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


of autocratic governments backed by
organized 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.
I'VE are at the beginning of an age
in which it will be insisted that the
same standards of conduct and of re-
sponsibility for wrong done shall be
observed among nations and the gov
ernments that are observed among the
individual citizens of civilized states.
We have no quarrel with the Ger
man people. We have no feeling to-
ward them but one of sympathy and
friendship. 1t was not upon their i'm
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 to be determined on in the
old, unhappy days when peoples were
nowhere consulted by their rulers and
, wars were provoked and Waged in the
interests of dynasties or of little groups
# ambitious men who were accustomed
use their fellowmen as paWns and
tools.
Self governed nations do not fill
their neighboI 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
| be successfully worked only under COW
| er and where no one has the right to
ask questions.
| "Cunningly contrived plans of de-
| ception or aggression, carried, it may
| be, from generation to generation, can
be worked out and kept from the light
only within the privacy of courts or
| behind the carefully guarded conf
| dences of narrow and privileged class
| They are happily impossible where
/ public opinion commands and insists
upon full information concerning all
the nations affairs.
"A steadfast concert for peace can
never be maintained except by part
nership OF democratic nations. No au
tocratic government could be trusted
to keep faith within it or observe it's
covenants. 1t must be a league of hon
or, a 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 a corruption seated at its
very heart. Only free peoples can hold
their purpose and their honor steady to
a 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 init
mate relationship of her people that
spoke their natural instinct, their ha-
bitual attitude towards life.
The autocracy that crowded the
summit of her political structure, long
as it had stood and terribly as was
the reality of its power, was not in
tact Russian in origin, character OF
purposes. and now Il has been shaken
OFF and the great. generous Russian
people have added in all their native
majesty ana might to the forces that
are fighting for freedom in the world
for justice aid for peace. Here is a
fit partner for a league of honor.
One of the things that has served
% convince us that the Prussian
autocracy was not and could never
De our friend is that from the very
outset of the presert war it has filled
! our lnsuspecting communities an6
: even our offices of government witt
spies and set criminal intrigues ev-
erywhere afoot against our nationa
unity of council, our peace within anC
without, our industries and our COM
merce
Indeed this is now evident that it,
. spies were here even before the Wal
: began; and it is unhappily not {
= matter of conjecture. but a fac
! proved in our courts of justice, tina
:, the intrugues which have more thar
! once come perilously near to disturb
: ing the peace and dislocating the in
! dustries of the country have been car
y ried on at the instigation, with thu
support, and even under the persona
q direction of official agents of the i'm
perial government accredited to tn
a government of the United States.
n Even in checking these things ant
trying to eXtirpate them we hav
v sought to put the most generous in
=. terpreta tons possible upon them be
, cause we know that their source lay
q not in any hostile feelins or purpos
4 of the German people toward US (wh
Y were, no doubt as ignorant of then
a as we ourselves Werel, but only il
q the selfish designs of a government
V that did what it pleased and told it
: people nothing. But they have playe
;. their part in serving to convince u
d Mt last that that government enter
e tains no real friendship for lis an
means to act against our peace an
: security at its convenience. That
: means 10 stir UP enemies against u
e at our very doors, the intercepted not
$, to the German minister a. MeXic
e City is eloquent evidence.
Il I'VE are accepting this challeng
O of hostile purpose because we know
d that in such a government, follow
e ing such methods, we can never hav
h Il friendship and that in the presenc
e of its organized power, always lynn
II in wait to accomplish we know nc
what purpose, there can be no as
e sured security for the democratic gov
re ernments of the world.
II I'VE ere now about to accept tn
II gage of battle with this natural 70
It to liberty and shall, if necessar,
: spend the whole force of the natio
If to check and nullify its pretention
= and its power We are glad now tina
is we see the facts with no veil of falls
pretense about them, to fight thus &c
n the ultimate peace of the world an
L for the liberation Of its peoples, tn
= German peoples included; for tn
1t rights of nations great and small an
lie the privilege of men everywhere t
d choose their way of life and of ODE
If dience. The world must be made sal
lie for democracy. It's peace must b
e planted upon the trusted foundation
d IF political liberty
st I'VE have no selfish ends to serv
y We desire no conquest, no dominion
: We seek no indemnities for ourselves
h no material compensation for the sacri
l. fices we shall freely make We are BIT