Evening star., 1938-06-12

fessed sponsors scurrying for shelter in
the hollow logs Of realism" "Isms'' ap-
pear to be useful in a way. More than
that, they have become q mode-or is it q
contagion? Some nations have been de-
votees Of one or another type of ism" for
some time, and seem to swear by their
choice. The democracies Jagged behind,
but now they have apparently decided to
be IN the fashion and are embracing what
Is cynically described as realism"
Wilson vs.. Halifax.
Look at the startling, spectacular somer-
sault in democratic viewpoints revealed in
the recent declaration Of Lord Halifax of
Great Britain, when compared with that
of the late President Wilson, in April, 1917.
President Wilson was committing America
to war Ito the plaudits of allied democra-
cies) on the ground that right is more
precious than peace" while Lord Hall
fax was trying to escape war, or even COM
mitments made by the League of Nations
with regard to the aggression and "un.
declared warfare" that lost Abyssinia for
the Ethiopians, by laying it down in effect
that the principles Of the League were
great but peace was greater"
Here we have a dramatic demonstra-
ton by Lord Halifax that what was
right when the allies wanted America
In the war was definitely wrong when weak
nations who are being crushed wanted
practical help from the League Now
neither Of these conference.-the quick
nor the dead-deluded. themselves as to
the meaning of the words they used. They
were not land here's . jaw-breaker) what
the rhetorician would call catachrestic.
One was just painfully idealistic; the other
painfully realistic Times have changed,
that is all Moralism looked as If 1t starred
in 1917, but realism has the blazing lime
light in 1888
Under the cloak of this particular "ism's"
benign influence, the democracies appear
to be able to hide a multitude of sins.
Leastwise that is what our Chinese SOL
distant realists say, and they add that
the democracies have now conveniently
discovered how to rid themselves Of their
poor relations In the shape Of the weak
nations together with all the obligations
and responsibilities connected with that
INDECENT tribe. The critics In China claim
that the democracies can be heard banging
their doors with q hugely relieved Thank
goodness, that's over
China May Turn Realistic
Tf L. iodaad &ho% ,,..,, .,,l;h,. ...
phorical sigh that Is causing many here
to wonder whether China would not be
better OF II it also became brazenly realistic
and entered the ranks Of the international
political jugglers and contortionists. This
school asks, with some justice, it must be
admitted, that If the League can be tossed
into the air. with bomb Of lost sovereignty
and sword Of aggression for company, as
pieces Of jugsler's property, and can clum-
silly crash to the floor in the tossing and
be metaphorically lost down crack, with
out any hoots affecting the juggler, why
should not China toss q few things about
and eventually drag from the magical
hat of expediency bouquet of agreements
with some other nation which would be
an adornment to any international collec-
ton of realistic" documents?
II democracy can conveniently shut
its eyes to the sight Of the mouldering
corpse Of national sovereignty, can bold
its nose to escape the efluvia Of the de-
missed League, the defunct treaties and
decomposing international laws, why should
China not also hasten her offended olfac-
tory organ out of range? That question
Is constantly being asked; Is becoming in
creasingly ditncult to answer, or even parry.
But, as have said, because the instincts
of our race are democratic, want to see
them developed. That is If democracy is
really going to outlast the assaults being
made upon its citadel and overcome the
apparent treachery that is raising its head
within. feel convinced that our nation,
II it pulls through this catastrophe war,
will change in many ways. may be de-
luded, but think see hopeful signs Of
appreciation in the awakened mind Of
some, at least, Of our leading people, Of the
value Of sustained effort born Of co-opera-
tion and Of national unity.
Unihcation Takes Long.
It has taken China long time to unity,
short time to show the strength and ad-
vantage Of that unity. Hitherto, fear Of
Japan produced sort Of paralysis among
US. Not weakness peculiar to China, be
1t said, for fear has done that to other
countries as we'll But now that 1t has been
proved in our civil and social arenas. no
less than on our battlenelds, that even the
alleged invincibility of the Japanese can
be countered with some success by concerted
effort, We may expect that the intelligent
among our people will hereafter be
ashamed not TO show good citisenship and
l(ess CHINA 1ass o-3l