Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1917-11-08

eover and where Ne one Has the right
e ank Queatlons. Cunnfn8ly eOntrtved
Rl..s 81 deception or aEsresslo., ear
rfed, IL nay be froa generat1On to Een-
GRAFTON, car be worked out and kept
From the Hight only within the privacy
OF courts or behind the carefully guard
ed condolences OF narrow and prfvt-
legged class They are happily impossf-
BILE where public opinion commands and
insists upon fun Information concern
Ing all the nations Affairs.
steadfnst concert fer peace can
never he maintained except by n part
nership of democratic nations No au-
keep faith within 1t Observe Its
covenants. 1t must be q league OF
honor, a partnership of opinion m
trfEue would eat its vftals always the
plottinEs of inner circles who could
plan what they would, and render &C
count to NO one. would be q corruption
PIE can hold their purpose and their
honor steady to q common end, and
prefer the interest of mankind to any
narrow interest OF their own.
Does not every American feel that
assurance has been added to our nope
for the future peace OF the world oy
the wonderful and heartenfng 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 I'm fact democratic
mt heart I'm all vital habits of her
thought. I'm all the intimate relation
ships of her people that spoke their
natural instinct, their habftual attitude
toward life. The autOcracy that CROWN
ed the summit of her political struc-
ture, long 1t had stood and terrible
was the reality of its power, was
not In fact Russian In origin. chArnc-
ter, purpose, and now 1T has been
shaken on and the great generous Rus
sian people have been added, In ali
their native majesty and might, TO tine
forces that are nKhtinE for freedom In
the world, for Justice, and for peace.
Here is a fit partner for a league OF
honor
One Of the thinss that have served
to convince ms that the Prussian auto
cracy WINS not and could never be our
friend L. that from the very outset OF
the present war 1T has allied our un-
suspectinx communities, and even our
omces of government, with spies and
set criminal fntriEues everywhere afoot
against our national unity OF cOunseh.
our peace within and without, our In
dustries, and our commerce.. Indeed II
Is now evident that Its spies were here
even before the war began and 1t In
unhappily not q matter OF conjecture,
but a fact proven in our courts OF 50s-
tice, that the intrigues which have
more than once come perilOusiy near TO
disturbing the peace and dislOcatinE
the Industries of the country, have been
carried ON mt the instiEation, with the
direction. of omcial agents of the Inn
perfal government accredited to the
government of the United States.
Even In checking these things and
trying to eftirpate 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 purpose OF the
German people toward US (whO were,
NO doubt, ignorant of them as vse
ourselves were), but only i'm the selfish
1T pleased and told its people nothing.
But they have played their part IN serv-
ing to convince ms at last that that
government enterta1ns NO real friend
| ship for and means to act against
| our peace and security at it's convent
ence. That 1t means to stir up enemies
| against Mt our very doors, the In
tercepfed note to the German minister
| at Mexico City In eloquent evidence.
We are accepting this challenge of
| hostile purpose because we know that
| in such a government, following such
| methods, can never have a friend,
and that I'm the presence of it's organ
lied power always lying IN wat 70
accomplish know mot 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, IL necessary, spend
/ the whole force of the nation to check
| and nuf1ify its pretensions and its pow
| err. We are glad now that we see the
facts with veil of false pretense
| about them, to hght thus for the ultf-
mate peace of the world and Tor the
liberation of its peoples, the German
peoples included, for the rights of ma
| tions, great and small, and the privi-
/ leGe Of men everywhere to choose their
| way of life and of obedience.
l 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
1 dominion We seek lndemnities for
| ourselves, material compensation
| for the sacrifices 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 the faith and the
| freedom of nations can make them
Just because we fight without rancor
| and without selfish object. seeking
| nothing for ourselves but what we shall
| wish to share with all free people, we
| SHALL 1 feel confident conduct our oper-
| atoms be11igerents without passion
| and ourselves observe with proud pune
| tilfo the principles of right and of fair
| play we profess to be fighting for.
1 have said nothing of the govern
ments allied with the Imperial gov
| eminent of Germany because they have
not made war upon us challenged
us to defend right and honor.
The AustrO-Hungarfan govern nsent has.
| Indeed, avowed its unqualified fndOrse-
4 ment and acceptance of the reckless
| and Inwlesa submarine warfare, adopt
/ ed now without disguise by the Imper-
fal German government. and 1t has
therefore not been possible for this
government receive Count TarnOvv-
ski. the ambassador recently accredited
to this government by the Imperial and
| Royal government of Ausfrfa-Hung gary
but that government has not actually
| the United States ON the seas, and
take the liberty, for the present mt
least. of pOstponing discussion of our
4 relations with the authorities Mt Vi