The Elbert County tribune., 1918-12-06
WILSON'S ADDRESS
TO CONGRESS


follows
Gentlemen of the Congress: The
year that has elapsed since | last
stood before you to fulfill my consti-
tutional duty to give the Congress
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 adequate picture of It's
transactions or OF 'he 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 as
sess them: and who stand In the midst
OF them end are part of them are less
qualified than men of another genera
tion will be to say what they mean
or even what they have been. But
some great outstanding facts are un-
mistakable and constitute in a sense
part OF the public business with which
1t is our duty to deal. To state them
is to set the stage for the Legislative
and executive action which must grow
out of them and which we have yet to
shape and determine.
"A wear ago we had sent 1928
men overseas. Since then we have
sent l,950,5iS. an average of 1882
each month. the number. In fact. rising
in May last to 245.951. in June 10 27S,.
7G0, In July to 1852. and continuing
10 reach similar figures in August and
September--in August 2s9.57O and in
Sso,t.,..l.. 400 NJ, ottah ,nnvap,apt
of troops ever took place before across
5000 miles of sea. followed by ade-'
quate equipment and supplies and car
ried safely through extraordinary dan
gers of attack-dangers which were
alike strange and infinitely difficult to
guard against. In all this movement
only 75S men were lost by enemy at
tacks. ESQ of whom were upon single
English transport which was sunk near
the Orkney Islands.
Unity Made Task Possible.
81 need not tell you what lay back
of this great movement of men and
ma terial.
''It is not inyidious to say that back
of 1t lay supporting organization Of
the industries of the country and all
its productive activities more com
plete. more thorough in method and eff
fective In results. more spirited and
unanimous in purpose and effort than
any other great belligerent had ever
been able to effect We profited
greatly by the experience of the ma
tions which had already been engaged
for nearly three years in the exigent
and exacting business. their every re-
source and every executive proficien-
cy taxed to the utmost. We were the
pupils. But we learned quickly and
acted with promptness and readi-
ness of cooperation that Justify our
great pride that we were able to serve
the world with unparalleled energy
and quick accomplishment.
But 1t Is not the physical scale and
executive efficiency of preparation.
supply, equipment and dispatch that |
would dwell upon. but the mettle and
quality of the officers. and men we
sent over, and of the sailors who kept
the seas. and the spirit OF the nation
that stood behind them.
mo soldiers. or sailors. ever 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 irresistibly forward
to the final triumph may now forget
all that and delight our thoughts with
~ uh,t ai
officers understood the grim and ex-
acting task they had undertaken and
performed with audacity. efficiency
an unhesitating courage that touch
the story OF convoy and battle with
imperishable distinction at every turn,
whether the enterprise were great or
small-from their chiefs. Pershing and
Sims, down to the youngest lieutenant:
and their men were worthy of them
such men as hardly need to be COM
manded, and go to their terrible adven-
ture blithely and with the quick intel
ligence of those who know just what
1t is they would accomplish.
Il am proud to be the fellow country
man 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 1t
given their opportunity tc win 1t 9TH
erwise: but for many a long day we
shall think ourselves 'accursed' we
were not there. and hold our man
hoods cheap while any speaks that
fought with these at St Mihiel or
Thierry. The memory of those days
OF triumphant battle will go with these
fortunate men to their graves; and
each will have his fayorite memory.
old men forget; yet all shall be for
got. but he'll remember with advan-
tages what feats he did that day