Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1939-04-27
BOrah Wisely
Councils Youth

Borah Wisely
Councils Youth
United States Senator William
E. Borah has wisely counciled
the youth of the United States in
a letter to students of ST. Olaf's
college at Northfield. The letter,
published in the College paper
and recopied by the Fairmont
Daily Sentinel, states pointedly
who fights the wars and why they
are fought. Senator Borah's let
ter follows:
To st. Olaf Students:
You are quite right when you state
that "the growing war menace nee
essitates immediate action upon the
part of American citizens" And no
one is more concerned that that &C
ton be taken, and taken wisely, than
the young men who are now in col
lege preparing for the active affairs
of life. If war should come, they
would be the first victims. If they
should cross the seas again to take
part in European war, those who are
now seeking in every way to bring on
a situation which means war would
not be with them. When it comes to
taking up the real burdens of war,
those who agitate war are never there
You ask me to make some sug-
gestions. The first suggestion I make
is that you and all young people
throughout the country investigate
for yourselves as to the real issue
which threatens to involve us in an
other European war. A thorough in
vestigation will disclose to you that
a more sordid, imperialistic war could
hardly be imagined than this war
should it unfortunately come.
This is not war over the question
of democracy or totalitarianiSm. It
was the democracies of Europe which
wrote the secret treaties by which
all spoils were divided even before
the war was closed. It was the de-
mocracies of Europe which wrote the
Versailles Treaty, not peace treaty
but a spoils treaty. 1t was the de-
mocracieS which refused for 20 odd
years to make any changes in the
Versailles Treaty looking toward
peace.
We all abhor the doctrines of nazi-
ism and the equally vicious doctrines
of communism. But let us not be
miSled that this war turns upon a
wholly different subject. Only few
days ago Mr.. Chamberlain declared
in one of his speeches that while
there was a question in Europe of
theology, and so forth, it was not up
for consideration now.
Woodrow Wilson, speaking the
profound sentiments of the American
people, stated at Versailles that the
United States wanted no territory,
no reparations, no spoils, no loot.
Reflect for moment how much bet
ter the condition of the world today
would be had the spoils of the vic
tors never been incorporated in the
Versailles Treaty and all had fol-
lowed the far-seeing craftsmanship
of the then President of the United
States
The courageous Prime Minister of
Canada, Mackenzie King, said a few
days ago: "The idea that every 20
years this country, which has done
all it can to run itself, should feel
called upon to save periodically a
continent which cannot run itself
seems to me nightmare and sheer
madness" Again he said: "In war
to save the liberty of others and
thus our own we should not sacrifice
our own liberty or our own unity"
These European powers, whatever
may be their idea of theology or polit-
ical views, pursue one and the same
course when they come to deal with
international affairs. They all alike
violate treaties, disregard the most
fundamental principles of right, pur-
sue methods which inevitably lead to
war, and then call upon the United
States, Canada and other nations to
save them from their own intolerable
and vicious methods.
I urge, therefore, that you ascer-
tain for yourselves just what all this
madness means, rely upon your own
investigation, your own institutions,
as to right and wrong.
When the time comes for the ris-
ing generation to deal with naziism,
fascism, communism, that devils
brew, which has been rendered to the
clean-minded, patriotic, American
boys, they will deal with it upon
American soil and not in foreign lands
where they would be sold out within
a fortnight after they might have fin
ished their job as they were at Yer
SailleS