Evening star., 1940-04-10
Pleads for Realism
In War Attitude
Writer Says America
Hos Duty to Save
Civilization

TO the Editor Of The Star:
One of the most disconcerting features
OF the discussion now taking place ie-
garding the present war is the profound
lack of realism regarding it. 1t would
seem as If many of the discussors
believed themselves to be living on the
planet Mars, rather than on the earth;
and that they felt that, for some mys-
terious reason, the laws of the natural
and moral worlds had been suspended as
far as the United States wese concerned.
I have before me statement on
behalf of reciprocal trade agreements
just released by the American Union for
Concerted Peace Efforts, Inc, of New
York City. 1t has been signed by over
600 of the leading educators, economists,
editors and businessmen of the Nation.
The organization issuing this statement
is an eminently worthy one, and one
which has for many years labored I'M
tiringly on behalf of world peace. Yet
I am compelled to observe that the
statement which it has just issued be-
trays such a shocking lack of realism,
and even of intellectual honesty, that
I fail to see how it can possibly achieve
its purpose
The statement begins. with these words:
'"The people of the United States deplore
the current wars and look anxiously
for their termination. How can they
help to remove the causes of war and
help build permanent peace, SO that
these terrible calamities will not keep
recurring?"
May be permitted to ask how sincere
is our "deploring" of the present wars,
when the United States has been supply
ing Japan with the essentials for carry
ing on her monstrous war of agrees
sion in China for the past two and
half years, and when our failure TO
support the League of Nations. and our
iniquitous neutrality law, helped directly
to precipitate the present struggle in
Europe? How much did we "deplore"
Russian aggression in Finland, when we
continued to supply Russia with the ma
terials whereWith to destroy Finland,
while our Senate wrangled interminably
over the question of giving loan to
Finland?
If we look so "anxiously' for the termi-
nation of the present wars, why, then,
do We not actually do something ABOUT
putting an end to them instead OF help
ing to make them possible? Why do
we not shut off the supply of war ma
terials to the aggressor nations? Be-
cause of our craven fear that We may
become "involved' in war! We want
to have our cake and eat it, too We
are most anxious for peace, but now,
as throughout the past 20 years, We
are unwilling to take a courageous and
honest step toward securing that peace.
And may I inquire if our anxiety that
this war shall be terminated does not
betoken a blind refusal to face the des-
perate facts of the situation confronting
us? Stated in the very bluntest terms,
the situation facing the world is this:
England and France stand with their
backs to the wall" They are outnum-
bered three to one on the western front.
They cannot possibly survive without our
intervention, perhaps even with it. If
will stand alone in hostile world, out
numbered forty-tWo to one. Russia is
only a short distance from Alaska by
bombing plane. Mexico and South
America are strongly permeated with
NaZi Fascist and Communist doctrines,
and readily could be conquered by Ger
many in the event of an allied defeat.
OF the Panama Canal to the United
States would be only question of weeks,
and with this gone our one ocean Navy
would be helpless ITO defend our coasts.
Thus to express desire that the war be
terminated, when its most probable ter
mination, without the intervention of this
Nation, would mean the ex-"termina-
ton" Of the United States, seems to be-
tray an astounding lack of realism. 1t
would appear amply to justify Musso-
linis remark, 1--WE do not fear the de-
mocracies. because they are stupid"
The statement also makes this naive
observation: Even more important to-
day is the fact that the longer the war
lasts the greater will be the economic
exhaustion of the participants, the
greater will be the need of sound eco
nomic foundations upon which to build
q new world of law and order"
Is it not an expression of "wishful
thinking" to talk about the economic
exhaustion" of Germany, when that
country has the almost unlimited re-
sources of Russia to draw upon, and
about the economic exhaustion" Of
Japan, when the latter nation has the
great resources of China at its disposal9
Does not the expression of such an idea
betray the typical American attitude
that what We have is of much greater
importance than what we are, and our
tendency to measure everything in terms
of economics? We fail to recognize that
we are confronted with master of this
earth, probably the greatest natural
genius the world has ever seen, who, in
his own words, is pulling down a world
and building new one in its place" The
economic laws that served us in the past,
and which we, in our egotism and igno-
rance, consider to be absolutely sound"
are being completely overthrown by this
giant, who is building new world order
based on natures laws rather than upon
mans. How can any one be so innocent
as to talk of building new world Of law
and order" when a German victory
which, without our Intervention is in
evitable-would put an end to all inter-
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