Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-04-03

with tho materials which they can OBJ
tain only from us or by our assistance
They are in the field. and we SHOULD
help them in every way to be eHectiv,
there.
II shall take the liberty OF suggest.
ing. through the several executive dc.
! partments OF the government for the
/, consideration of your committees
measures for tho accomplishment @,
| the several objects have mentioned
/ hope tina, it will be your pleasure to
deal with them as having been framed
after very careful thought by the
branch OF ihe government upon which
/ the responsibility of conducting the
war and safeguarding the nation will
most directly fall
| MUST MAKE CLEAR
MOTIVES AND OBJECTS
while we do these things. these
deeply momcntous things, let us be
I very clear aud make very clear to all
the world what our motives and our
objects are. My own thought has not
been driven from it's habitual and nor
NAL course by the unhappy events OF
the last two months and | do not he
| licNe that the thought OF the nation
has been altered or cloudcd by them.
]
mind now that | had i'll mind when
addressed the senate on the 22d of jan
uary last; the same that had in
mind when addressed the Congress
! on the Sd of February and on the 26th
OF February. our object now. as
then. is 10 vindcate the principles of
| peace and justice in the life Of tho
world as against selfish and autocra tic
/ lower ana to set up amongst the really
| free and self governed peoples OF the
| world such a concert of purpose and
action rs viii henceforth insure the
! Observance OF those principles.
/ Neutrality is no longer feasible o.,
/ desirable wher. the peace Of ,he world
~ involved and the freedom Of its peo-
pies. and the menace TO that peace and
freedom lies in the existence Of auto
cratic governments backed by organ
lied force which is controlled wholly
by their Will not by the will of their
people We have seen the last Of
neutrality in such circumstances
SAME STANDARD URGED FOR
GOVERN INVENT As FOR INDIVIDUALS
we are at the beginning OF an age
in which it will be insisted that the
same standards OF conduct and of re-
| "pCnsibilitN for wrong done shall ~,
! observed among nations and their gov
eriI:;cnta th:it are observed among tn.
individual citizens of civilized states.
We nave no quarrel with the Ger
man people. We have no feeling to-
wards them bat one OF sympathy and
friendship. II was not upon their inn
pulse that their government acted in
entering this war. 1t was not with
their previous Knowledge or approval
1T was war determined upon as
wars used 20 he determined upon in
the old. unhappy days when peoples
were nowher. consulted by their
rulers, and wars were provoked and
waged in tho interest OF dynastics OF OF
little groups OF ambitious men who
were accustomc ed TO use their fcllowmen
as DawnS and tools.
Self governed nations do not fill
their neighbour states with spies or get
the course OF intrigue to bring about
some critical posture OF affairs which
viii give them an opportunity to strike
and make conquest. Such designs can
be successfully worked only under
cover, and where no one has right TO
ask questions
'tunningly contrived plans OF decep-
ton or aggression, carried, it may he
from generation to generations can be
worked out and kept from the light
only within the privacy OF courts or
behind the carefully guarded conf
dences of a narrow and privileged class
They are happily impossible where pub
lie opinion commands and insists upon
full informa ton concerning all the ma
TONS affairs.
"A stcadfast concert for peace can
never be maintained except by a part; :
ncrShip OF democratic nations No
autocratic government could be trusted
TO Keep faith within il or observe its
covenants. II must be league OF
honor. partnership OF opinion In
triEue would eat its vitalS away; the
plotiinGs of inner circles who could
plan what they would and render ac-
count TO no one would he a corrup-
ton seated at it's very heart. Only
free peoples can hold their purpose
aud their honor steady To a common
end and prefer the interests OF man
kind TO any narrow interest OF their
own
ASSURANCE ADDED no HOPE
BI HAPPENINGS IN RUSSIA
Does not every American feel that
assurance ha 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 nv hast !,