, 1917-11-08

10 ask questions. CunnfnE1y contrived
plans Of deception or aggression, car
ried, II may be from generation to gen
Grafton, can be worked ont and kept
from the light only within the privacy
OF courts or behind the carefully gunrd-
ed condolences of n narrow and Prtvi-
legged class. They are happily impossi-
Bile where public opinion commands and
Insists upon full Information concern
Ing all the nations affairs.
A stendfast concert for peace can
never be maintained except by n part
nershfp of democratic nations. No nu-
tocratic government could be trusted
to keep faith within II or Observe Its
covenants. 1t must be a league OF
honor, a partnershfp of opinion. In
trigue would eat its vitaIs away the
plottings of inner circles VIII could
plan what they would, and render nc
count to no one, would be n corruption
seated mt fits very heart. Only free peo-
pie can hold their and their
honor steady to n 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 wns
known by those who knew her best
to have been always In fnct democratic
mt henrt In all vital habits OF her
tnnuRht. U n NIL the tntlmbtt htho
ships of her people that spoke their
natural Instinct, their habituai attitude
toward life. The au~tocrncy thai CROWN
ed the summit of her political struc-
ture, long as II had stood and terrible
as was the reality of its power. was
not in fact Russian In origin, chnrac-
ter. or purpose, and now Ii has been
shaken on and the great generous Rus
sian people have been added, In all
their native majesty and might, to the
g. In
the world, for Justice, and for peace.
Here is a fit partner for a league OF
honor.
One of the things that have served
to convince us that the Prussfnn auto-
cracy was not md could never be our
friend In that from the very outset OF
the present war Il has allied our I'M
suspectlng communities, and even our
Offices of government, with spies and
set criminal intrigues everywhere moot
against our national unity of counsel
our peace within and without, our In
dustries, and our Indeed 1t
IN now evident that Its spies were mere
even before the war began and IL Ii
~unhappily not n matter of conjecture,
but n fact proven in our courts OF JUS
tice, that the intrigues which have
more than once come p~erilously near to
disturbing the peace and disiocnfing
the industries of the country, have been
carried on ut the fnstigatfon, with the
support, and even under the personal
directions of Official agents of the Inn
periaI 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-
probation possible upon them, because
we knew that their source lay not In
any hostile feeling or purpose of the
German people toward us tNho were,
no doubt. ms ignorant of them ms we
ourselves wereD, but only In the selfish
designs of n government that did what
II pleased and told Its people nothing.
But they have played their part In serv-
Ing to convince us ut last that that
government entertains no real friend
ship for US and means to act against
our peace and security mt Its convent
ence. That 4: means to stir up enemies
against us Mt our very doors, the in
tercepted note to the German minister
mt Mexico City In eloquent evidence.
We are this challenge of
hostile purpose because we know that
In such a government, following such
methods, we cnn never have n friend,
and that in the presence of it's organ
lied power, always lying In wait to
accomplish we know not what pur-
pose, there can be no assured security
for the democratic governments of the
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 it's pretensions and its pow
err. We are glad now that we see the
facts with no veil of false pretense
about them, to fight thus for the ulti-
mate peace of the world and for the
liberation of Its peoples the German
peoples included; for the rights of ma
tions. great and small, and the priyi-
Iege of men everywhere to choose their
way of life and of obedience.
The world must be made safe for
democracy. Its peace must be planted
upon the tested foundations of political
liberty. We have no selfish ends TO
serve. We desire no no
dominion. We seek no indemnities for
ourselves, no material compensation
for the sacrifices we shnn freely make.
We are but one of the champions of
the rights OF We shall 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
nothing for ourselves but what we shall
wish to share with all free people. we
shall. 1 feel confident. conduct our oper-
atoms as belligerents without passion
and ourselves observe with proud pune
tilio the principles of right and of fair
play we profess to be fighting for.
1 have said nothing of the govern
ments allied with the Imperial gov
m of Germany because they have
not made war upon us or challenged
us to defend our right and our honor.
The Austro-HunEarinn government has.
indeed, avovyed its unqualified lndorse-
ment and acceptance Of the reckless
and lawIess submarine warfare, adopt
ed now without Disguise by the lmper-
Inl German government, and Ii has
therefore not been possible Tor this
government to receive Count Tarnow-
ski, the ambassador recently accredited
A.. ,NN. .nyernuaen nv the InIDerIaI and