Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1939-12-08
RUSSIA'S ATTACK ON
FINLAND BRINGS PEACE


forward to better peace and world
Of order instead of anarchy will be
stimulated by Russia's attack on Fin
land. It's first conclusion may well
be that a greater threat has arisen
than had been realized and that
more positive attitude must be adopt
ed toward anarchic aggression wher-
ever it appears and under whatever
guise. But men will inevitably think
also of the alternatives, and of what
kind Of order can and should be es-
tablished.
The ideal represented by the League
Of Nations still lives on. And many
are able to see today that the Treaty
of Versailles if modified and operated
by Geneva, which was Woodrow Will
sons hope when he insisted on incor-
porating the Covenant in the Treaty,
would been just enough and economi-
sally visible enough to have prevented
this war.
The nations had not demonstrated
sufficient sense of brotherhood. Greed,
hate, and fear kept the nations in the
League from exercising even the unity
which would have maintained order.
We see the peoples even today taking
divergent views and following selfish,
short-sighted courses. Italy is among
the leaders of those who now condemn
Russia for attacking Finland. But
there is clear connection between the
Italian policy which supported Ger
many and helped to produce the war,
thus giving Russia a free hand, and
this attack.
Poland may remember today that it
took part Of Czechoslovakia, and
whether Hungary has learned that les
son so that it will not attack Ruman-
Ia under German-Russian auspices
is not yet clear. Many of the democ-
racies have taken no strong stand
against aggression. The argument is
that men are still so animalistic that
they only join to prey on others or
for self-defense in emergencies.
In "Mein Kampf" it is written:
Herd instinct leads to mutual sup
port only so long as a common danger
makes it seem useful or unavoidable.
The same pack of wolves which a
moment before was united in falling
on its prey breaks up, as hunger is
satisfied, into its component animals.
The same is true of horses, which try
to defend themselves in unison against
attack, and scatter again when danger
is past.
Is that true picture of the ma
tons? IF it were, all the plans for a
world order would face a sorry fu-
ture. Those who believe the nations
have nothing better than a herd in
stinct to cement them can point to
plenty of unhappy instances in recent
history.
Christianity has a different concept
of men and nations. It has been i'm
perfectly learned, but progress has
been made. Men have realized in some
measure that they are made in the
spiritual image and likeness of good
God. They have found ways to live
together to use reason and justice in
large measures in governing them
selves. And such efforts as the Lea
que Of Nations, and now the more ex-
perienced aspirations for federation,
indicate progress in internal thinking
which will surely be realized sooner
or later in action. But such projects
will require much more than herd in
stinct or political planning.
No league, no federation, will sue
coed until men express more of the
qualities Of love, honesty and intelli-
gence which constitute brotherhood.
But as brotherhood is understood to
rest on the Fatherhood of a God who
is Love, Truth, and Mind, its realiza-
ton will have the necessary basis.