The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1939-08-24
COMMENT ON WORLD
EVENTS


quoted for world peace-3 to l Tor
peace. So reports William Philip
Simms after "galluping" over there
among the men who should know. The
odds might hold more water if they
were directly quoted as of Hitler.
Whether we like it or not, and we
do not like it. European peace and
world security hinges, at the moment,
upon Herr Hitler. Indications of
reason and sensibility would point to-
ward peace The setting of the inter
national stage has changed since
Munich. The democracies seem to
have added a little stiffening to their
collective backbones. Chamberlain's
"appeasement" has soured bit and
the umbrella has lost it's magic pow
ers. Poland's firm stand and brave
words from France and Britain to-
gether with Mussolini's hesitation
would reasonably add up to no war yet
awhile. But, unfortunately, Hitler does
not measure up to the accepted stand
ards of reason or sense.
The world breads the day when Hit
ler in a dyseptic mood might send the
armies of the world marching into
chaos.
Germany now reveals her demands
upon Poland with a hike in the initial
price. Those demands are the storm
signals for another attack of inter-
national jitters. The German press
is already rolling along at top speed
laying down a verbal bombardment in
defense of her distorted national hon
or. Troops are on the move along the
Polish Frontiers. Italy has spoken.
II Duce will do his duty. All is run
ming true to form. The bloodless con-
quest is on.
The question arises as to a crisis
saturation point being reached. Hitler
has used the crisis attack so often
that it is losing it's punch. Sponges
have no monopoly on saturation. The
individual can stand only so much of
alarm. The same is true of a nation
or body of nations. The point Of
crisis saturation is being swiftly ap-
preached. The democratic alliances are
lapsing into wary watching. The Ger
man people and the German soldiers
show the strain of being primed too
often without the fulfillment of logical
action. There is such thing or con-
dition as over-training. Germany has
heard the cry of "wolf" so often she
is beginning to believe the wolf may
be only another joke of Goebbels-
Just lamb in wolfskin or in Russian
bearskin.
Earl Baldwin, former Prime Minis
ter of Great Britain, speaking before
the Congress on Education for Democ4
racy in New York City, warned all in
terested in the preservation of democ-
racy that "ideas were on the wing"
and that ideas may be greater peril
to democracy than the sword.
Such a statement from so eminent
am authority merits the deepest con-
sideration. The statements must, how
ever, be qualified. Otherwise, one
would be forced to conclude that ideas
are foreign and harmful to democracy
We know that such conclusion is far
from the truth. Rather, the opposite
is true. Ideas, sound and reasonable,
are our first line of defense against
the influence of the ideas that would
unseat democracy and brand it as the
outmoded tool of capitalism that is
living on borrowed time.
The generality of Earl Baldwin's
statement points to a weakness in the
status Of democracy that has been
too long neglected. We have been so
satisfied and proud of the initial idea
of democracy that we have given no
time or constructive thought to the
refreshening of democracy with new
and sustaining ideas. Democracy is
not a creation that, once brought to
life, will live forever on the gener-
ating spark. Democracy must be
fostered, nourished and extended. 1t
cannot remain stationary. Unless it
advances, it must retreat and be lost.
Democracy must be recognized not as
a good political theory practiced salts
factorily in some countries, but as an
essential and integral part of a whole
life, as the basis of freedom, collective