The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-09-28
THE TEXT OF PRESIDENTS SPEECH

I vert unless it be willfully. I am
bound to night for them, and Happy
to fight for them as time and circum-
stance have revealed them to me as
to all the world. Our enthusiasm for
them grows more and more ire
sistible as they stand out in more
and more vivid and unmistakable
outline.
World Opinion Clarified.
And the forces that fight for them
draw into closer and closer array,
organize their millions into more and
more uncomfortable might, as they
become more and more distinct to the
thought and purpose OF the peoples
engaged. 1t Is the popularity OF this
great war that while statesmen have
seemed to east about for definitions
Of their purpose and have sometimes
seemed to shift their ground and
their point OF view, the thought OF
the mass of men, whom statesmen
are supposed to instruct and lead, has
grown more and more unclouded.
more and more certain OF what 1t is
that they are nghting for. National
purposes have fallen more and more
into the background and the common
purpose OF enlightened mankind has
taken their place.
The counsels OF plain men have be-
come on all hands more simple and
straightforward and more unified
than the counsela OF sophisticated
men OF affairs, who still retain the
impression that they are playing a
game OF power and playing for high
stakes. That is why 1 have said
that this is q peoples war, not
statesmen's. Statesmen must follow
the clarified common thought or be
broken.
Need To AVOw Aims.
take that to be the significance
Of the fact that assemblies and as
sociatIons OF many kinds made up OF
plain workaday people have demand
ed, almost every time they came to-
gether. and are still demanding that
the leaders of their governments de-
clare to them plainly what it is. ex-
actly what II is, that they were seek
ing in this war. and what they think
the items of the final settlement
should be. They are not yet salts
fled with what they have been told.
They still seem to fear that they are
getting what they ask for only in
statesmen's terms-ouly In the terms
of territorial arrangements and d.
visions OF power, and not in terms
OF broad-visioned justice and mercy
and peace and the satisfaction OF
those deep-seated longings OF OPP
pressed and distracted men and wo-
men and enslaved peoples that seem
to them the only things worth fight
ing a war for that engulfs the world.
Perhaps statesmen have not always
recognized this changed aspect Of the
whole world of POLICY and action
Perhaps they have not always spoken
in direct reply to the questions ask
ed because they did not know how
searching those questions were an1
what sort OF answers they demanded
Victories Winning Peace.
But I for one am glad to attempt
the answer again and again, in the
hope that / may make il clearer and
clearer that my one thought is to
satisfy those who struggle in the
ranks and are. perhaps above all
others, entitled to a reply whose
meaning no one can have any excuse
for Misunderstanding, IL he under
stands the language in which II Is
spoken or can get some one to trans
late II correctly into his own. And
l believe that the leaders Of the gov I
ernments with which We are asso-
ciated will speak, as they have occa- |
sion. as plainly as l have tried to
speak. hope that they will feel free
to say whether they think that I am
in any degree mistaken in my inter |
probation OF the issues involved or in |
my purpose with regard to the means |
by which a satisfactory settlement OF |
those issues may be obtained. Unity |
of purpose and OF counsel are as i'm |
peratlvely necessary in this war as |
was unity OF command in the battle !
field: and with perfect unity of pur-
pose and counsel will come assur |
snce OF complete victory. 1t can be /!
had in no other way. Peace drives" |
can be effectively neutraliZed and si- |
fenced only by showing that every |
victory OF the nations associated |
against Germany brings the nations !
nearer the sort of peace which will /
bring security and reinsurance to all /
peoples and make the recurrence of |
another such struggle of pitiless /
force and bIoodshed forever impOssi-
BILE, and that nothing else can. Ger
many is constantly intimating the |
she will accept; and always |
finds that the world does not want |
terms. 1t wishes the final triumph OF |
justice and fair dealing.