Evening star., 1940-04-17
individual Efforts
For Peace Urged
Easing Of Personal Conflicts
Held Possible Means to
World Harmony

TO the Editor Of The Star:
AS the war in Europe has finally
reached the ugly stage when mems lives
and neutral rights are gambled away
with equal ruthlessness. there is grow
ing feeling among us Americans that we
must do something.
According to the tone of many of the
letters printed in this column recently,
there are many who want to do the ap-
parently expedient thing, and enter the
war at once on the side of the allies.
|, 1 wonder if our urge to act without
adequate reflection and our tendency to
do the expedient thing as quickly as pos
sible are not two of our most dangerous
traits nationally and individually.
At the moment, I doubt If there is
man in America who could plot sane
long-term course in regard to this un-
predictable war. Certainly, we cannot
minimize its danger or its horror. But
in spite of the uncertainty of the future
and the likelihood of having to plot our
course as the bloody drama unfolds, we
do have guides to steer by and constant,
unchanging principles on which to stand.
If we enter this war, we must recognize
such step as desperate measure to
stem the increasing tide of international
lawlessness to give us time to seek a
permanent cure. We must not allow our
selves to be misled again into believing
that war participation is in any sense
more than a horrible method of sup
pressing some of the evil forces land
they exist to greater or lesser degrees
In al, countries) until permanent solu-
ton can be tackled. In the Garden of
Gethsemane Christ showed Peter that
brute force is not the answer to brute
force, and I don't believe there is
single instance in history that disproves
His stand when considered on a long
term basis. We must, therefore, realize
that participation would place the guilt
OF violence upon our hands along with
the rest.
1t is my earnest hope that our country
can begin to plan for permanent cures
without going into the war, or at least
that we can stay out until we have
found a constructive plan for lasting
peace that might be applied
At the moment there seems to be little
that We can do abroad-our envoy, Mr..
Welles, has returned, and there seems
to be little likelihood of acceptance of
our offers to participate in peace plans
now; but there is much that can be done
at home.
l. Much of Europe's turmoil today
can be traced to a general tendency to
put more trust in human wisdom and to
have less faith in God. Is our own
country free from this tendency? Our
forefathers believed in God, and also
believed in America led by God; might
not our first step be to recapture this
splendid faith, and use it as the underly-
ing strength of reborn America?
2. The great war in Europe and the
inner conflict that at one time or another
has ragged within all of us arise out of the
same things-fear. hate and greed. If
We make continuous and prayerful
effort to get these things out of our own
lives, We may find that we also have
the answer to war itself.
urge to do something and our tendency
to take the expedient course even at the
sacrifice Of principle. We can pray more
realistically than ever before that God
will show us the way to end the war in
our own lives, and in all of the situa-
tions in which we find ourselves. If we
put our best efforts into finding an
answer to the conflicts that we can do
something about, am sure that we
will feel more hopeful about the even
tual solution of the one which at the
moment seems out of our reach.
4. And when we have prayed for true
faith, for abiding hope and for the
country and community that are our
responsibility, why not stop for a while
to listen-the thoughts that follow such
prayers may also be the hope of the
Nation! JESSE E. AIKEN.
April II.