New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1918-12-06
WILSON'S ADDRESS
TO CONGRESS

WashingtOn.-The text Of Presiden
Wilson's address to Congress- Dec.
follows:
Gentlemen Of the Congress: Tn
wear that has elapsed since l las
stood before you to fulfin my consti
tutional duty to give the Congress
from time to time information on thu
state Of the union has been 80 crowded
with great events. great processes ant
great results that l cannot hope Il
give you an adequate picture of III
transactions or of the f%ar-reachinl
changes which have been wrought II
the life Of our nation and of the world
You have yourselves witnessed these
things a. ! have. 1t Is too soon to as
sess them; and who stand In the midst
Of them and are part of them are less
qualified than men Of another genera
ton will be to say what they mean
n 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
It 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 year ago we had sent las, 91S
men overseas. Since then We have
sent l.950.613. an average Of 1882
each month. the number. in fact, rising
in May last to 245.951. in June to $751;
100, in July to 3O7. 1872. and continuing
10 reach similar figures in August and
September-in August 289.57O and in
september 257.438. No such movement
OF troops ever took place before across
1000 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 758 men were lost by enemy at
English transport which was sunk neal
the Orkney Islands.
Unity Made Task Possible.
Il need not tell you what lay back
Of this great wen of men and
material.
1T is not invidious to say that back
OF 1t lay a supporting organization of
the industries OF the country and all
It's 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 over
been able to effect. We profited
greatly by the experience of the ma
lions 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 we're the
pupils. But we learned quickly and
acted with a %promptness and a 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 I
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 vi 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
the story Of what our men did. Their
officers understood the grim and ex.
task they had undertaken and
performed with audacity, efficiency
an unhesitating courage that touch
story OF convoy and battle with
distinction at every turn.
the enterprise were great or
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.
handed. and 90 to their terrible adven-
.ure blithely and with the quick intel.
fgence Of those who know Just what
t IL they would accomplish. /,
Il am proud to be the fellow country i
nan of men of such stuff and valor.
Those Of US who stayed at home did
'ur duty: the a could not have been A.,
Won or the gallant men who fought it I
,fven their opportunity to win It 9TH ,
but for many . long day we I
hall think ourselves 'accursed' we ,
we're not there. and hold our man. /,
FOODS cheap while any speaks that ,
ought with these at st. Mihiel or /,
'hierry. The memory of those days :
I triumphant battle will go with these 9
ortunate men to their graves; and
ach will have his favorite memory. ).
men forget; vet all shall be for !.
ot but he'll remember with advan- !,
ages what feats he did that day. !.
Entered Battle At Critical Moment. ;
What we all thank God for with a
eepest gratitude il that our men went q
/ force into the line of battle Just at b
he critical moment when the whole q
ate of the world seemed to hang In II
balance and threw their fresh v
trength into the ranks of freedom in a
me to turn the whole tide and sweep b
! the fateful struggle-turn 1t once {.
n all. SO that thenceforth 1t was Il
ack. back, back for their enemies, al e.
avs back, never again forward. After d