The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1918-12-12

war trade board or some other body |
to continue control for a time over ex-
ports.
The President concluded with the
announcement OF his forthcoming trip
overseas. He said since the associ-
ated governments had accepted prin-
ciples annunciated by him as the basis
for peace and reasonably desired his
personal counsel in their interpreta-
ton, he regarded it as his paramount
duty to go. Through cables and wire
| less, he added, he would keep in close
touch with all that goes on on this
side, land you will know all that do
He appealed for the encouragement
and added strength Of united support
from congress
! Navy Plan Endorsed.
AS to taxation, the President in
dorsed the plan of levying $6,O00,OO0.-
600 in 1919 and for notifying the pub
lie in advance that the 1920 levy will
be 100000.
The new, three-year naval. building
program was Endorsed because, the
President said, it would be unwise to
attempt to adjust the American pro-
gram to a future world policy as yet
undetermined.
His Duty to Go to Paris.
Il Declaring he. had no private
/ thought or purpose" in going to
/ France, but that he regarded it as his
/! highest duty, the President added:
1T is now my duty to play my full
part in making good what they (Amer-
ica's soldiers) offered their Iife's blood
to obtain"
Favors Secretary's Plans.
1 particularly direct your attention
to the very practical plans which the
Secretary of the Interior has devel-
/ oped in his annual report and before
your committees for the reclamation
of arid, swamp and cutover lands
which might, if the states were will
ing and able to cooperate, redeem
some 800 million acres of land for cuI-
tivation. There are said to be Is or
| 20 million acres of land in the West,
at present arid. for whose reclamation
water is available, if properly con-
served. There are about 230 million
| acres from which the forests have
been cut, but which have never yet
| been cleared for the ploW and which
| lie waste and deSolate. These lie
| scattered all over the Union. And
| there are nearly 80 million acres of
| land that lie under swamps or sub
| ject to periodical overflow or too wet
| for anything but grazing, which it IS
| lperfectly feasible to drain and protect
! and redeem.
The Congress can at once direct
. thousands of the returning soldiers to
L the reclamation Of the arid lands
L which it has already undertaken, if
e it will but enlarge the plans and the
It appropriations which it has intrusted
3 to the Department of the Interior.
1t is possible, in dealing with our
d unused land, to effect a great rural
n and agricultural development which
O will afford the best sort of oppoftun-
: ity to men who want to help theu-
selves; and the Secretary of the In
e terror has thought the possible meth
q DDS out in way which is worthy OF
d your most friendly attention
d Must Control Shipping.
y I have spoken of the control which
p must yet for while, perhaps for a
D. long while, be exercised over ship
O. ping, because of the priority of ser
vice to which our forces overseas are
entitled and which should also be &C
corded the shipments which are to
W save recently liberated peoples from
a, starvation and many devastated from
@ permanent ruin.
Of the needs of Belgium and Northern
"a France? No sums Of money paid by
= way of indemnity will serve of them
= selves to save them from hopeless dis-
III advantage for years to come. Some
SIS thing more must be done than mere
u ~ find the money. If they had money
s. and raw materials in abundance to
;il morrow they could not resume their
" place in the industry of the world TO
~ morrow-the very important place
~ they had before the flame of wal
% swept across them.
Contracts made for war supplies
20 will, indeed, be rapidly Cancelled and
rs Iiauidated, but their immediate hqui
tn dation will make heavy drains on the
II, treasury for the months Just ahead Of
eS us.
lg Hopes for Cooperation.
he May 1 not hope. gentlemen of the
Mt Congress, that in the delicate tasks
n shall have to perform on the othel
side of the sea, in my efforts truly ant
faithfully to interpret the principles
and purposes of the country we love
st may have the encouragement and
ot- the added strength of your united sup
ks port. 1 realize the magnitude ant
M difficulty of the duty I am undertak
~ ing; 1 am poignantly aware of it
- grave responsibilities. I am the serV
ant Oh the NdI10Q. i can nave no pr
'ct vate thought or purpose of my own il
IL. performing such an errand. 1 go t.
of give the best that is in me to the com
mon settlements which l must now as
on sist in arriving at in conference witt
7e the other working heads of the assC
=. ciated governments.
is- I shall count upon your friendI
- countenance and encouragement.
shall not be inaccessible The cable
no and the wireless will render me avail
ut able for any counsel or service yol
to may desire of me, and I shall be happ
in the thought that am constantly i
touch with the weighty matters o
70 domestic policy wiSh which we shal
have to deal.
bo I shall make my absence as brief a
- possible, and shall hope to return wit
-. the happy assurance that it has bee
ne possible to transla ee into action tn
on great ideals for which America ha
he striven.