Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1917-07-07
STIRRING ADDRESS OF ROOSEVELT
TO RUSSIAN WAR Commission

NEW YORK, July Twin the war, |
treat every Indictment to civil war as
treason of humanity; and bend your
every energy to the overthrow of the |
| German armies, was the advice OF
Theodore Roosevelt, give to Ambassa-
uor Boris A. BakmstieA and the other
members of the Russian war commits
sion in an address which he delivered
in Carnegie hall last night on the oc-
casion OF New York City's official wei
come to the commission. The meet
ing was held under the auspices of the |
American Friends of New Russia, act.
ing in conjunction with the mayors
committee of welcome, Mr.. Roosevelt
said:
Il am sure that | express the feel
ings of my fellow countrymen when
say that IL is a matter of heart felt
rejocinig among all the people of the
United States TO greet and to welcome
this deputation from the new Russia,
the great Russian democracy. AS a
nation We have for many years felt a
peculiar sympathy with and admira.
ton for the mighty Slav people of
the forest and the steppe for the young
giant among nations which as yet has
half developed its tremendous
strength.
"In the past ardent sympathy with
and hope for the Russian people in
America has had TO struggle with a
shocked disbelief in autocracy and
with the whole policy of reaction and
obscurantism.
we held as our ideal the hope that
ultimately the mighty Russian e:npire
might stand as here we at last try
Protestant might feel their conscience
as free as the conscience of the ortho-
dox, and a selfgoverning Finland or
the Caucasus or Armenia enjoy within
the empire the liberty that New York
and Texas enjoy within this union.
4 Therefore we hail you, men and
women of tn" new Russia, with heart.
felt rejoicing. Now at last we can
wish all success to Russia without any
! misgiying or mental reservations. Now
we feel that the mighty Slav republic
has biased the trail of freedom and
has won in legitimate fashion the
right TO stand in the forefront of the
4 onward movement of mankind. Now
we have the right TO expect that you
will grant the men of other races and
: other creeds the rights TO government
Intellectual and religious liberty which
, you so justly demand for yourselves.
/ "In cOngratulating you and earnest
ly wishing you Godspeed on the path
of national greatness, | do not under.
estimate the grave dangers that rise
before and beside you.
! NO liberty can be permanently Sc
3 cure unless it rests on a foundation
of order. No people can permanently
escape control from without unless
they practice control from within, and
civil strife within a nation invites and
ultimately ensures aggression from
J some other nation. Self.control is the
surest safeguard against alien control.
I 1t is because we Americans so deeply
; desire the permanent triumph of demo
cracy in Russia that with all our
Z hearts we hope for moderation in the
Z use OF your victory.
"All of us who love Russia are
I thankful beyond measure for the re
+ fusaI of the Russian people to avengC
= past wrongs by the commission OF
Z present wrongs; we honor them fOl
!: the steadfast turning away from that
- course of action which would stain thu
{. hands of liberty with blood. We mos
7 earnestly hope that what Russia ha'
: by daring and courage achieved she
G will now preserve by coOl.headed wis