Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1917-04-03

those rights have been as secure as the
faith and the freedom of the nations
can make them. Just because we fight
without rancour and without selfish OBJ
jects, seeking nothing for ourselves
but what we shall wish to share as free
peoples. we SHALL l feel confident. con-
dut our operations as belligerents with
out passion and ourselves observe with
proud punctilliO the principles of right
and of fair play we profess to be fight
ing for.
Il have said nothing Of the govern
ments allied with the imperial govern
ment of Germany because they have
not made war upon US or challenged us
TO defend our right and our honor. The
AuStro- hungarian government has in
deed, avowed its unqualified endorse
ment and acceptance of the reckless
and lawless submarine warfare adopted
now without disguise by the imperial
German government, and it has there
! fore not been possible for this govern
! ment to receive Count Tarnowski, the
| ambassador recently accredited TO this
| government by the imperial and royal
| government of Austria Hungary; but
! that government has not actually en-
gagged in warfare against citizens of the
| United States on the seas, and l take
the liberty, for the present at least, of
]
with the authorities at Vienna. We
enter this war only where we are
| clearly forced into it because there are
no other means of defending our rights
1T will be all the easier for US to
conduct ourselves as belligerents in a
high spirit of right and fairness because
we act without animus, not in enmity
| towards a people or with the desire to
| bring any injury or disadvantage upon
| tnem but only in armed opposition to
an irresponsible government which has
! thrown aside all consideration of hu-
manity and of right and is running
amuck.
I'VE are let me say again, the sincere
| friends of the German people, and shall
! desire nothing so much as the early
/ establishment of intimate relations
| of mutual advantage between uS-hOw-
| ever hard it may be for them to be-
| lieve that this Is spoken from our
hearts We have borne with their pres
ent government through all these bit
ter months because of that friendship
exercising a patience and forbearance
| which would otherwise have been i'm
possible. We shall, happily, still have an
! opportunity to prove that friendship in
our daily attitude and actions towards
the millions of men and women of Ger
man birth and native sympathy who
live among US and share our life, and
We shall be proud to prove it towards
all who are in fact loyal to their neigh
bors and to the government in the hour
of test They are, most of them, as
true and loyal Americans as if they had
| never known any other fealty or allie
glance. They will be prompt to stand
with US in rebuking and restraining the
few who may be of different mind
and purpose. If there should be dis
loyalty. it will be dealt with with a
firm hand of stern repression; but II
it lifts its head at all. it will lift il
only here and there and without coun
tenance except from a laWless and
malignant few"
1T is a distressing and oppressive
duty, gentlemen of the congress- which
have performed in thus addressing
you. There are, it may be, many
months of fiery trial and sacrifice
ahead of US. 1t is a fearful thing tc
lead this great, peaceful country into
war, into the most terrible and disas-
trous of all wars, civilization Itself
seeming to be in the balance. But the
right is more precious than peace, anC
we shall fight for the things which we
have always carried nearest our hearts
for democracy, for the right of those
who submit to authority to have voice
in their own governments, for the
rights and liberties of small nations
for a universal dominion of right b.
such a concert of free peoples as shall
bring peace and safety to all nation:
and make the world itself at last free
To such a task we can dedicate oul
lives and our fortunes, everything tina
, we are and everything that we hav,
! with the pride of those who know tina
the day has come when America i!
privileged to spend her blood and he
t might for the principles that gave he1
birth and happiness and the peace
which she has treasured. God helping
? her, she can do no other.