The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1940-02-24

Enthusiasm most certainly has its place In the
scheme OF things as they pertain 10 man sIuEsies
and Attachments Enthusiasm has time ana again
swept away the advantage that comes win over
whelmine numbers IL was said OF Napoleon that he
could not fight his best battles until outnumDereu
two to one: and then he generated cortaEious en-
thusiasm that stirred the hearts OF MS soiders 10
super human sacrifices and deeds oi Valour bu' az
Waterloo enthusiasm could not stand before the re-
Inducements that wellington brought up In the de-
csive hour In other words enthusiasm mas us place
hut It's possibilities are strictly limited by certain I'M
toward circumstances
/, was even SO in the conquest OF Ethiopia by the
Italians The Philippians swept by storm OF
enthusiasm and Negroes in this country were nope
ful until the last that the courage OF the Ehiopians
could stem the tide OF Italian advance But 1t vas
manifest from the beginning that enthusiasm could
rot match the scientific preparation and eihciencS
oi the Italians and So today Ethiopia lies PROSTATE
In The dust OF conquest. Africans In this country kept
us asir with stories of tho valor OF the Ethiopans.
The fact that this little country had never been con
quered stirred more enthusiasm and hope. But IN
the end Ethiopia overpowercd by superior forces
scientifically equipped
II WAS rash in the beginning 10 imagine that
there would be any other outcome But we were en-
ihuslastic our press PLAYED up the Ethiopian valor
and PLAYED down the might OF Italian arms We ne
camc strictly propagandiSt IN our outlook hui ms
could not save the Elhiopans who were lighting
against the dreadful odds Even today after several
months have elapsed grasp at everything that
even remotely suggests that Ethiopia is not entirely
prosiratc Neither our enthusiasm nor our prayers
can save situation that calls for force OF arms
PRAYER and enthusiasm have their place hut this place
is not in such situation faced Ethiopia. Ethiopia
needed a strong army OF wclliarincd men and not
prayers alone The world sympaihized with Ethio-
pia hu She needed material help ard not sympathy
merely
when Germany attacked Poland the sympathy Of
the world was with the Poles hut Germany had the
heavy artillery and within is days even the super
human bravery and enthusiasm Of the Poles could
not withstand the onslaught OF the German leeions
Efficient armies limit enthusiasm considerably.
Newspaper accounts cannot make amends for what
weak nations do not have Today the world IS en-
Unused over The Firms SO far as the press accounts
are concerned the Finns are "wipirc the Russians
from the face OF Tho earth Every morning me rims
have "cut pieces another Russian division
1t is going Ia lake more than enthusiasm to save
Finland 1t going to take more thar newspaper ac-
counts Sgn The tide Of Russian advance. NO one
discounts the bravery OF the Finns. Meth did anyone
discount the bravery Of The E,hopians but the fact
remains the small nations doomed before the
gree, and power OF the stronger nations The world
that sat snpiney by and let Italy crush Ethiopia is
now weeping and gnashng its teeth over what Is
happening in Finland. The world that stroked It's
cheek in silence before the brnialitcs OF Italy IN
Ethiopia is now lifting its hands in holy horror over
the plight OF the Firms
A queer world this Our country that WAS strictly
neutral" has come outright for the Films and even
the government is contemplating loan 1t would
be mighty fine thing for some Of our deeply con-
cerncd Americans To know that We have Negro
Finland" here in these lEitcd States. We have
black Jews here We have black Czechoslovaka
Negro China what goes on in these foreign-,oln-
tries is not BIT worse than what goes on here II
what is happening in Europe could rivet upon the
minds OF the world what has gone or here unnoced,
the iribuaior OF Europe would serve a noble pur-
pose
The fundamental thing wrong with Germany and
italy and Russia and Japan Is. they arc committed
TO the proposition that might make right Is this pol
icy any less shameful and despcable because II hap
pens in Europe? II has happened here. Let this ma
ton take seriously the sacred INDUCTION SET ihlae
house i'm ordcr,' The sentiment against The anti
lvnch B Is Gcrmanizcd ard Russianizcd and lial
anized and Japauized. II happened there; II IS hap
hnro'