Montana labor news., 1939-11-23
DEMOCRACY AND
PEACE
Address by Mr.. Mike Mansfield
at Missoula, Armistice Day.

f@NI "a WI Will A41ACo
made the supreme sacrifice in order
that we might live to enjoy the
privileges and prerogatives which
are ours; many are still paying the
penalties imposed in hospitals, asy-
lums, and shortened lives. These
people r our fathers, brothers, and
friends and to them we owe a debt
we can never repay. Their fight for
Democracy in this country was not
in vain and we honor them gladly
for that which they did so willingly.
But democracy-as we know it,
love it, and understand it's today
facing a challenge as to its very
existence. This challenge must be
met, met by all who believe in its
fundamental processes and who
love the liberties and responsible
ties of a democracy. 1t is dangerous
in this world of today to take de-
mocracy for granted. It is up to us,
all of us, to take cognizance of the
dangers affecting our system and
to clarity our thinking as to our
responsibilities, Only as long as we
have democracy in our daily lives
will we continue to have democracy
in government.
At the present time the world is
engaged in another way and the
people of all countries are appre-
hensive. Even we, in America, are
affected by this struggle despite the
fact that we r not active partici-
pants. We veterans, we Americans,
stand for peace because we know
full well what the horrors of war
really are. Those of us who partici-
pated in the last struggle realize
that we are citizens in the only real
democracy left in the world. Ours is
the last outpost of representative
government.
We r sincerely anxious for
peace, all of us, whether or not we
be veterans, and our only desire is
to promote the best interests of our
country. Across the ocean decisions
Of life and death are being made
by small groups of men but here
we have a real free forum-the only
one in misunderstanding the
people. May God grant to u Con-
gress and to our President the privi-
lege of guiding our nation safely
through any storms which may be
encountered in u national life.
War is hell because it tears down
so much that we have fought to
achieve over a period of centuries.
Standards of morality are lowered
and religion is RELOCATED to a posi-
ton of secondary and in some in
stances, no Importance. All this, and
much more, can be traced to the
ravages of war and that is why we,
the people of America, stand for
peace. We are proud Of the record
Of our country in this respect be-
cause we have been, still are, and
will continue to be, consistent in
our efforts for peace. These danger
GUS days demand cooperation among
all of us and our energies will be
used, without stint, to keeping this
country out of war. We can achieve
our aim because we are one people,
with n mind, and guided by one
purpose-the welfare of our nation.
Let us remember the words of Presi-
dent Roosevelt that this is not our
wal and not of our making and face
the truth that America can in no
way be benefited by entering the
present struggle.
The present war is not a war to
preserve democracy or to preserve
liberty. 1t is a war to preserve the
balance of power in Europe. Under
the present circumstances and re-
gardless of our sympathies for the
belligerents, truth impels us to state
that the victory of n or the other
will no nor solve Europe's prob
lens today than it did in 1918. Let
the Europeans settle their own
problems and let us settle those
(and they are many which con-
front us in our own land.
We are primarily interested in
the preservation of a democratic
form of government in the United
States. If we join in another world
war, it might be difficult to main
tain such a government in this
country. We would be- bound to go
far toward totalitarianism because
modern war is the enemy of de-
mocracy. Our best service to the
cause of democracy is to keep it
alive in the United States and pro
vide a standard to which the world
may in time return.
Other countries wage war; we
must wage peace. If we want to
keep out of war we must keep clear
of the roads that lead to war. These
paths lead to the pursuit of a dan
gerous temporary prosperity out of
the profits of war trade. We should
follow paths of prosperity which
are based on production for peace
and not for war. We can wage peace
best if we build up a resistance to
foreign propaganda and to our own
emotionalism. We can wage peace
by insisting upon the control of our
own destiny: namely, the right to
say whether or not we wish to en-
ter a war.
Older people declare wars; young
er people fight them. Why not re-
verse the process to the extent of