Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-04-03

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fdences Of narrow and provided class
They are happily impossible where
public opinion commands and insists
on full information Of all the nations
affairsN
"Steadfast concert OF effort for peace
can never be maintained except by a
partnership of democratic nations. No
autocratic government could be trusted
to keep faith within 1t or observe its
covenants: 1t must be a league of hon
or, partnership OF opinion. Intrigue
would eat it's vitals away; the plottings
Of inner circles who could plan what
| they would and render accounts to no
one would be a corruption at It's very
heart Only free peoples can hold
their purpose and honor steady to a
common end and prefer the interests of
mankind to any narrow interests OF
their own.
| Points to Russia.
| 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 in the last
few weeks in Russia?
| ItufSsld was hlloNil ny til'St WV
knew it best to have been always in
fact democratic at heart. in all the
vital habits OF her thought. In all the
intimate relationships OF her people
that spoke their natural instincts, their
habitual attitude towards life.
1.-The autocracy that crowned the
summit of her political structure long
as it has stood and terrible as was the
reality of its power, was not In fact
Russian in origin, character or pur-
pose; and now 1t has been shaken off
and the great generous Russian people
have aided in all their naive majesty
and might the forces that are fight
ing for freedom In the world. for JUS
| tice and for peace. Here is a tit part
ner for league of honor.
German Spies Active.
Zone of the things that has served
| to convince us that the Prussian
autocracy was not and never could
, be our friend, is that from the outset
Of the present war it has filed our un-
suspecting communities and our Of
fees Of government with spies and set
criminal intrigues afoot against our
national unity of council. our peace
| Wltlll anu Nitiloul, ouE Iiluustty anu
| our commerce.
Spies Here Before War Began.
| Indeed it is now evident that its spies
were here even before the war began;
and it is unhappily not a matter OF
conjecture but a fact proved in our
courts of justice that the intrigues
| which have more than once come per-
| ilously near to disturbing the peace and
| industries Of the country have been
carried on at the instiSation, with the
support, and even under the personal
direction of official agents of the i'm
perial government accredited to the
government Of the United States.
| Even in checking these things and
! trying to extirpate 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 IT the
German people toward us (who were no
doubt as ignorant of them as we our
selves were), but only in the selfish de-
signs 4of a government that did what ii
pleased and told it's people nothing.
But they have played their part in
serving to convince us at last that that
| SOVeTnHlSHl tIlltEldlIiS no iedi iiitht
ship for us, and means to act against
our peace and security at its convent
ence. That 1t means to stir up enemies
against us at our very door. the inter-
cepted note to the German minister at
Mexico City is eloquent evidence.
Accept the Challenge.
| I'VE are accepting this challenge of
hostile purpose because we know that
In such a government using such
methods we can never have a friend =
ship and that with the presence of its
organized powers always lying in wait
ITO accomplish we know not what pur-
pose, there can be no security for the
democratic governments of the world.
I'VE are now about to accept the
gauntlet OF battle with this natural foe
| to liberty and shall if necessary, spend
the whole force of the nation to check
and nullify its pretensions and it's
power.
1--WE are glad now that we see the
facts with no veil of false prctense
about them, to fight thus for the ulti-
mate peace Of the world and Tor the
| liberation Of it's peoples, the German
people included for the rights of ma
tons great and small and the privilege
Of men everywhere to choose their way
Of life and Of obedience. The world
must be made safe to democracy. Its
principles must be planted upon the
trusted founda ton OF political liberty.
I'VE have no selfish ends to serve; we
desire no conquest, no domination; we
| seek no indemnities for ourselves, no
material compensation for the sacri-
| fees 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
as the faith and the freedom OF the ma
| tons can make them.
Will Observe Fair Play.
"Just because we fight without rancor
and without selfish objects, seeking
nothing for ourselves but what VIC
shall wish to share as free peoples. we
shall. feel confident conduct our OPP
erations as belligercnts Without pas
sion and ourselves observe with proud
punctilio the principles OF right and OF
fair play we profess to be fighting for.
II have said nothing OF the govern :
ments allied with tho imperial govern
ment OF Germany because they have
not IUduS war upDIl VI Z" as'
| to defend our right and our honor. The
Austro- Hungarian government has in
deed avowed it's unqualified -indorse-
ment and acceptance OF the reckless
and lawless warfare adopted now with
out disguise by the imperial German
government and 1t has therefore not
heen possible for this government to
receive Count Tarnowski, the ambassa-
/ dor RECENTLY accredited to this govern