congress:
The year that has elapsed since
last stood before you to fulfill my
constitutional duty to give the con-
gress from time TO time information
on the state of the union, has been
so crowded with great events, great
processes and great results that
cannot hope to give you an ade-
quate picture OF its 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 assess
them; and we who stand in the
midst of them and are part of them
are less qualified than men of an
other 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 ...
A year ago we had sent l45,o18
men, overseas. Since then we have
sent l,9505l3, an average of 1882
each MONTH The number, in fact, 'ris-
ing in May last to 245,95l; in June
TO 1880; in July to 307,l82, and
continuing to reach similar figures
in August and September-in Au-
gust 289,570 and in September 257,-
438.
Big Troop Movement.
! 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
,ttack-dangers which were alike
strange and infinitely difficult to
guard against In all this move
ment only 758 men were lost by
] enemy attacks-630 of whom were
ipon a single English transport
which was sunk near the Orkney
stands.
| need not tell you what lay back
If this great movement of men and
material. 1t is not invidious to say
that back of it lay supporting Or
ganization of the industries of the
country and all its productive activi-
ties more complete, more thorough
in method and effective in results,
more spirited and unanimous in pur-
pose and effort than any other great
belligerent had ever been able to
effect. We profted greatly by the
experience of the nations which had
already been engaged for nearly
three years in the exigent and exact
ing business, their every resource
and every executive proficiency
taxed to the utmost. We were the
pupils. But we learnad quickly and
acted with a promptness and a
readiness of cooperation that jus
tify our great pride that we were
able to serve the world with I'M
parafleled energy and quick &C
complishment.
Tribute to Men.
But it is not the physical scale
and executive efficiency of prepare
ton, supply, equipment and dis
patch that | would dwell upon, but
the mettle and quality of the Off
GERS and men we sent over and OF
the sailors who kept the seas, and
the spirit of the nation that stood
behind them. N soldiers, or sal
lors, every 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 war was pushed ire
sistibly forward to the final triumph
may now forget all that and delight
our thoughts with the story of what
our men did. Their officers under
stood the grim and exactlng task
they had undertaken and performed
with audacity, efficiency, and unhes-
itating courage that touch the story
of convoy and battle with imperish-
able distinction at every turn,
whether the enterprise were great
or small--from their chiefs, Per-
shing and Sims, down to the young
est lieutenant; and their men were
worthy of them-such men as hard
" need to be commanded, and go to
their terrible adventure blithely and
with the quick intelligence of those
who know just what it is they
would accomplish.
am proud to be the fellow coun-
tryman of men of such stuff and
valor. 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 OPP
portunity to win it otherwise; but
for many long day we shall think
ourselves "accurs'd we were not
there, and hold our manhoods
cheap while any speaks that fought"
with these at St. Mihiel or Thierry.
The memory of those days of tri-
umphant battle will go with these
fortunate men to their graves; and
each will have his favorite memory.
"Old men forget; yet all shall be
forgot. but he'll remember with ad-
vantages what feats he did that
dayr
At Critical Time.
What we all thank God for with
deepest gratitude is that our men
went in force into the line of bat
tie just 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
struggle-turn it once for all, so