Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1939-04-06


as a world sit Mi, $4,000,
uation full of ~ Lawrence
grave possibilities raises again the
question of war, there is for the
first time in % years a general re-
version to the thoughts and ideals
of those men who made the SUI
preme sacrifice.
In many countries the so-called
pacifStlc sentiment is strong. This
is not to be confused with the anti
war sentiment which is even strong
err. The rise of totalitarianism "a
philosophy based on the theory that
might alone makes rlght-has in
recent months tended to break
down the beliefs of many states
men that war can be averted if
only one side Of the controversy
refuses to fight.
The whole doctrine of the dicta-
torships in pressing their threats
and applying their coercion mas
been that democracies either were
too fabby or too pacifistic to offer
resistance. But the change in Brit
ish policy and the strengthening of
the French determination has
brought out clearly that the de-
mocracies will fight if goaded to
the extreme.
The Pertinent Question.
The question then which becomes
pertinent is whether war in the
present circumstances in the world
is inevitable, whether the democra-
cies are not going to be compelled
to amass physical strength and be
ready at any moment to make a
test of it. This was. of course, the
motivating policy of the allied pow
ers before the European war of
19l4-every diplomatic move was
based on the theory that sufficient
force of military and naval kind
would be available to back up diplo-
macy's demands or assertions.
But is the world faced only with
the alternative of physical force
and is the grouping of nations into
military alliances of defensive
character the only way out of the
olICllIlld. VI d S6lICI dlloll ditSl
the armistice of 1918, worldwide
controversy was in progress as 20
whether world peace could be as
sured by collective means. that is,
by league or concert of govern
ments The United States Gov
eminent, in obedience to what APP
peared TO be the will of the people.
declined to join directly or indi-
rectly in any fundamentally of
collective nature, refusing even to
join in any program of economic
sanctions or embargoes against ag-
gressor states.
This aloofness was based on the
belief that war would be thus
avoided. The climax of this policy
was the enactment of neutrality
law which sought to keep America
from supplying munitions to war;
ring nations. That law is about to
be revised because its presence has
not been, in the opinion of its crit
les. help but a hindrance to world
peace, carrying as it does a rigidity
of policy that would keep arms and
ammunition from democracies while
stronger rival states have access to
other sources of supply.
U. S. Must Choose Again.
Within a few weeks, the Con-
gress of the United States will be
asked, in a sense, to determine again
whether the United States will join
in movements to preserve peace by
giving the President discretion to
lift or impose embargoes on the
sale of war supplies.
But Notwithstanding that %
years have passed since America
accepted the state of war thrust
upon her by Germany and not
withstanding the fact that the
young men of the last war fought
bravely to make the world safe
for democracy" the struggle for the
preservation of democracy has not
been won, and unhappily, too many
people in the world think it can be
won only by further killings and
further bloodShed.
Political governments in demo-
cratic states are well aware that
war settles nothing and only per-
petuates the feuds and frictions
that give rise to it in the first in
stance. but governments in the to-
talitarian states are presumed to
be immune from the effects of a
peace demand from their own pub
lie opinion. The will to peace does
exist and is manifested in demo-
cratic countries, but is this true
in the countries of the dictator
ships? On this point there has
been noticeable lack of infor-
nation.
Governmental policies, however,
which are based on the assumption
that human beings hate war,
whether they are under dicta-
tors yoke or under a democracy's
mantle of freedom, are in the long
run likely to be more intelligently
devised and operated than If they
contribute by their acts and state
ments toward the development OF