The Coolidge examiner., 1938-11-10
A r [ z 0 N A
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ARMiSTICE

Twenty years ago today the wor-
d was insane over the prospect OF
peace. The Armistice was signed
and hostilities had ceased. People
unburdened themselves of long
pent-up emotions. Their joy reached
the proportions of hysteria.
Today, twenty years after, the
world is insane over the prospect
Of war. The Armistice which caused
all the hysterical Joy of that day
has been scraped. The terms of
the treaty which were believed to
assure peace and to keep the de-
feated enemy from ever again be-
coming a threat to Europe have
hoor broken and destroyed. The de-
!eated enemy which was then the
-'nder-dog has become the over
dog of the European continent.
The victors who gloated. over
their victory today cringe in their
corner of the world with the white
flag half lifted in their hands. The
glory of their victory has depart
ed. The boast of their hands. The
GLORY" the wind. The peace" that
they thought they had obtained
has disappeared like vanishing
shadow. The disarmament program
agreed upon by the major nations
has been discarded and we witness
today a mad rush toward arma-
ments that makes anything in the
last World War look like the play
toys Of children.
ARMIsTICE
But today-we celebrate Armis-
tice. 1t is not clear just what it
is about Armistice that we are
celebrating, but We celebrate.
Possibly it is the security of dis
tance. But the present conduct of
the government toward increased
armaments gives the lie to that.
We have suddenly discovered that
distance is not security. At least
the government now uses that idea
as an excuse for more expenditures
for fighting equipment.
Maybe we are celebrating what
little peace we enjoy in the world
today, mindful of the fact that it
may be swept from us at any
time.
Or, maybe, we celebrate Armist-
ice with the thought that America
will never again become involved
in any foreign war. You have heard
that a number of times during the
past twenty years. But six weeks
ago our government was shaken
with the serious realization that if
war started in Europe we could
not possibly stay out of it.
This year-twenty years after
we celebrate Armistice like boy
whistling in the dark to keep up
his courage. We may as we'll be
honest about it. There is not any
thing on the horizon of interna-
tional life today that offers any
encouragement. Even the cheap
and dishonorable peace secured by
Premier Chamberlin six weeks ago
has not given the English or our
selves anything over which we can
feel extra good. The general feel
ing is that it is only a brief post
poned of a thing that will event
fgll upon us.
Over our land t. day in various
celebrating groups there will be as
much emphasis placed on the
necessity for war preparation as
there will be on peace. If the con-
tent of the majority of speeches
made today could be boiled down
into one statement that statement
would be: Peace through threat of
destruction"
That has been the policy of
seeking peace for centuries. 1t
has brought to the countries of the
world peace without PEACE.
Even if the nations are not actual
ly fighting one another there is
no peace So lou~ IS re have tc
move alon~ We tant fear
il orr bea IT, IL ar may break
cut at any MON in some corr
e. Of our word tlat viii upseI
tho whcle apple agon.
Nrch has beer said about Hitler
an1 Mussolini being number ono
buffers. The truth of the matt
is hat III the major nations u
ii world have declined into be
&C bu'ia- ley are working
o e th nation th9t
c. sc lest fullyirg Is tn
~ vil1 ~7,ra ifs kin