The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1918-12-06
President Says Trip to Europe Is
Duty to Heroes.
ASKS AID OF THE NATION
Seizure of Cables, He Says, Aids in
Keeping Members of Congress
Posted on ParIey-Insists
on World Justice.

cred to congress gave his rea-
sons for his trip to Europe. He
declared it TO be his paramount
duty to give his personal service in
the Interpretation Of his bases of
peace, which had been accepted by the
beIligerents allied with the United
States, in order that the kind of a
peace for which the United States had
fought might not be spoiled by mis-
Interpretation of his ideals. He said
he hoped to see a formal declaration
OF peace by treaty "by the time spring
has come"
The presidents address in part:
Gentlemen of the congress: The
year that has elapsed since l last
stood before you to fulfill my cOnsti-
tutiOnal duty to give to the congress
from time to time information on the
state OF the Union has been SO crowd
ed with great events, great processes
and great results that / cannot hope
10 give you an adequate picture of it's
transactions or of the far-reaching
changes which have been wrought in
the life Of our nation and the world.
You have yourselves witnessed these
things, as l have. 1t is too soon to as
SeSS them; and we who stand in the
midst of them and are part of them
are less qualified than men of another
generation will be to say what they
mean or even what they have been.
But some great outstanding facts are
unmistakable and constitute in a sense
part of the public business with which
if 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 de-
termine.
Tells of Troop Shipments
A year ago we had sent 145,91S men
overseas Since then we have sent
1,9$O,513, an average of 1882 each
month, the number in fact rising in
May last to 245,951, in June to 278, 76O,
in July to 3O7, 1872, and continuing to
reach similar figures in August and
September-in August 289,570 and in
September 257,439.
No such movement Of troops ever
took place before, across 5000 miles
of sea, followed by adequate equip
ment and supplies. and carried safely
through extraordinary dangers of at
tack-dangerS which were alike
strange and infinitely more difficult to
guard against. In all this movement
only 738 men were lost by enemy at
tacks-630 of whom were upon a
single English transport which was
sunk near the Orkney islands.
| need not tell you what lay back
of this great movement of men and
material. 1t is not invidiOus to say
that back of it lay a supporting or
ganization of the industries of the
country and all it's productive activi-
ties more complete, more thorough i'm
method and effective i'm results. more
spirited and unanimous in DurnoSe
and effort than any other great bel
Hgerent had ever been able to effect.
We profited greatly by the experience
OF the nations which had already been
engaged for nearly three years in the
eNgent and eXacting business. their
proficiency taxed to the utmost. We
were the pupils.
No 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 for
ward to the final triumph may now
forget all that and delight our
thoughts with the story of what our
men did.
Why to Be Thankful.
What we all thank Goo for with
deepest gratitude is that our men went
in force into the line of battle iust 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 that thenceforth it was back.
back, back for their enemies, always
back, never again forward After that
it was only scant four months before
the commanders of the central empires
knew themselves beaten; and now
their very empires are in liquidation.
And throughout it all how fine the
spirit of the nation was. What unity
of purpose, what untiring zealI What
elevation Of purpose ran through all it's
splendid display of strength, it's untir-
ing accomplishment.
For the steadying and facilitation of
our own domestic business readjust-
ments nothing is more important than
the immediate determination of the
taxes that are to be levied for 1918,
1919 aud 1920. AS much as the burden
Of taxation must be lifted from BUSH
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