The Green Forest tribune., 1917-11-09


 .ert Of purp6se and of action will hcncefOrth insure the observance Oi hose principles.
 Neutrality Is longer feasible or desirable where the peace of the wOrlf is involved and tie freedom of it's peO- pleS. and the menace to that peace and freedom lies in the existence of auto crntfc governments. backed by organ ized force which Is controlled wholly by their will, not by the will of their peOrle. We have seen the last of neu- trality in such circumstances. We are It the beginning of an age in which ff will be insisted that the same stnnd- Irds Of conduct and of responsibilit, {, for wrong done shall he observed lmong nations and their governments hat are observed among the individual "itizens 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 ng 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 wars were provoked and waged in the interest of dynasties or of little groups of ambitious men who were accustomed to use their fellow men as pawns and tools
 Seif-governcd nations do not fli their leiEhhOr states with spies or 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 he successfully worked out only under cover and where no one has the right 70 ask questions. CunDinGly cOntrived plans of deception or aggression. car lied. it may he from generation to gen. eration, can be worked ont and kept from the light only within the privacy of courts behind the carefully guard- ed condolences of DarrOW and priVt- legged ctnss. They are happily inipoSSi" bie where public opinion commands and insists upon full information concern ing all the nations affairs.
 Steadfast concert for peace can never he maintained except by part nership of democratic nations. Nc au- tocratic government could he trusted to keep faith within it or observe its covenants. Ii must be q league ot honor. partnership of opinion. In- trigue would eat its vitnls away; the ulottings of inner circles who could plan what they would, and render ac- count to one, would be q corruption
 
 ple 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 last few weeks in Russia? Russia was known by those who knew her best to have been always in fact democratic at henrt fn all vital habits of her thought, in all the intimate relation ships of her people that spoke fheir natural instinct, their habitual attttuG" toward life. The autocracy that crown ed the summit of her political struc- ture. long as if had stood and terrible as was the reality of its power, was not in fnct Russian in origin, charlc- ter, purpose, and now 1t has been shaken of and the great generous HuS- sian people have been added, m all their NaIiye majesty and might to the forces that are fighting for freedOH; In the world, for justice, and for pence. Here is a fit partner for a league of honor.
 One of the things that have served to convince us that the PruSSioD auto rracy WAS not and could never he cur friend is that from the very ontSet or the present war II has filled our un- SuSpectin. communities, and even our offices of government, with spies and set criminal intrigues everywhere af0o4 against our national unity of c0unseE Our peace within and without, cur in- duStrieS, and OUT commerce., Indeed II is now evident that its spies were here even before the war began and it Is unhapTiIN not n matter of conjecture. hut a fact proven in OFT courts of JUS- tice. that the intrigucs which have more than once come perii0usly near to disturbing the peace and di"locniing the industries of the country, have been carried on at the insti%ntiOi, with the Sunport. and even under the personal directions of oiiiciai agents of the im- periaI government accredited to inc government of the United States.
 Even in checking these things and trying 10 extirpatc them we have sought tO put fhe most generous inier- Dretation possible upon them, because 1vs. knew that their source lay nat in any hostile feeling purpose of the German people toward us tWtO were, no doubt. aS iGEoranf of them ;;S we ourselves were), hut only in the selfish designs Of q government thaf did what it pleased and told it's people nothing. Fu3 they haVe played their part in Ser'.- ing to convinCr us at Iuat thai that
 
 ship for uA and means to act against oair peace and security at it's convent cncc. That it means 10 stir up enemies against us at our very doors, the in- fercepted note to the German minister at Mexico City iS eloquent evidence.
 We are accepting this challenge of hostile purpose because we kn0yv t!taf in such government. following such methods, we can never have a friend .ud syus in n ized power. always lying in wait tO accomplish we know not what pur-' pose, there can be assured security fer the democratic governments Of ti,e world. We are now about to accept the gage of battle with the natural foe to liberty. and shall. if necessary. spend the whole force of the nation to check and nullify its pretensons and its pow CT We are glad now that we see inc farts with no v"'i 0f false preterse about them. to Gglit thus for tle ulii- mate peace of the world and for the liberation of its peoples, ttle German peoples included; for the rights Of nH- tioHs, great and small. and the prlvi- Iege of men eVcryyYh""" t0 c9soSse their HYay of life and Of obedience.
 The world must he made safe for democracy. It's peace must he planted uron the tested foundations of political liberty. We have no selfish ends to serve. We desire no conquests, no dominion. We seek no indcmnitieS for ourselves, material compensation for thc sacrifices we shall freely make. We are but one of the champions of the rights of mankind We shah be satisfied when those rights have been made as secure as the faith and the freedom of nations can make them
 Just because we fight without rancor and without selfish object seeking ~-~~o-o~o~~-~---o~~.~~~~
 Cats Back Was Scared.
 Jack WIS ohServnnt of all drnma