Evening star., 1940-12-06

Jay FRANKLIN. sion, more imam
400 years before the birth of Christ.
To make the case clear, have
slightly edited the text of the great
history of the world war between
Athens and Sparta, 25 centuries ago,
by substituting modern names for
ancient peoples, as though 1t were
Lord Lothian speaking to the Amer
ican people and not Hermocrates OF
Syracuse addressing the people OF
Camarina.
Are we waiting" asked the Am
bassador, until we shall be taken
one at a time, country by country,
when we know that in this way only
can we be conquered, and when we
see the Nazis resorting to this policy,
endeavoring to cause division among
some of us by means OF allies, and
to ruin others in whatever way they
can by saying something alluring
to each? And do we believe that,
when distant kindred country per-
ishes before us, the same danger
will not come also to ourselves, but
rather that whoever before us meets
with disaster merely incurs misfor-
tune by himself alone?
Danger Not Britain's Alone.
And if the thought has occurred
to anyone that it is the British, not
the Americans, who are enemies to
the Nazis, and thinks it preposter-
Gus that he should incur danger for
the British Empire, let him reflect
that it will not be chiefly for Brit
ain, but equally for America that he
will fight on the fringe of freedom,
and with the greater safety, too, in
asmuch as he will enter the contest.
not when we have already been
ruined, and not isolated himself, but
having US as allies.
And most of all it were fitting
that you Americans, who are on
our borders and will incur danger
next, should have foreSeen these
things and not be, as now, slack in
your support, but rather should
have come to US of yourselves, and
Just as you. in case the NaZis had
come against the United States first,
would be calling upon us British and
begging us not to yield an inch, so
should you be seen in like manner
also using the same eXhortation.
1T is right TO aid us and not be
afraid of Hitler's armament. For if
we all stand together, it is not
formidable. The only danger is
and this is just what the Nazis are
eager for-that we may stand op-
posed to each other; for not even
when the Germans came against us
alone and proved superior in blitz-
krieg did they effect what they
wished, but quickly went away.
Escape British Resentment.
Summing up, then, we British
say that if the Nazis shall subdue us,
it Is by your decisions that they will
prevail, but it is in their own name
that they will conquer, and the prize
of victory they will take will be
none other than you Americans who
procured them the victory; if, on
the other hand, We shall conquer,
you also will have to pay the penalty
of being the cause OF our perlls.
Reflect. therefore, and choose here
and now, either immediate slavery
with no danger of war or, if you join
us and prevail, the chance of not
having to take, with disgrace, Hitler
and Mussolini as masters. and also.
as regards the British Empire, Of
escaping a resentment that would
not soon be dispelled."
These words, of course, were not
addressed by Lord Lothian to the
Save America First Committee, but
they were spoken by the envoy Of
great nation resisting aggression
to the representatives of powerful
neutral in the dawn of history. 1t
seems that the Greeks had a word
for appeasement, too. and that
theirs was short and ugly word
which signified a total lack of the
powers of human reason. 1t was
not folly but stupidity against which
they said even the Gods are help
less-and they saw no point Ill con-
cealing from posterity the fact that
the greatest enemy wealthy nation
can face is the stupid optimism Of
those who believe that you can buy
off an earthquake or do profitable
business with those who are deter
mined to destroy you utterly.