The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-04-03

came 10 RUSSIA, HIS ARMY IlleL Sc.
DIOttnsS of inner circles who cOlllC
plan what they would and render ac
count to no one would be corruption
seated at it's 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.
SPEAKS OF 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 within the
last few weeks in Russia?
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 thoughts, in all the
intimate relationships Of her people
that spoke their natural instincts, their
habitual attitude toward life.
"The autOcacy that crowned the
summit of her political structure, long
as it had stood and terrible as was the
reality of its power. was not in fact
Russian in origin. character or pur-,
pose; and now it has been shaken off
and the great, generous Russian peo-
pie have been added in all their naive
majesty and might to the forces that,
are fighting for freedom in the world,
for justice and for peace. Here,is a,
fit partner for Il league Of honor.
.PRUsSEAN. .AUTOCRACY.
''One of the things that has served
to convince ,us that the. Prussian auto
cracy was7nOt and could never be our
friend is that from the. very outset
of the present war, it has filled our I'M
suspecting communities and even our
offices of government with spies and
set criminal intrigues everywhere afoot
against our national unity of council,
our peace within and, without, our in
duStrieS and our commerce.
Indeed. it. is now evident that it's
spies were here even before the war
began: and it is unhappily not mat
ter OF conjecture. but a fact proved in
our course of justice that the intri-
CUES which have more than once come
perilously near to disturbing peace
and dislocating the industries of the
country have been carried on at the
instigatiOn, with the support and even
under the personal direction of official
agents of the Imperial Government ac-
credited to the government of the
United States.
HAVE BEEN LONG SUFFERING.
Even IN checking these things and
trying to eXtirpate them we have sought
to put the most generous interpreter
tons upon Them because We knew that
their source lay, not in any hostile feel
ing or purpose Of the German people
toward U.S. (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 it's people nothing. But they
have played their part in serving to
convince us at last that that govern
ment entertains no real friendship for
us and means. to act against our peace
and security at it's convenience. That
it means to stir up enemies against us
at our very doors, the intercepted note
to the German Minister at Mexico CITY
Is eloquent evidence.
ACCEPTING CHALLENGE
I'VE are accepting this challenge of
hostile purpose because we know that
in such government, following such
methods, we can never have friend
and that In the presence of its organic
ed power, always lying in wait to ac-
complish we know not what purpose,
there can be no assured security for
the democratic governments of the
world. ..
I'VE are now about to accent the
gauge 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 its now
er. We are glad, now that we see
the, facts with no wells of false pre-
tense about them, to fight thus, for
the ultimate peace Of the world and
Tor the liberation of its Deople. tho
German peoples 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 do
mocracy. Its peace must be planted
upo u, me trusted foundations Of polite
al liberty. -,.sS
No SELFISH ENDS.
I'VE q hare no selfish ends to serve
we desire no conquest, no dominion
we speak no indemnities for ourselves
no material compensation for the sacri,
noes we shall freely make. We ara
put one OF the champions of the right
or mankind. We shall be satisfied
when those rights have been as secure
as the faith and the freedom Of the
nation can make them.
Just because we fight without ran
cor ana without selfish objects, seek
ing nothing for ourselves but what We
s ,,ai, WISH 70 share as free peoples, we
o o ieei confident, conduct our
sion and ourselves observe with nrnmI
punctilio the principles Of right of
1air play We profess to he fiohti3g ~