Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1940-11-17

XA1HY u.s. Why should ''~, Of all the generations of
w history be faced with suchnew andterrhc ordeas?
W These are things impossible to answer. impossible
not to ask.
But is some comfort at any rate to dispute the form
of the question The ordeal face today is 1t is
indeed old that if the great of the past look
from their graves upon today. they must see much to
remind them of their own times along with terrific
difference that shall come to in moment.
No, it is not battle The struggle of brute force
against the conscience of mankind began at the
when that conscience was bonn - which was also the
moment that civilization began The same battle has
tnued SINCE and at various times in history the out
look viewed in a small perspective and limited
area has doubtless seemed quite omnous it does
today To the walled city of the ancients paged and
burned by barbarian maauders twenty centuries ago. the
black-out must have looked complete to the his
torian viewing centuries with detachment certain of those
centuries have seemed worthy of the name Dark Ages
Yet though generations may have lived and died with
out knowing it. there at all times other lamps still
burning too far away to be attacked others per-
haps too and humble to be noticed No ancient yant
(and history gives the of hundreds approached
the power to put out all the lamps at days when
half the world unknown to the other half and when
the utmost speed of travel that of gaoping horse
such total blackout of all that civilization means and
stands for could have been accomplished had
been wlled But today this frightening thing is possible
1t IS the unique and terrifying climax to which modern
scientific technique has pushed an agelong struggle.
j going to blame the scientists that would be
too easy and too futile ab 1t not for tecnican to
hold back his skill because someone may misuse it. But
along with all the technical progress that has been made
during two thousand years. and especially during the last
hundred there has been great science in which the
progress has not kept pace and that is the science of
human government We have learned things, it is true and
the greatest of ancestors framed and fashioned the
democratic IDEAL which the nobest political vision yet
given to But the very phrases about show
how casually some of us have to regard it. has long
been favorite boast that 'muddle along 1t is time
to ask ourselves whether the inventors of bombs and poison
gas have been content to mudde along We may we'll
wish that they were but that is only reflex of the worlds
saddest might have been if only wisdom had taught
sUhat to do we'll cleveness has taught how to do
said just that the democratic ideal is the nobest
political vision yet given to Most of us believe that
and many of prepared preparing to die for
that belief But the trouble is that during the past twenty
years. when had to die for it. most of not
botherng to live for it. We just content agree
that democracy all right it, indeed thought
about it at ALL We enjoyed liberties as enjoys
nap after heavy lunch that is to say, we thought of
them in terms of extra leisure extra comfort extra idle
ness Even if we boasted of the superior qualities of
democratic civilization often measured them by
the number of and refgeratos and radio SETS We
agreed with democracy prepared to vote for
it every now and then and utmost tribute
willing to advertise it premises sopkeeper
puts up sign - surely all that enough?