The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1940-09-19
. I. 4: 1. !: ! + : i + + + + + = = Z
; The Fatality OF !:
: Compromise !:
= BY DIR. CHARLES STELZLE I
!: 1. !. !. J. :. !. !. !. 4 !. !. ! 1. + + I

The world is in a turmoil today be-
cause of compromise - compromise
with evil. Most of the troubles with
which it is afflicted could have been
stopped at their inception-had it not
been for compromise. Whatever may
be charged in this respect against
European nations as whole, some Of
the Democracies of the world were
guilty of certain weaknesses which
contributed to the catastrophe now
facing US. To what extent the United
States must share this responsibility
is debatable question, but there is
no doubt that in the final analysis we
must now suffer the consequences with
the other democracies.
Had Kerensky been backed by the
democracies of the world when he at
tempted to establish genuine democ-
racy in Russia, we would not have had
to face the menace of Communism,
which was forced on the masses of
Russia because the democracies stop
ped to compromise with the Bolsheviki.
Had we not compromised with Japan
over the invasion of Manchuria, China
would not now be laid waste and the
whole Far East threatened with war
for many years to come.
Had we not compromised with Hit
Ter when he started to rearm and when
he began his prosecutions in Germany;
when he introduced his Nuremberg law
against the Jews; when he conducted
his fake trials Of the Catholic priests;
when he sent thousands of Protestant
pastors to concentration camps-had
we not compromised then, the world
would not be in the grip of the blood
lest war in history.
Had we not compromised with Italy
over Ethopia-Albania would have
been saved and the Mediterranean
would not again be raging battle
field.
And what might be said regarding
compromise" in the case of Austria,
Czecho- Slovakia, Poland, Finland, Den
mark, Norway, The Netherlands, Bel
gium, France? Not that we were al
together guilty in these cases-but
were we altogether guiltless? Did we
do all that might have been done?
Deep down in our hearts did we not
at least compromise with ourselves?
"The Soviet is the Great Expert
ment," we said-but we had no regard
for the millions who were massacred.
Japan needs to expand" it was ex-
plained-but no mention was made
Of the fact that buying land costs less
than waging war to seize it unlaw-
fully.
Hitler is resurrecting Germany-is
giving it a new pride, new SOUL" it
was declared-but little was said of
the crushing of labor, the qualification
of education, the wiping out of the
Jews, and the attack upon Christian
ity.
after all, the Ethiopians are saw
age people," we smugly remarked,
overlooking the fact that Ethiopia had
been considered civilized enough to
join the League of Nations as sis
ter nation. We compromised with
cruelty, with injustice, with theft and
with murder-and we are now paying
the price for that compromise.
Who is the guilty 1--WE" referred to
in these accusations? The Democracies
of the world. There is scarcely an in
stance through which the world has
recently passed but what one or more
Of the Democracies might have saved
the situation. Is it any wonder that
the Autocrocies have developed a con-
tempt for US? They charge US with
cowardice, with going soft, with lack
of the heroic spirit. And when they
make these charges they include
America. No matter what may have
been our excuse in the past, we are
now face to face with a world situ-
alton which we cannot evade.
If we are to help save what remains
of civilization, we must call halt to
the policy of compromise with evil.
We cannot save the millions who have
already died-but we can help save
those who remain. Even at this late
day we may stand by the principles
of true Democracy, and at least de-
clare these principles so that the world
may know what we believe. Let us
be done with comprorise-let US live
up to our standards and beliefs.