THE BEE: OMAHA, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 3, 1918.
PRESIDENT PRESENTS RAILROAD PROBLEM TO CONGRESS
..TT WASHINGTON, Dec. 2.-Fol-
W lowing is the complete text
, of "President Wilson's ad
dress to the Sixty-fifth congress to
day on its reassembling for the final
' session. '
Gentlemen of the Congress:
Th vear trtaf liae Jk1ane1 eirtr-tt T
j t, m ...... ... VIBJtU OlllbV
last stood before you to fulfill my
constitutional duty to give the con
gress from tiriie to time information
on the state of the union, has been
so crowded with great evelits, great
processes and great results that I
cannot hope to give you an ade
. quate picture of its transactions or
of the far-reaching changes which
have been wrought in the life of our
. ' nation and of the world. You have
yourselves witnessesd. these things,
as I have. It is too soon to assess
' them; and we who stand in the
' midst of them and are part of them
, are less qualified than men of an
other generation will be to say what
"they mean or even what they have
been. But some great outstanding
facts are onmistakable and consti
tute in a sense part of the public
business with which it is our duty
to deal. To state them is to set the
siace ior me legislative ana execu-
"; tive action which must grow out of
1 ' them and which we have yet to
' shape and determine.
fl A year ago we had sent 145,918
men, overseas. Since then we have
sent 1,950,513, an average of 162,542
each montlf, the number, in factris
ing in May last to 245,951; in June
to 278,760; in July to 307,182, and
:ontinuing to reach similar figures
it! & iimief n A CantamKp in An
. gust 289,570 and in September 257,
438. ' . Big Troop Movement
n'" No such movement of troops ever
" took place before, across 3,000 miles
of sea, followed by adequate equip-
ment and supplies, and carried safe
ly through extraordinary dangers of
: ' . ittack dangers which were alike
fc" strange and infinitely difficult to
juard against. In all this move
ment only 758, men were lost by
"jnemy attacks 630 of whom were
ipon a single English transport
which was sunk near the Orkney
'stands. -'
I need not tell you what lay back
jf this great movement of men and
material. It is not invidious to say
that back of it lay a supporting or
ganization of the industries of the
:ountry and all its productive activi
ties more complete, more thorough
in method and effective in results,
aiore spirited and unanimous in pur
nosp and pffnrt than anv other creat
belligerent had ever been able to
iffect. We, profited greatly by the
experience bf the nations which had
already been engaged for nearly
three years in the exigent and exact
ing business, their every resource
and every executive proficiency
taxed to the utmost. We were the
pupils. But we learnad quickly and
acted with a promptness and a
; readiness of co-operation that jus-
tify our great pride that we were
able to serve the world with un
' paralleled energy and quick ac
complishment A'. Tribute to Men.
? . But it. is not the physical scale
and executive efficiency of prepara
tion,', suppljv equipment and . dis
patch that I would dwell upon, but
the mettle and quality ofithe offi
. Ters and men we sent over and of
, the. sailor 'who kept the seas, and
the spirit of the nation that stood
behind them. N o soldiers, or sai
lors,' every 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 irre
sistibly forward to the final triumph
maymow forget all that and delight
our thoughts with, the story of what
our men did. Their officers under
stood the grim and exacting task
they had undertaken and performed
with audacity, efficiency, and unhes
itating courage that touch ,the story
of convoy and battle with imperish
able distinction at every turn,
whether the enterprise were great
or smallfrom their chiefs, Per
shing and Sims, down to the young
est lieutenant; and their men were
worthy of them such men as hard-
- ly need to be commanded, and go to
their terrible adventure blithely and
with the quick, intelligence of those
who know.' just what jt is they
wouid accomplish. -I
am proud to be the fellow coun
. tryman of ,men of such stuff and
valor. Those of us who stayed at
home did, our duty; the war could
r not. have been won or the gallant
men who tought it given tneir op
portunity to win it otherwise; but
for many a long day we shall think
ourselves -accurso wc were nui
cheap while any speaks that fought".
; with these at St. Mihiel or Thierry.
The memory of those days of tri
umphant battle will go with these
fortunate men to their graves; and
each will have his favorite memory.
"Old men forget;, yet all shall be
forgot, but he'll remember with ad
vantages what feats he did that
dayl" ''
' . j . At Critical Time.
thanlc God for with
" deepest gratitude is that rW men
' . went in force into the line of bat
tle just 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 v freedom irt time to turn the
- whole 4ide 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 1 v After that it
was only a scant four months before
' the commanders of the central em
pires knew themselves beaten and
now their very empires are in liqui
dation. vAnd throughout it all now fine
the spirit of the nation 'was; what
unity Of purpose, what untiring teal!
What elevation of purpose ran
through all its splendid display of
strength its untiring accomplish
ment ,.. I have said that those of us
who stayed at home to do thework
jf organization and supply will al
ways wish that we had been with
the men whom we sustained by our
labor, but we can never be ashamed.
, Great Unselfishness Shown.
It has been an inspiring thing to
. be here in the midst of fine men who
rtad turned aside from every private
interest of their own and devoted
the whole of their trained capacity
to tfie tasks, that supplied the sis-
Features of President's
Address Before Congress
Chief executive pays tribute to armed forces and loyal workers
at home. -
Declares problem of readjustment after war is taking care of
itself without government aid. j
Offers no solution of the railroad question; suggests study of
problem by congress. Declares he is ready to return lines to private
control whenever a satisfactory arrangement is made to pevent re
turn to old systems under private management
- Renews appeal for woman's suffrage.
Requests early ratification of Colombian treaty.
Suggests continued government control over exports.
Declares it to be his paramount duty to attend the peace con
ference in Paris. .
ews of the whole great undertakingl
The pariotism, the unselfishness, the
thorough-going devotion and dis
tinguished capacity that marked
their toilsome labors, dav after dav.
month after month, have made them
fit mates and comrades of the men
in the trenches and on the sea.
And not the men here in Wash
ington only. They have but directed
the vast achievement. Throughout
innumerable factories, upon innum
erable farms, in the depths of coal
mines land iron mines and copper
mines.'wherever the stuffs of indus
try were to be obtained and pre
pared, in the shipyards, on the rail
ways, at the docks, on the sea, in
every labor that was needed to sus
tain the battle lines, men have vied
with each other to do their part and
do it well. They can look any man-at-arms
in the face and say, "we al
so strove to win and gave the best
that was in us to make our fleets and
armies sure of their triumph.
Gives Praise to Women.
And what shall we say of the
women of their instant intelli
gence, quickening every task that
they touched; their capacity for or
ganization and co-operation, which
gave their action discipline and en
hanced the effectiveness of every
thing they attempted; their aptitude
at tasks to Which they had never
before set their hands; their, utter
self-sacrifice alike in what they did
and in what they gave?" Their con
tribution to the great result is be
yond appraisal. They have added a
new lustre to the annals pf Ameri
can womanhood. ,
The least tribute we can pay them
is to make them the equals of men
in political rights, as ' they have
proved themselves their "equals in
every field of practical work they
have entered, whether for them
selves or for their country.
These great days of completed
achievement would be sadly marred
were we to omit that act of justice.
Besides the immense practical serv
ices they have rendered, the women
of the country have been the moving
spirits in tbe systematic economies
by which our people have voluntar
ily assisted to supply the suffering
peoples of the world and the armies
ui ?k every, front with food and
everything else that we had that
might serve the common cause. The
details of such a story can never be
fully written,- but .. we carry them
at our hearts and thank God that
we can say that we are the kinsmen
of such. ... . .. :
Have Gained Sure Triumph.
And now we are sure of the, great
triumph for which every sacrifice
was made. It has come, come in its
completeness, and with the pride and
inspiration of these days of achieve
ment quick within us we turn to the
tasks of peace again a peace sure
against the violence of irresponsible
monarchs and ambitious military
coteries and make ready for a new
order, for new foundations of justice
and fair dealing. :
We are about to give order and
organization to this peace not only
for ourselves, but for the other
peoples of the wcpld as well, so far
as they will suffer us to serve them.
It is international justice' that we
seek, not domestic safety merely.
Our thoughts have dwelt of late
upon Europe,' upon Asia, upon the
near ind far east, very little upon
the acts of peace and accommoda
tion that wait to be performed at
our own doors. vv '', - . ; ; ,
' Refers to Colombian Treaty. "
While we are adjusting our rela
tions with (the rest of the world is it
not of capital importance that . we
should clear away- all grounds of
misunderstanding with . our imme
diate neighbors and give proof of
the friendship we really feel? I hope
that the members of the senate will
permit "me to" speak once more , of
the unratified' treaty of friendship
and adjustment with the republic of
Colombia. " I very earnestly urge
upon them. an early and favorable
action upon that vital matter. . I
believe that they will feel, with me,
that the Stage of affairs is now set
for such action as will be not, only
just, but generous and in the spirit
of the new age upon which we have
so happily entered..-
So far as our domestic affairs are i
concerned, the problem of pur re-
turn to peace is a problem of eco
nomic and ; industrial readjustment.
That problem, is lessserious for us
than it may turn out to be for the
nations which have suffered the dis
arrangements and the losses of war
longer than we. Our people, more
over, do not wait tcvybe coached and
led. They know their own business,
are quick and resourceful at every
radjustment, definhe in purpose and
self-reliant in action.
No Leading Strings Possible.
Any leading strings we might
seek to put them in would speedily
become hopelessly tangled because
they would pay no attention to
them and go their own way. All
that we can do as their legislative
and executive servants is to mediate
the process of change here, there,
and elsewhere as we may. I have
heard much counsel as to the plans
that should bt formed and personal
ly conducted to a happy consumma
tion; but from no quarter have I
seen any general scheme oiAecon
struction" 'emerge which I thought
it likely we could force our spirited
business men and self-reliant labor
ers to accept with due pliancy tnd
obedience. ? -: -'
While th war 'lasted we set up
many agencies by which to direct
the industries of the country an the
services it was necessary for them
to rendef, by which to make sure of
an abundant supply of the materials
needed, by which to check undertak
ings that could for the time be dis
pensed with and stimulate those that
were most serviceable in war, by
which to gain for the purchasing de
partments of the government a cer
tain control over the prices of es
sential articles and materials," by
which to restrain trade with alien
enemies, make the most of the avail
able shipping and systematize finan
cial transactions, both public and
private, so that there would be no
unnecessary conflict or confusion
by which, in short, to put every ma
terial energy' of the country in har
ness to draw the common load and
make of us 6ne team in the accom
plishment of a great task. But. the
moment we knew the armistice to
have been signed we took the har
ness off.
Raw Materials Released.
Raw materials upon which the gov
ernment had kept its hands for fear,
there should not be enough for the
industires that supplied the armies
have been released and put into the
general market again. Great indus
trial plants whose whole output and
machinery had been taken over for
the uses of the government have
been set free to return to the uses
to which they were put before the
war. It has not been possible to
remove so readily or so quickly the
control of .foodstuffs and of ship
ping, because the world has still to
be fed from our granaries and the
ships are still needed to send sup
plies to our men oversea and to
bring the men back as fast as the
disturbed conditions on the other
side of the water permit, but even
there restraints are being relaxed
as much as possible and more and
rhore as the weeks go by.
Boards Offer Help.
Never before have there been
agencies in existence in this coun
try which knew so much of the field
of supply, of labor and of industry
as the war industires board, the war
trade board, the labor department,
the food administration and the fuel
administration have kwown since
theif labors became thoroughly- sys-t
temafized, and 'they havesnot been
isolated agencies; they have been di
rected by men who represented the
permanent departments of the gov
ernment and so have been the cen
ters of unified and co-operative ac
tiori. It has been the policy of the
executive, therefore, since the ar
mistice was assured (which is, in
effect, a complete submission'of the
enemy), td put the knowledge of
these bodies at the disposal of the
business men of the country and to
offer their intelligent mediation at
every point and in every matter
where it was desired.
Returning to Peace Footing.
It is surprising how fast' the pro
cess of return to a peace footing
has moved in the three weeks since
the. fighting stopped. It promises
to outrun any inquiry that may be
instituted and any aid that may be
offered. It will not be easy to di
rect it any better than it will direct
itself. The American business man
is of quick initiative.
The ordinary and normal pro
cesses of private initiative will not,
However, provide immediate employ
ment for all of the men of our re
turning armies. Those who are of
trained 'capacity, those who are
skilled workmen, those who have ac
quired familiarity with established
businesses, those who are ready and
willing to go to the farms, all those
whose aptitudes are known or will
be sought out by employers will find
no difficulty, it is safe to say, in find
ing place and employment. But
there will be others who will be at
a loss where to gain a livelihood,
unless pains are taken to guide them
and put them in the way of .work.
There will be a large floating res
iduum of labor which should not
be left wholly to shift for itself. It
seems to me important, therefore,
that the development of public
works of every sort- should be
promptly resumed, in order that op
portunities should be created for un
skilled labor in particular and that
plans should be made for such de
velopments of our unused lands an:!
our natural resources as we have
hitherto lacked stimulation to under
take. Should Reclaim Lands.
I particularly direct your atten
tion to the very practical plans
which the secretary -of the interior
has developed in his annual report
and before your committees for the
reclamation of arid, swamp and cut
over lands which might if the states
were willing and able to co-operate,
redeem some 300,000,000 acres of
land for cultivation. 'There are said
to be 15,000,000 or .20,000,000 acres
of land in the west, at present arid,
for whose reclamation water is
available, if properly conserved. f
There are about 230,000,000 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 scat
tered all over the Union. And there
are nearly 80,000,000 acres of land
thaf' lie under swamps or subject to
periodical overflow or too wet for
anything but grazing which it is per
fectly feasible to drain and protect
and redeem. ; ,
The .congress can at once direct
thousands of the returning soldiers
to the reclamation of the arid lands
which it has already .undertaken, if
it will but enlarge the plans and
the appropriations which it has in
trusted to the department of the in
terior. It is possible in dealing with
our unused .land to ettect a great
rural and agricultural development
which will afford the best sort of
opportunjty to men who want to
help themselves; and the secretary
of the mtenoras thought the cos
sible methods out in a way which is
worthy of your most friendly at
tention.
Control of Shipping.
I have spoken of the control
which must yet for a while, perhaps
for a long while, be exercised over
shipping because of the priority of
service to which our forces overseas
art entitled and which should also
be accorded the 'shipments , which
are to save recently liberated peo
ples from starvation and many dev
astated regions' from permanent
ruin. May I not say a special word
about the needs of Belgium and
northern France?
No sxims . of money paid by way
of indemnity will serve of them
selves to save them from hopeless
disadvantage for years to come.
S6mething more must be done than
merely find the money. If they had
money and raw materials in abun
dance tomorrow they could not resume-
their, place in the industry of
the world tomorrow the very im
portant place they held before the
flame of war swept across , them.
Many, of their factories are razed to
the ground. Much of their machin
ery is destroyed or has been taken
away. Their people are scattered
and many of their best workmen are
dead. Their markets will be taken
by others, if they are not in some
special way assisted to rebuild their
factories and replace their lost in
struments of manufacture.
. They should not be left to the
vicissitudes of the sharp competition
for materials and for industrial fa
cilities which is now to set in. I
hope, therefore, that the congress
will not be unwilling, if it should
become necessary, to grant to some
such agency as" the war trade board
the right to establish priorities of
export and supply for the benefit of
these people whom we have been
so happy to assist in saving from the
German terror and whom we must
not now thoughtlessly leave to' shift
for themselves in a pitiless competi
tive market.
' Must Decide on Taxes.
For the steadying and facilitation
of our d6mestic business - readjust
ments nothing is more important
than the immediate determination of
the taxes that are to be levied for
1918. 1919 and 1920. As much of the
burden of "taxation must be lifted
from business as sound methods of
financing the government will per
mit, and those who conduct the
great essential industries of the
country must be told as exactly as
possible what obligations to the
government they will be expected to
meet in the years immediately ahead
of them. It will be of serious con
sequence to the country to delay
removing all uncertainties in this
matter a single day longer than the
right processes of debate justify. It
is idle to talk of successful and con
fident husiness reconstruction before
those,, uncertainties are resolved.
If the war had continued it would
have been necessary to raise at least
$8,000,000,000 by taxation, payable in
the yeark1919, but the war has ended
and-1 agree with the secretary of
the treasury that it will be safe to
reduce the amount to $6,000,000,000.
An immediate rapid decline in the
expenses of the government is not to
be looked for. Contracts made for
supplies will, indeed, be rapidly can
celed and liquidated, but' their im
mediate liquidation will make heavy
drains on the treasury for the
months just ahead of us. The main
tenance of our forces on the other
side of the sea is still necessary.' A
considerable proportion of those
forces must remain in Europe during
the period of occupation, those
which are brought home will , be
transported and demobilized at
heavy expense for months to come.
The interest on our war debt must,
of course, be paid and provision
made for the retirement of the obli
gations of the government which
represent it. But these demands
will, of course, fall much below what
a continuation of military opera
tions would have entailed and six
billions should suffice, to supply a
sound foundation for the financial
operations of the year.
Should Tax Profits.
I entirely concur with the secre
tary of the treasury in recommend-'
ing that the. two billions needed in
addition to the four billions pro
vided by existing law be obtained
from the profits which have ac
crued and shall accrue from ' way
contracts and distinctively war business,-
but that these taxes be con
fined to the war profits accruing in
1918, or in 1919, from business orig
inating in war contracts. I urge
your acceptance of his recommenda
tions that provision -be made now,
not subsequently, 'that the taxes to
be paid in 1920 should,' be reduced
from six to four billions. Any ar
rangements less definite than these
would add elements of doubt and
confusion to the critical period of
industrial readjustment through
which the country must now imme
diately pass, and which no true
friend of the nation's essential' bus
iness interests can afford to be re
sponsible for creating ior prolong
ing. Gearly determined conditions,
clearly and simply charted, are in
dispensable to the economic revival
and rapid industrial .development
which may confidently be expected
if we act now and sweep all inter
rogation pointsaway.
Recommends Naval Program.
I take it for granted that con
gress will carry out the naval pro
gram which was undertaken before
we entered the war. The secretary
of the, navy has submitted to your
committees for authorization that
part of the program which covers
the building plans of the next three
years. These plans have been pre
pared along the lines and in accord
ance with the policy which the con
gress established, not under the ex
ceptional conditions of the war, but
with the intention of adhering to a
definite method of development for
the. navy. 'I earnestly recommend
the uninterrupted pursuit of that
policy. It would clearly be unwise
for us to attempt to adjust our pro
grams, to a .future world policy as
yet undetermined.
The question which' causes me
the greatest concern is the question
of the policy to be adopted toward
the railroads. I frankly turn' to you
for counsel upon it.', I have no con
fident judgment of my own. I do
not see how any thoughtful man
can have who knows anything of
the complexity of the problem. It
is a problem which must be studied,
studied immediately and studied
without bias or prejudice. Nothing
can be gained by becoming parti
sans of any particular plan of set
Hement. .
Was War Need. ,
It was necessary that the admin
istration of the railways should be
.taken over by the government so
long as the war lasted. It would
have been impossible otherwise to
establish and carry through under a
single direction the necessary prior
ities of shipments. It would have
been impossible otherwise to com
bine maximum production at the
factories and mines, and farms with
the maximum possible car supply
to take the products to the ports
and markets; impossible to route
troop shipments and freight ship
ments without regard to the advan
tage or disadvantage of the roads
employed; impossible to subordi
nate, when necessary, all questions
of convenience to the public neces
sity; impossible to give the neces
sary financial support to the roads
from the public treasury. But all
these necessities have now been
served, and the question is, what is
best for the railroads and for the
public in the future.
Co-operation Impossible.
Exceptional circumstances and
exceptional methods of administra
tion were not needed to convince us
that the railroads were not equal to
the immense tasks of transportation
imposed upon, them by the rapid
and continuous development of the
industries of the country. We knew
that already. And we knew that
they were unequal to it partly be
cause their full co-operation was
rendered impossible byylaw and
their competition made obligatory,
so that it has been impossible to as
sign to them severally the traffic
which best could be carried by their
respective lines in the interest of ex
pedition and national economy.
War's End in Spring.
We may hope, I believe, for the
formal conclusion of the war by
treaty by the time spring has come.
The 21 months to which the present
control of the railways is limited
after formal proclamation of peace
shall have been made with run at
the farthest, I take it for granted,
only to the January of 1921. The full
equipment of the railways which
the federal administration had
planned could , not be, completed
within any such period.
The present law does not permit
the use of the revenues of the sev
eral roads for the execution of such
plans except by formal contract
with their directors, some of whom
will consent, while some will not,
and therefore does, not afford suffi
cient authority to undertake im
provements upon the scale upon
upon which it would be necessary
to undertake them. Every approach
to this difficult subject matter of
decision brings, us face to ... face,
therefore; with this unanswered
question: What is right that we
should do with the railroads, in the
interest of the public and in fair
ness to their owners?
Question Must Be Answered.
Let me say at once that I have
no answer ready. The only thing
that is perfectly clear to me is that
it is not fair either to the public or
to the owners of the railroads to
leave the queshtion unanswered and
that it .. will . presently become my
duty to relinquish control of the
roads, even bofer the expiration of
the statutory period, unless there
should appear some clear prospect
in the meantime of a legislative so
lution. Their release would at least
produce one element of a solution,
namely, certainty and a quick stim
ulation of private initiative.
Various Alternatives.
I believe that it will be service
able for me to set forth as explicitly
as possible the alternative courses
that lie open to our choice. We can,
simply release the roads and go
back to the old conditions of pri
vate management, unrestricted com
petition, and multiform regulation by
both state and federal 'authorities;
or we can go to the opposite ex
treme and establish complete; gov
ernment control, accompanied, if
necessary, by actual government
ownership; or we can adopt an in
termediate course of modified pri
vate control, under a more unified
and affirmative public regulation
and under such alterations of the
law as will permit wasteful compe
tion to be avoided and a consider
able degree of "unification of the ad
ministration to be effected, as, for
example, by regional corporations
under which the railways of defina
ble area would be; in effect, com
bined in single system.
Must Modify Conditions.
The one conclusion that I am
ready to state with confidence is
that it would be a disservice alike
to the country and to the owners
of the railroads to return to the old
Congress Refrains From
Comment on Wilson Talk
A
LYK0 i MM In riglral Mck
gas only, IIH ptetur mhwt,
RttaMillMMHalM,
Will bring you renewed
strength and vigor r infuse
1 new life and new energy into
your flagging, drooping body
whether exhausted from excessive
nervous strain, undue physical ex
ertion or sickness.
mm
The Great General Tonic
ASK YOUR DRUGGIST
Washington, Dec. 2. Comment
for publication on the president's
address was not so general at the
capitol today as usul. Senator
Martin, democratic leader; Senator
Lodge, republican leader; Senator
Hitchock, chairman of the foreign
relations committee, all refrained
from making statements.
Some senators did comment, how
ever, and there were numerous state
ments on the house side. Repre
sentative Kitchin of North Carolina,
democratic leader, said:
"The president's message was a
great address and his explanation
about his trip ought to satisfy his
critics." .
Representative Mann of Illinois,
republican leader, said: "The most
important phase of the message was
on railroads, about which he gave no
recommendations. Next in impor
tance was the entire failure to take
the congress or the country into his
confidence on his trip abroad to the
peace conference."
Speaker Clark: "It was a fine
speech."
Representative Longworth of
Ohio, republican: "It is not the
president's strongest effort. If is
interesting to observer that congress
is going to be permitted to do some
thing of its own on the railroad
question."
Representative Kahn of California,
republican: "The president asks con
gress for its united support. Con
gress will be much fairer, I am
araid, in that respect than the presi
dent, himself has been."
Senator Keed of Missouri (demo
crat): "There were many admirable
things in the message. But I ut
terly disagree with the president
that the American boys were fight
ing to maintain his 14 principles of
peace. They were fighting to lick
the Germans, and the 14 principles,
in fact, were not announced until
long after we were in the war. Also,
I think there is no necessity or call
for the president's personal attend
ance at the peace conference." ,
Senator Calder (republican) of
Mew Yorkjaid the president failed
to convince him in the message
"that his going to ( Europe was
necessary."
Representative Cannon of I'linois
(republican): "I was pleased with
the message.. It followed the con
stitutional plan of giving to the
congress information of the state of
the union, and left the information
with orders for it to consider in
connection, with its' legislative
duties."
Senator Johnson (republican) of
California, said: "The deserved
tribute to our fighting men found a
sympathetic echo with us all. But
the remainder of the president's ad
dress was intensely disappointing.
The president leaves us without an
administrative program for recon
struction or definite American poli
cies as to peace terms. The Ameri
can people have the right to know
both."
conditions unmodified. Those are
conditions of restraint without de
velopment. There is nothing offirma
tive or helpful about them, i What
the country chiefly needs is that all,
its means of transportation should
be developed, its railways, its water
ways, its highways, and its country
side roads. Some new element of
policy, therefore, is absolutely
necessary necessary for the service
of the public, necessary for the re
lease of credit to those who are
administering the railways, . neces
sary for the protection of their their
security holders. The old policy
may be changed much or little, but
surely it cannot wisely be left as it
was. !
I hope that the congress will
have a complete and impartial study
of the whole problem instituted at
once and prosecuted as rapidly as
possible. I stand ready and anxious
to release the roads from the pres
ent control and I must do so at a
very early date if by waiting until
the statutory limit of time is reached
I shall, be merely prolonging the
period of doubt and uncertainty
which is hurtful to every interest
concerned.
Is Going to France.
I welcome this occasion to an
nounce to the congress my purpose
to join in Paris the representatives
of the government with which we
have been associated in the war
against the central empires for the
purpose of discussing With them the
main features of the treaty of peace.
I realize the great inconveniences
that will attend my leaving the
country, particularly at this time,
but the conclusion that it was my
aramount duty to go has been
forced upon me by considerations
which I hope will seem as conclu
sive to you as they have seemed to
me.
Allies Desire Counsel.
The allied governments have ac
cepted the bases of peace which I
outlined to the congress on the 8th
of January last, as the central em
pires also have, and very reason
ably desire my personal counsel in
their (interpretation and application,
and, it is highly desirable that I
should give it in order that the sin
cere desire of our government to
contribute without selfish purpose
of any kind to settlements that will
be of common benefit to all the na
tions concerned may be made fully
manifest. The peace settlements
which are now to be agreed upon
are of transcendent importance both
to us and to the rest of the world,
and I know of no business or in
terest which should take precedence
of them.
The gallant men of our armed
forces on land and sea have con
sciously fought for the ideals which
they knew to be the ideals of their
country;. I have sought to express
those ideals; they have accepted my
statements of them as the sub
stance of their own thought and
purpose, as 'the associated govern
ments have accepted them; I owe it
to them to see to it, so far as in me
lies, that no false or mistaken in
terpretation is put upon them, and
no possible effort omitted tt realize
them. It is now my duty to play
my full part in making good what
they offered their life's blood to ob
tain. I can think of no call to serv
ice which could transcend this.
Keep in Touch with U. S.
I shall be in close touch with you
and with affairs on this side the
water, and you will, know all. that
I do. At my request, the French
and English governments have ab
solutely removed the censorship of
cable news which until within a
fortnight they had maintained, and
there is now no censorship what
ever exercised at this end except
upon atttempted trade communica
tions with enemy countries. It haJ
been necessary to keep an open wire
constantly available between Paris
and the Department of State, and
another between Franc? and the
Department of War. In order that
this might be done with the least
possible interference with the other
uses of the cables, I have temporar
ily taken over control of both ca
bles in order that they may be used
as a single, system. I did so at the
advice of the most experienced ca
ble officials, and I hope that the re
sults will justify my hope that the
news of the next few months may
pass with the utmost freedom and
with the least possible delay from
each side of the sea to the other.
Asks for Support '
May I not hope, gentlemen of tht
congress, that in the delicate taski .
I shall have to perform on ths
other side of the sea, in my effort!
truly and faithfully to Riterpret th
principles and purposes of the coun ,
try we love. I may have the en-
couragement &nd the added strength
of your united support? I realue
the magnitude and difficulty of the
dutv I am undertaking; I sm
poignantly aware of its grave re
sponsibilities. I am the servant of
the nation. I can have no private
thought or purpose of my own in
performing such an errand. I go to
give the best that is in me to the ,
common settlements which I must
now assist in arriving at in confer
ence with the other working heads .
of the associated governments. 1
shall count upon your friendly
countenance and encouragement, 1
shall not be inaccessible. The ca
bles anq the wireless will render m
available for any counsel or servics
you may desire of me, and I shall b
happy in the thought that I am con
stantly in touch with the weighty
matters of domestic policy with
which we" shall have to deal. . I Shalt
make my absence as brief as possu
ble and ' shall hope to return with .'
the happy assurance that it has been
possible to translate into action the
great ideals for which America has
striven)
mm
Flavors in Vials
In Jiffy-Jell tht
flavors come in liquid
form, in vials. They
' are made from fresh,
ripe fruit They give
to Jiffy-Jell desser
wealth of fish
fruit taste.
With Jiffy-Jell yoo
can make a delicious
dessert in an instant.
It comes ready
sweetened, so it saves
your sugar. And h
, costs but trifle. A
single package
. serves six.
There are 10 flavors, but we sug
gest Loganberry or Pineapple. Try
it today. It will bring you a new
conception of gelatin desserts.
J Paekaft for IS Cant
At Yomr Cnemr't
Jiffy Jell Waukesha, Wisconsin
(IS)
Kuxated Iron incrcaici itrtngth ant
endurance of delicate, nervout run
down people in two weeka' time in
many instance!. It hat been naed and
endorsed by inch men aa Hon. Lealia
' M. Shaw, former Secretary of ' the
Treasury, and E-Governor of Iowa;
Former United State Senator and
Presidential Nominee Chat. A. Town;
General John K. Clem (Retired), the.
drummer boy of Shiloh, who waa ser
geant in the U. 8. Army when only II
yeara of enre; also' United States Judse
G. W. Atkinson of the Court of Claim
of Waahington, and others. Ask yotur
doctor or druggist about It v -.
n
Oil Strike
Means Bis Profits for Many Nebraskans ;
Our well 1 came in November 20th, producing 150 barrels of Oil per , 4
day from thfe 1700-foot shallow sand on our Humble lease. Already we
have started work on well No. 2 and expect it to be completed soon.
We have locations for many more of these wells on this wonderful lease,
and expect to continue our drilling operations, thus increasing earnings' :
for our investors. : . ? -;
In addition to these Wells'' in shallow sand, we -expect to develop some;
wonderful Gushers from the deeper sands on this same property, just as ;
has been done by other companies on the leases surrounding ours. , v
We will also start drilling soon in our Big New Field at High Island. We ,
have every confidence this will prove to be one of the great Gusher Oil
Fields of America. '
Limited Offering, at $50.00
per Tract
(Should earn from present production approximately 24 per year.)'
In order to push our drilling campaign to.the limit, we offer a limited num
ber of, our Quarter-Acre Tracts at only $50 per tract. Each tract partici-'
pates proportionately in our -Dividend Fund, and 50 of all profits from
Oil produced is guaranteed to be set aside for this Fund.
PHONE Tyler 398, or write wire or call at office for further information
or reservation of tracts. 4
GULF COAST DEVELOPMENT COMPANY
740 First National Bank Bldg.
Omaha, Nebraska.