Evening star., 1940-11-26

totally banlShed
during a bitter David Lawrence.
campaign-Won to no small extent
on the fallacy that a vast number
constituting a major political party
would allow themselves to be led
into ignominious surrender of
human rights by the so-called
forces of appeaSement."
Even the word "appeasement"
twisted out of its original meaning
has become taboo in America so it
is like breath of fresh air to find
that same word, used in its proper
sense, brought to us by the Pope
In the following passage:
LET all those who believe in Him
be united then around us and
united in spirit with us who beneath
this dome that views the heaven,
offer the divine sacrifice and ap-
peasemen.
Peoples Make Peace.
America must sooner or later
emerge from that mood of intoler-
ance which has hitherto enveloped
the very mention of peace. Certainly
there is no urge toward the making
of a peace which leaves the world
In the hands of those who believe
that might makes right. Certainly
there is no eagerness to end with
out conquest a war which will per-
NIT small group of men to keep
the world under arms or under
constant threat of war. But the
trouble with those who sneer at
peacemaking and the talk of peace
is that they have forgotten that
rulers do not make peace. Peoples
do. Back in 1918, the same military
discipline which now holds the sub
jects Of the axis powers under its
yoke was believed invincible, yet
long before there was a military
defeat, the peoples of Central
Europe were reached with a voice
for peace.
Today the one Government which
can speak similar words is unhap-
PLY not trusted except by one side.
This is not irreparable. Americas
course has inevitably been inter-
twined with that of Great Britain
and the democratic spirit. but pre-
cisely because America believes her.
self the exponent of human justice
there is an opportunity for the
United States to penetrate the peo-
piles of Central Europe with a plea
for peace. America, with food and
boundless wealth, fortunately can
restoration of the world, without
which peace pleas today would be
empty.
Possibilities Sensed.
The Pope seems to have sensed
the possibilities of crusade for
peace even in the midst of war, for
he pleads thus in his prayer:
Thou hast words which pene-
trate and overcome hearts, which
enlighten intellect, which assuage
anger and extinguish hates and re-
venge. Speak that word which will
still storm, which will heal the
sick, which is light to the blind
and hearing to the deaf and life
to the dead. Peace among men
which Thou desirest is dead. Bring
1t back to life, o divine ConQueror
Of Death"
In Nation whose dominant phi
loSophy has been built on the doc
trines of human brotherhood made
explicit by the words of Moses and
Christ there can be a powerful de-
mand for peace if the men who
occupy positions of leadership in
side and outside of Government
venture to give it chance. The
idea of urging peace, however, has
been distorted by those who fear
1t means surrender and beguile-
ment into defeat. No armistice need
ever be signed, however, till peoples
everywhere show they are in earnest
in their demand for a peace with
Justice.
America is today a factor of in
calculable strength in the war. Not
only are men being drafted, but
factories and workers are being dedi-
Gated to the making of weapons
of destruction. Hence America has
a vital interest in what kind of
peace shall be made and how it
shall be maintained. America can
offer terms of peace to the peoples
of Europe based on the simple ten
cts of freedom for the individual
from the oppressive burdens of the
state-the Frankenstein which the
individual in Europe has created.
To offer the freedom Of democracy
liberation-to the peoples of op-
pressed Europe is the first step in a
crusade for peace.
Must Appeal to Fairness.
When America decides that she
can offer a basis for peacemaking,
not in detail but in principles that
are attractive to the masses in Eu-
rope, the same progress toward peace
will be made in this war as in the
last. But the people of Europe must
hear from America voice of JUS
tice, of fairness, of a saner distribu-
ton of economic opportunities than
they have ever heard before.
Peace-not surrender of principle
mus inevitably penetrate the in
tellects of the millions who suffer
Tor ultimately it must become ap-
parent that the destruction of hui
man life such as is now going or
has never settled anything for any
length of time, and that sooner OF
later the triumph Of reason anc
justice must come. Maybe 1t Il
Americas destiny to convey thai
t1ought dramatically and earnestly
to the peoples of the world agair
and again until it takes hold. There
must be start sometime. Maybe
renewed faith and our persistence