Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1917-11-09

erned peoples Of the world such . con-
cert Of purpose nnd Of action NJ will
henceforth insure the observance Of
those principles.
Neutrality r. no longer feasible mr.
deairable where the peace % the world
IN Involved aud the freedom OF lie peo-
pies, and the menace 90 that pence nnd
freedom Hes In the existence OF auto
cratic governments, bRcke b. organ
iEed force which IL controlled wholly
By their Will, not By the will Of their
people. We have seen the last Of neu-
trnlity In such circumstances We are
nc the beginning Of an age IN which IL
will be insisted that the same stand
ards OF conduct and of responsibility
Tor wrong done shall he observed
among nations and their government
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. IL was not upon their impulse
that their government acted in enter
ing the war. cit was not with their
previous knowledge or approval. II
was a war determined upon as wars
used to be determined upon I'm 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 as pawns and
tools.
seIf-EOverned nations do not MI their
neiRhbOr states with spies or set the
course OF Intrigue to bring about some
critical posture of affairs which will
give them nm opportunity 20 strike and
make conquest. Such designs can be
successfully worked out only under
cover and where No one has the right
TO ask questions. C~unninHly contrived
uIrmn nf nRneuffnm mr. mUmreamnnm- oar
ried, II may be from generation TO gem
Grafton, can be worked out and kept
from the light only within the privacy
OF courts or behind the carefully guRrd-
ed condolences Of a narrow and prlvi-
legged class. They Rre happily lmpOssi-
BILE where public opinion OmmRnd and
Insists upon full information concern
Ing all the nations affairs.
A Hteadfast concert for peace can
never be maintained except by n part
nership of democratic nations. No Ru-
tOcratic government could be trusted
60 keep faith within II or observe itS
covenants. II must he n league Of
honor, a partnership of opinion. In
trigue would eat its vitnlH awayi the
plOttinEs of inner circles who could
plan what they would, and render ac-
count to no one, would be a corruption
seated at It's very heart. Only free peO-
pie can hold their purpose and their
honor steady to n common end, and
prefer the interest OF mankind 60 any
narrow interest of their own.
Does not every American feel that
assurance has been added to our hope
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 was
known by those who knew her best
TO have been always In fact democratic
at heart In all vital habits of her
bought, In all the intimate relation
ships of her people that spoke their
natural Instinct, their hnbituai attitude
toward life. The autOcracy that crown
ed the summit of her political struc-
ture, long as II had stood and terrible
M was the reality of its power, was
not in fact Russian In origin, charac-
ter, or purpose, and now IL has been
shaken OF 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 Mt partner for a League OF
honor.
One of the things that have served
TO convince us that the Pruaslnn auto
cracy was not and could never be our
friend IN that from the very outset of
the present war IL has Allied our un-
suspectinE communities, and even our
offices of government, with spies and
set criminal IntriEues everywhere afOOt
against our national unity of counsel,
our peace within and without, our In
dustries, and our commerce. Indeed IL
IN now evident that It's spies were here
even before the war began and Ii II
unhappIly not n matter of conjecture,
hut n fact proven In our courts of JUS
tice, that the %intrlRues which have
more than once come ~perilOusly near to
disturbing the peace and dislOcatinE
the Industries of the country, have been
carried on at the instigntiOn, with the
support, and even under the personal
directions Of OmciaI agents of the Inn
perihI government accredited to the
government of the United states.
Even in checking these things and
trying 90 eXtlrpate them we 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 CwhO were,
no doubt, as ignorant of them as we
ourselves were), but only In the selfish
designs Of n government that did what
"a pleased and told Its people nothing.
But they have played their part In serv-
Ing to convince MS nt last that that
government entertninr no real friend
ship for us and means. TO act against
our peace and security at Its convent
ence. That II means 90 stir up enemies
against us Rt our very doors, the In
tercepted note to the German minister
| M MtANt0 wy IN NAtNhNH
We are accepting this challenge of
hostile purpose because we know that
In such a government, following such
methods, we can never have "a friend,
and that In the presence of Its organ
lied power, always lying In wait TO
Omp we know not what pur-
pose, there can he 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. II necessary. spend
the whole force OF the nation to check
and nullify It's -pretenslons and its pow
err. We are glad now that we see the
facts with no veil Of false pretense
about them. 10 SIGHT thus for the ulti-
mate peace of the world and for the
liberation Of ifa peoples, the German
peoples incIudedi for the rights Of ma
lions, great and small, and the pTivi-
lege OF men everywhere 20 choose their
way Of life and of obedience.
The world must be made safe for
democracy. Its peace must be planted
upon the tested foundations Of political