The Russian people have been poisoned by the very same falsehoods
that have kept the German people in the dark, and the poison has been
administered by the very same hands. The only possible antidote is
the truth. It cannot be uttered too plainly or too often.
From every point of view, therefore, it has seemed to be my duty to
speak these declarations of purpose, to add these specific
interpretations to what I took the liberty of saying to the Senate in
January. Our entrance into the war has not altered our attitude
toward the settlement that must come when it is over. When I said in
January that the nations of the world were entitled not only to free
pathways upon the sea, but also to assured and unmolested access to
those pathways, I was thinking, and I am thinking now, not of the
smaller and weaker nations alone, which need our countenance and
support, but also of the great and powerful nations, and of our
present enemies as well as our present associates in the war. I was
thinking, and am thinking now, of Austria herself, among the rest, as
well as of Serbia and of Poland. Justice and equality of rights can
be had only at a great price. We are seeking permanent, not
temporary, foundations for the peace of the world, and must seek them
candidly and fearlessly. As always, the right will prove to be the
expedient.
What shall we do, then, to push this great war of freedom and justice
to its righteous conclusion? We must clear away with a thorough hand
all impediments to success, and we must make every adjustment of law
that will facilitate the full and free use of our whole capacity and
force as a fighting unit.