Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-12-26
The War in Europe--Doy by Day
Steadily Increasing Moral Pressure for Wars End
Seen Bound to Make Itself Felt in Long Run

and Jewish congregations of Amer
lea responded quickly to the Presi-
dents appeal for support in the
crusade.
Prime Minister De Valera of Ire
land came on the air to add his
plea. He advocated that the nations
at war seek settlement now in
goodwill rather than wait until
exhaustion has forced the requisite
dispositions for peace"
Meantime, of course, there still
stands the very recent offer of the
Queen of the Netherlands and the
King of the Belgians to mediate
between the allies and Herr Hit
Ter. Mussolini never has ceased to
work quietly for peace.
All in all, this represents great
driving force which can hardly be
ignored indefinitely. The peace
ferment which is working so act
lively everywhere is bound to make
itself felt in the long run.
In this lies the value of the steady
pressure from President Roosevelt,
the Pope and other great per-
sonages. They are preparing the
way, for the moment when they
feel that the time is ripe for con-
crete peace proposals.
Aims Still Far Apart.
Hope shouldn't lead us to rash
conclusions about the imminence OF
peace, however, for we must recog-
MEAS undoubtedly do the lead
ers of the peace crusade-that the
present likely isn't the appointed
hour. Neither warning side has yet
felt the pinch Of real privation OF
the horrors of heavy loss of life
and devastation-and their aims
are as far apart as the two poles.
Herr Hitler is in no frame of mind
to give up his freshly acquired ter
ritories. The allies are quite as
determined that he shall not keer
what they characterize as ill-got-
ten gains, and still declare against
a Hitlerian peace.
So it would seem that the con-
f1ict must continue until one of the
governments is sufficiently squeezed
to incline to peace Just what form
this finish will take, or how long
it will require to reach 1t, is any
bodys guess.
One of the governments might
find itself too short of supplies tt
continue the fight. Or the morale
of one of the peoples might crack
under the strain of dire want, sc
that either the government woule
be overthrown or the man IN the
street would compel his rulers tt
make peace.
Appeals on Moral Grounds.
We might get such a collapse ir
a few months. 1t might take then
three years or more. for which thu
belhgerent of both sides claim the.
have prepared. In any event, con
slant pressure and refusal tt
abandon hope, will hasten the emf
of the war immeasurably.
A striking thing about the stead
lily increasing peace front is tina
most of the appeals are based OF
moral and spiritual grounds. Boil
President Roosevelt and Pope Piu
in their latest statements call upol
the world to take the Sermon OF
the Mount for guidance.
King George in moving portion
of his address quoted from an un
identified source in asking his peo
pie to put your hand into tn
hand of God. That shall be bette
to you than light and safer thar
any known way"
Queen Wilhelmina of the Neither
lands and the youthful King of tn
Belgians quite apart from thei
definite mediation offer, have sew
eral times in recent months publicl.
appealed for moral rearmament a
cure for the ills of war.