The weekly soliphone., 1917-04-05

may be, from generation to genera tion, can be worked out and kept from the light only within the pri- Ivacy of courts or behind the care fully guarded condolences of mar row and privileged class. They are happily impossible where public opinion commands and insists upon full information concerning all the nations affairs.
 "A steadfast concern for peace can never be maintained except by a partnership of democratic nations. No autocratic government could be trusted to keep faith within or observe it's covenants. It must be a league of honor, partnership of opinion. Intrigue would eat it's vitals away; the plottings of inner circles who could plan what they would and render account to no one would be corruption seated at it's very heart Only free peoples can hold their purpose and their honor steady to common end and prefer the interests of mankind to any narrow interest of their own.
 '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 thought, in all the intimate re- lationships of her people that spoke their natural instinct. their habit ual attitude towards life.
 GERMANY HAD SPIES HERE
 BEFORE WAR. [
 "The autocracy that crowned the summit of her political structure, long as it had stood and terrible as was the reality of it's power, was not in fact Russian in origin, char acter or purpose; and now it has been shaken off and the great, gen. erous Russian people 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 league of honor.
 "One of the things that has serv- ed to convince 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 fill ed our unsuspecting7 communities and even our offices of government with spies and set criminal in- trigues 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 its spies were here even before the war began; and it is, unhappily, not matter of conjecture, but a fact proved in our courts of justice that the intrigues which have more than once come perilously near to disturbing the peace and disl0cat- ing the industries of the country have been carried on at the insti- gation, with the support and even under the personal direction of of ficial agents of the imperial gov ernment accredited to the govern- ment of the United States.
 'Even in checking these things and trying to eXtirpate them we have sought to put the most gener- ous interpretation possible upon them because we knew that their source lay, not in any hostile feel ing or purpose of the German peo- pie towards us (who> were, no doubt as ignorant of them as we our selves were), but only in the self ish designs of government that did what it pleased and told It's people nothing. But they have played their part in serving to con- vince us at last that that govern ment entertains no real friendship for us and means to act against our peace and security at its conven- fence. 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.
 CAN NEVER BE FRIEND OF
 GERMANY.
 'We are accepting this challenge of hostile purpose because we know that in such a government, follow ing such methods, we can never have friend; and that in the pres ence of its organized power, all ways lying in wait to accomplish we know not what purpose, there can be no assured security for the democratic governments of the world.
 eve are now about to accept gauge of battle with this natural foe to liberty and shall, if neces- cary snend the whole force of the