The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1917-11-10

| erAe0 peoples OF the world such con-
| cert of purpose and of action AZ will
| heneefOrth Insure the observance Of
| those principles.
Neutrality is no longer feasible or
| desirable where the peace of the world
| Is involved and the freedom of its peo-
| pies, and the menace to that peace and
| freedom lies I'm the existence of auto
| cratic governments, backed by organ
| ized force which II controlled wholly
| by their Will, not by the will of their
people. We have seen the last of neu-
| trality I'm such circumstances. We are
at the beginning of an age In which 1T
| viii be insisted that the same stand
ards of conduct and of responsibility
for wrong done shall be observed
| among nations and their governments
that are observed among the Individual
citizens OF civilized states.
| We have no quarrel with the German
| people We have no feeling toward
| them but one of sympathy and friend
ship. 1t was not upon their impulse
| that their government acted in enter
/ ing the war 1t was not with their
| previous knowledge or approval It
! was a war determined upon as wars
used to be determined upon in the old
| unhappy days, when peoples were no.
/ where consulted by their rulers and
wars were provoked and waged in the
| interest of dynasties or of little groups
of ambitious men who were accustomed
to use their fellow men a pawns and
| tools.
SeIf-gOverned nations do not ill their
aeiEhbOr states with spies or set the.
| course of intrigue to bring about some
critical posture OF affairs which Will
| give them an opportunity to strike and
make conquest. Such designs can be
successfully worked cut only under
| cover and where one has the right
to ask questions. CunninEIy cOntriVed
plans OF deception or aggression, car
r1ed, 1T may be from generation to gen
Grafton, can be worked out and Kept
from the light only within the privacy
OF courts or behind the carefully guard
ed condolences of narrow and PriVi-
legged class. They are happily imPossi-
bic where public opinion commands nd
insists upon full Information concern
Ing all the nations affairs.
A steadfast concert for peace can
never be maintzined except by a part
nership of democratic nations. No au-
tOcratfc government could be trusted
to keep faith within 1T observe its
covenants. 1t must be League of
honor partnership of opinion. In
trigue would eat its vitaIs away; the
plOtdnEs of inner circles who could
plan what they would, and render ac-
count to one, would be a corruption
seated at its very heart. Only free PeO-
honor steady to a common end, and
prefer the interest of mankind to any
narrow interest of their own.
Does not every American feel that
ass III dIlCc mas D0Sn aQOS0 u our HOPC
for the future peace of the world by
the wonderful and heartening things
that have been happening within the
last few weeks in Russia? Russia Tas
known by those who knew her best
to have been always in fact democratic
at heart in all vital habits of her
thought, in all the intimate relation
ships of her people that spoke their
natural instinct, their habituaI attitude
toward life. The autOcracy that crown
ed the summit of her political struc-
ture, long 1T had stood and terrible
as was the reality of its power, was
not in fact Russian In origin, charac-
ter, or purpose. and now it has been
shaken on and the great generous Rus
sian people have been added, in all
their native majesty and might, to the
forces that are fighting for freedom In
the world, for justice, and for peace.
Here is a fit partner for league OF
honor
One of the things that have served
to convince that the Prussian auto
cracy was not and could never be our
friend Is that from the very outset of
the present war 1T has filled
suspectfng communities, and even our
offices OF government, with spies and
set criminal intrigues everywhere afOOt
against our national unity of counsel,
our peace within and without, our in
dustries, and our commerce. Indeed #
is now evident that Its spies were here
even before the war began and 1T is
UnhaPpiIy not q matter of conjecture,
but a fact proven In our courts of JUS
tice, that the fRtrIsues which have
more than once come PeriIOUsly near to
disturbing the peace and dislOcat1ng
the Industries of the country, have been
carried on at the instigatiOn, with the
support, and even under the personal
directions OF official agents of the I'm
Perfal government accredited to the
government of the United States.
Even in checking these things and
trying to extirpate them have
sought to put the most generous inter
probation possible upon them, because
we knew that their source lay not In
any hostile feeling or purpose of the
German people toward us (ThO were,
NO doubt, ignorant of them as we
ourselves vEere), but only I'm the selfish
designs of a government that did what
1T pleased and told it's people nothing.
But they have played their part In serv-
Ing to convince US at last that that
government entertains real friend
ship for us and means to act against
our peace and security at its convent
ence. That It means to stir up enemies
against at our very doors, the in
tercepted note to the German minister
at Mexico City Is eloquent evidence.
We are accepting this challenge OF
hostile purpose because we know that
In such = government, following such
methods, we can never have \ friend,
and that In the presence OF Its organ
lied power, always lying in wait to
accomplish We know not what pur-
pose, there can be no assured security
for the democratic governments of the
world. We are now about to accept
the gage of battle with the natural foe
to liberty, and shall. if necessary, spend
the whole force of the nation to check
and nullify its pretensioRs and its pow
er. We are glad now that we see the
facts with no veil OF false pretenae
about them, to fight thus for the uIti-
mate peace Of the world and for the
liberation of its peoples, the German
peoples included; for the rights of na-
lions, great and small, and the priVf-
IeEe of men everywhere to choose their
way OF life and OF obedience.
The world must he made safe for
democracy. It's peace must be planted
upon the tested foundations of political
liberty. We have selfish ends to
serve We desire no conquests no
dominion. We seek indemnffies for
ourselves, material compensation
for the sacrifices we shall freely make.
We are but one of the champions of
the rights of mankind We shall be
satisfied when those rights have been
made as secure the faith and the
freedom of nations can make them
Just because we fight without rancOr
and without selfish object seeking
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Cats Back Was Scared.