Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-04-02

GAYS WIN I't@Ilcr Wtlt AN"utlN Nuh7
suited by their rulers and wars were
provoked and waged in the interest Of
dynasiies OF little groups OF ambitious
men who were accustomed 20 use their
fellow men a. pawns and tools. Self
governed nations do not fill their neigh
bors states with spies or set the course
Of intrigue 10 bring about some critical
posture Of affairs which will give them
an opportunity TO strike and make cor.
quest. Such designs can be successful
" worked out only under cover and
where no one has tae isgnt 10 ash qucs-
tions. Cunningly contrived plans OF
deception OF aggression, carriei, Il may
be, from generation TO generation, can
be worked out and kept from the light
only within the privacy Of courts or be-
hind the carefully guarded condolences
of narrow and privileged class. They
are happily impossible where public op-
inion commands ana insists upon full
information concerning all the nations
affairs.
A steadfast concert for peace can
never be maintained except by partner
ship of democratic nations. No auto
cratic government could be trusted to
keep faith within it OF observe its Gov
enants. 1t must be league of honor, a
partnership of opinion. Intrigue would
eat its vitals away; the plottings of in
ner circles who could plan what they
would and render account TO no one
would be corruption seated at its very
heart. Only free peoples can hold their
purpose and their honor steady to a
common end and prefer the interests Of
mankind to sny narrow interest," OF their
own.
Hope Seen in Russia.
Does not every American feel that
assurance has been added to our hope
for the future peace of the world by
wonderful and heartening things that
have been happening within the last
few weeks in Russias Russia was known
/ by those who 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. The
autocracy that crowned the summit OF
her political structure, long as it had
stood and terrible as was the reality OF
its power, was now in fact shaken oil
and the great, generous Russian people
have been added in all their naive ma
iesty and might to the forces that ar,
fighting for freedom in the world, fol
justice and for peace Here is a fl
partner for league of honor.
One of tho things that has served t.
convince us that the Prussian autoeraey
was not and could never be our friend
is that from the very outset of the pres
ent war it has filled our unsuspectinl
communities and even our offices O.
government with spies and set crimina
intrigues everywhere afoot against ou
national unity of counsel, our peae,
within and without, our industries AM
our commerce.
German Spies Here.
Indeed, it is now evident that its spie
were here even before the war began
and it is unhappily not q matter o
conjecture but "a fact proved in ou
courts of justice that the intrigue
which have more than once come peril
ously near disturbing the peace and dis
locating the industries of the countr
have been carried on at the instigatior
/. with the support and even under tn
!, personal direction of official agents 0
the Imperial government accredited t
4 the government of the United States
e Even in checking these things and try
e ing to extripate them we have sough
to put the most generous interprets
V tions possible upon them because W
+ knew that their source lay, not in an
n hostile feeling or purpose of the Gei
!. man people toward us (who were n
Il doubt, as ignorant of them as we oul
y selves were), but only in the selfis
! designs of q government that did wha
. it pleased and told its people nothin,
y But they have played their part in SER
!. ing to convince us at last that tbs
, government entertains no real frient
4 ship for us and means to act against oil
! peace and security at its convenience
That it means to stir up enemies agains
us at our very doors the intercepte
note to the German minister at MexiC
City is eloquent evidence.
: Accepts Challenge.
n We are accepting this challenge
y hostile purpose because we know thu
+ in such a government, following sue
= methods, We can never have a frient
q and that in the presence of its organize
i power, always lying in wait to accom-
/ lish we know not what purpose, the
: can be no assured security for IL
y democratic governments of the worl
We are now about to accept gage of ba
tie with this natural foe to liberty an
'e SHALL if necessary, spend the who
e force of the nation to check and MULTI
II its pretensions and its power. We Al
II glad now that we see the facts with ]
it veil of false pretense about them,
d fight thus for the ultimate peace thl
IS for the ultimate peace of the wor
It and for the liberation of its peoples, Il
N German peoples include: for the righ
n. of nations great and small and Il
d privilege of men everywhere to choo
/ their way of. life ana obedience. II
y world must be made safe for democrac
It Its peace must be planted upon Il
n tested foundations of political libert
III We have no selfish ends to serve v
s. desire no conquest, no dominion. v
le seek no indemnities for ourselves,
lie material compensation for the sacrific
ID we shall freely make. We are but Of
t Of the champions of the rights of ma
o.. kind. We shall be satisfied when tho
i rights have been made as secure as t
). faith and the freedom Of nations G.
j make them.
y ra~h& xrrsALn,,x F9...aw