Evening star., 1936-10-25
ny ROBERT E. SHERWOOD.

BY ROBERT E. SHERWOOD.
NEW YORK, October "a (N-A.N.A).
THE danger bf another world war is
decreasing. Every day the forces OF
sanity seem to gain little IN unity
and strength.
If this gain can continue-if they
can only avoid the outbreak OF calar1l-
ity for another five years-then the
world may wake up in amazement to
discover that its dream Of permanent
peace has become reality. But the
odds against such an awakening are
still as heavy as all the armaments
which the world is piling up.
I am not speaking as an expert. AL
though have spent great deal oil
time in Europe, I have had no inti-
mate chats with Hitler, Mussolini,
Stain. Blum or Anthony Eden. So
when talk about international affairs
I'm only guessing.
However, in this present chaos. my
guess is as good as the average ex-
pert's sworn statement.
You will hear it said that the situ-
alton today is alarmingly like 1914.
It's nothing of the kind. There's
tremendous force now operating to
prevent war, the underestimated force
of public opinion The supply Of
willing cannon fodder isn't what 1t
was. The men on the street and on
the farm don't want to fight.
Furthermore, there has been a
slackening of martial enthusiasm
among the politicians and the gen.
erals and the old gentlemen who cheer
when the boys march on. They realize
that there1l be no such thing as a
war zone" the next time. Civilians
will share with front-line soldiers the
privilege of being blown to bits at any
moment
In 1914 the people Of Europe wanted
war. They wanted excitement, escape
from the monotony Of their peasant
lives. They had no conception Of what
modern war is like. They had en-
joyed comparative peace since the
battle OF Waterloo. 100 years before.
In fact. during that century the only
really terrible conflict. under anything
like modern conditions. was our own
Civil War. AS a result of that. we
had become the only real peace lover
Of all the great powers.
Now the vast majority of the human
race shares our opinion of the suicidal
stupidity of war. They do not, how
ever, enjoy our apparent immunity
from it.
We seem to be safely removed from
any involvement in the strife Of Eu-
rope or the Orient. But the Atlantic
and Pacific Oceans are steadily be-
coming narrower We must realize re-
gretfully that, in the time of Napoleon,
the English Channel was an impregna-
bic defense; now it's a creek. London
today is the most vulnerable of all the
great capitals.
read statement. sponsored by the
British government, that the first shot
Of the next war might easily take the
form of a bombing raid on London. in
volving $50 enemy planes, carrying
1000 tons Of bombs. In one swift
stroke, an unannounced enemy could
cripple London's lighting. power and
water systems, could kill 10000 people,
wound 10000 more and do damage to
the extent of s200,000,000! And that
would be only the first blow.
How long could civilization survive
under a series Of impacts such as that?
How long could the United States go on
living In peace in a world populated
with homicidal maniacs?
England has ample reason to do
everything in her power to avert war
before it Is too late. And England is
working overtime to do just that. So is
France, though not always with the
greatest diplomatic skill. 1t can safely
be said that in every democratic nation
the sentiment against war is just as
overwhelming as it Is here on the con-
tinent of North America, and. where
freedom of speech exists, that senti-
ment is given vigorous expression by
the voters.
There is no freedom Of speech in the
dictatorships-Fascist Italy, Nazi Ger
many, Soviet Russia and imperialist
Japan. But much of the menace of
these turbulent powers is exaggerated
In Italy all the signs indicate a
pleasant change from the we-can-lick-
everybody attitude. Mussolini has said.
I'VE are now one of the satisfied ma
tions." Which means that Mussolini
himself is satisfied that his own power
is now so firmly established that there's
no need for any further furious dis
plays of Caesarism. At least not for
the time being.
Japan is still on the rampage in
China, but even her most fanatical
militarists are extremely reluctant to
provoke a big war unless they are
goaded into 1t by England, the United
States or Soviet Russia. The chances
Of such goading are remote.
In Germany, is the real source OF
a I$ =