Judsonia weekly advance., 1917-11-07

among the really free and self-gov- erned peoples of the world such a con cert of purpose and of action will hencefOrth insure the observance of those principles.
 Neutrality is no longer feasible or desirable where the peace Of the world Is involved and the freedom of its peO- ples, and the menace to that peace and freedom Hes in the existence of auto cratic governments, backed by organ ized force which is controlled wholly by their will, not by the will of their people. We have seen the last of neu- trality in such circumstances. We are at the beginning of age fin which it will be insisted that the same stand ards of conduct and of responsibility for wrong done shall be observed among nations and their governments that are observed among the individual citizens of civilized states.
 We have no quarrel with the German people. We have no feeling toward them but one of sympathy and friend ship It was not upon their impulse that their government acted in enter ing the war. It was not with their previous knowledge or approval. It was a war determined upon as wars used to be determined upon in the old unhappy days, when peoples were mo- where consulted by their rulers and
 
 interest of dynasties or of little groups of ambitious men who were accustomed to use their fellow men as pawns and tools.
 SeIf-gOverned nations do not fill their nefghbOr states witl, spies set the course of intrigue to bring about some critical posture of affairs which will give them an opportunity to strike and make conquest. Such designs can be ayrf cover and where one has the right to ask questions. Cunningly cOntrived plans of deception or aggression, car ried, 1t may be from generation to gen. eratiOn. can be worked out and kept from the light only within the privacy of courts or behind the carefully guard ed condolences of a narrow and privt- legged class. They are happily impossi- bIe where public opinion commands and insists upon full information concern ing all the nations affairs.
 steadfast concert for peace can never be maintained except by part nershfp of democratic nations. No au- tOcratic government could be trusted to keep faith within it observe it's covenants. It must be league of honor, partnership of opinion. fn- trfEue would eat It's yftals away; the plOttings of inner circles who could plan what they would, and render ac- count to no one, would be a corruption seated at its very heart. Only free peo- pie can hold their purpose and their honor steady to common end, and prefer the interest 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 loe. P.Hx, ci,D fn sad known by those who knew her best to have been always in fact democratic at heart in all vital habits Of her thought. in all the intimate relation ships of her people that spoke their natural Instinct, their habituai attitude toward life. The autocracy thnt crown ed the summit of her political struc- ture, long as 1t had stood and terrible the reality of its power, WAS not in fact Russian in origin, charac- ter, or purpose. and now it has been shaken off and the great generous Rus sian people have been added, In all their native majesty and might, 10 me 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 have served to convince us that the Prussian nuto- cracy was net and could never be our friend is that from the very outset of the present war 1t has filled our un- suspecting communities, and even our offices of government, with spies and set criminal intriGues everywhere af0ot against our national unity of counsel, our peace within and without. our h. dustries, and commerce. Indeed II is now evident that It's spies were here even before the war began and 1t Is unhappily not a matter Of conjecture, hut fact proven in our courts of jus tice, that the intriSues which have more than once come pcrflousiy near to disturbing the peace and dislocafing the industries of the country, have been carried nt the instigation, with the support, and even under the personal directions of official agents of the Im- perial government accredited to the government of the United States.
 Even in checking these things and trying to extirpate them we have sought to put the most generous inter- pretatiOn possible upon them, because we knew that their source lay not in any hostile feeling or purpose Of the German people toward us twho Were no doubt, as ignorant of them as we ourselves yere), but only in the selfish designs of government that did what 1t pleased and told Its people nothing But they have played their part in serv- ing to convince us at last that that government entertafns no real friend ship for us and means to act against our peace and security at It's cOnvenf- cnce. That it means to stir up enemies against at our very doors, the in- tercepted note to the German minister at Mexico City Is eloquent evidence.
 We are accepting this challenge of hostile purpose because we know that in such q government. following such methods, can never have a friend, and that in the presence of Its organ ized power, always lying fu wait to accomplish know not what pur- pose, there can be assured security for the democratic governments of the