Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1917-04-06

fully guarded condolences of narrow and
privileged class.
They are happily impossible where pub
lie opinion commands and insist upon full
information concerning all the nations
affairs.
"A steadfast concert for peace can never
be maintained except by partnership of
democratic nations. No autocratic GOV
eminent could be trusted TO keep faith
within it or observe its covenants. 1t must
be league of honor, a partnership of
opinion. Intrigue would eat its vitals
away; the plottings of inner circles who
could plan what they would, 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 any narrow interest Of their
own.
Does not every American feel that as
surance has been added to oar hope for
the future peace Of the world by the won
derful and heartening things that have
been happening within the last few weeks
in Russiaf
Russia was known by those who knew
II best TO have been always in fact demo-
cratic at heart, in all the vital habits Of
her thought. in all the intimate relation
ships of her people that spoke their natural
instinct. their habitual attitude towards
life.
The autocracy that crowned the sum-
nit Of her political structure, long as il
had stood and terrible as was the reality
Of its power. was not in fact Russian in
origin. character OF purpose. and now il
has been shaken of and the great. sener-
Gus Russian people have been added in all
their native majesty and might to the
forces that are fighting for a freedom in
the world. for justice and for peace. Here
is fit partner for league Of honor.
Zone Of the things that has served to con-
vince US that the Prussian autocracy was
not and could never be our friend is that
from the very outset Of the present war it
has filed our unsuspecting communities
and even our Offices Of government with
spies and set criminal intrisues every
where afoot against our national unity of
council. our peace within and without, our
industries and our commerce.
Indeed. it is now evident that its spies
were here even before the war began;
and it is unhappily not a matter Of con-
lecture. but fact proved in our courts of
justice, that the intrieues which have more
than once come perilously near to disturb
ing the peace and dislocatine the industries
Of the country have been carried on at the
instieation, with the support, and even
under the personal direction OF official
agents Of the Imperial Government accred-
tied to the Government Of the United States.
Even in checking these things and try
ing to extricate them we have sought to
put the most generous Interpretation pos
sible upon them because we knew that
their source lay not in any hostile feeling
or purpose Of the German people toward
US (who were, no doubt. as Ignorant of
them as we ourselves were), but only in
the selfish designs of a government that
did what it pleased and told its people
nothing. But they have played their part
in serving to convince US at last that that
government entertains no real friendship
for US and means to act against our peace
and security at its convenience That it
means to stir up enemies against US at our
very doors the intercepted note to the Ger
man Minister at Mexico City is eloquent
evidence.
we are accepting this challenge Of hos
tile purpose because we know that in such
government. following such methods, we
can never have friend; and that in the
presence of its organized power always
lying in wait to accomplish we know not
what purpose, there can be no assured secu-
rity for the democratic governments Of the
world
we are now about to accept gaze of
battle with this natural foe to liberty and
shall, II necessary, spend the whole force
OF the nation to check and nullify its pre-
tensions and its power. We are glad. now
that we see the facts with no veil of false
pretense about them. to fight thus for the
ultimate peace Of the world and for the
liberation Of its peoples, the German peo-
Piles included; for the rights of nations
great and small and the privilege Of men
everywhere to choose their way Of life and
OF obedience. The world must be made
safe for democracy. Its peace must be
planted upon the trusted foundations of
political liberty.
I'VE have no selfish ends to serve. We
desire no conquest, no dominion. We seek
no indemnities for ourselves, no material
compensation for the sacrifices we shall
freely make. We are but one Of the cham
pions of the rights Of mankind. We shall
be satisfied when those rights have been
as secure as the faith and the freedom of
the nations can make them.
Just because we fight without rancor
and without selfish objects, seeking moth
ing for ourselves but what we shall wish
to share with all free peoples. we shall, |
feel confident, conduct our operations as
bellieerents without passion and ourselves
observe with proud punctilio the principles
OF right and of fair play we profess to be
fighting for.
Il have said nothing of the Governments
allied with the Imperial Government Of
Germany because they have not made war
upon us or challenged us to defend our
right and our honor. The Austro-Hunsa-
rian Government has. indeed. avowed its
unqualified Endorsement and acceptance
OF the reckless and lawless submarine
warfare adopted now without disguise by
the Imperial German Government. and it
has, therefore, not been possible for this