Evening star., 1940-09-01
Truqic Anniversary


moved into Poland and the second
World War, long feared and vactly
dreaded, commenced. The struggle
had a multiplicity of origins, some of
them dating back for centuries. It
also grew directly from developments
comparatively recent. Much of the
explanation of the tragedy may be
found in the personality Of single
leader. The peculiar temperament
OF Adolf Hitler is causative factor
which simply cannot be ignored. He
is the central character of the uni
versal scene in the present SORROW
full period of human experience.
Civilized society everywhere Is e.
fected by his amazing conqueats.
But it would be an error to suppose
that Der Fuehrer alone is responsible
for the prevailing strife. Josef
Stain, the communist dictator of
Soviet Russia, and Benito Mussolini,
the fascist tyrant of Italy, also are
| involved in the crime which since
September /, 1899, has robbed Poland,
Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands,
Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Es-
tonia, Latvia and Lithuania of their
independence. These nations had JUS
titled their separate existence. BY any
equitable standard of judgment, they
were entitled to survive. Instead,
they have been destroyed. Finland
and Rumania, meanwhile, were COM
PEELED to make territorial concessions
with little if any regard for the popu-
lationS exchanged. The list of coun-
tries coerced by the three totalitarian
partners likewise includes Hungary,
Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Greece, Turkey,
Spain and Sweden. When the extent
of his power is taken into account,
it is apparent that the Nazi leader,
indeed, has achieved the hegemony
of continental Europe.
Yet his influence is by no means
limited to the Eastern Hemisphere.
When Hitler announced that it was
his intention Ito meet force with
force" in the Corridor to Danzig, the
echo of his words went round the
earth. Even in the United States,
where hitherto the average citizen
had believed with reason in the Sc
curity of his insularity, the roar of
German bombers was heard. The
open towns of Poland suddenly ap-
peared to be not distant and alien,
but, rather, near and akin. News of
the attack upon Oslo, the destruc-
ton of Rotterdam, Louvain and
Beauvais; the dramatic retreat from
Dunkerque; the capture of Paris;
the aerial assault upon England and
the continued contest upon the ocean
in which three million tons of ships
and cargo were sunk-each of these
horrors served to educate Americans
to better comprehension of the
meaning of war in modern times.
Congress, not forgetting a national
debt of close to fifty billions of dol
lars, voted defense appropriations in
manifold excess of ordinary spending
for security. Selective service train
ing is being provided by law after a
tedious debate which has proved that,
despite the emergency, the methods
of democracy have not been betrayed.
A good neighbor" policy coinci-
dentally was put into practice with
twenty other republics and with
Canada. Tardy steps finally were
taken to control fifth column" activ-
tiles. Thousands of plain men and
women who usually had thought of
themselves as being exempt from
concern for the race at large learned
overnight that it was duty-and a
blessed privilege-to support the
cause of freedom, tolerance and fell
lowship.
Death in itself, people began to
appreciate, is not inevitably terrible.
A million lives were sacrificed be-
cause of Hitlers decision to fight;
OuS VIC MAJ W NAOlll VI OllOoC C1ldG
perished has contributed to the COM
| ing-of-age of the human species.
God only knows what the next three
hundred and sixty-fve days will
bring forth. Possibly still more
poignant suffering is in store for
multitudes of refugees and for civil
ians who thus far have been denied
even the poor right to attempt a
vain escape. The end of the conflict,
if it were proclaimed Immediately,
would mark the start of a painful
| era of reconstruction. To that, of
course, the undiscouraged spirit will
be reconciled without complaint.
But the rebuilding of society, it is
not now too early to resolve, must be
upon lines strong with a revived
conception of righteousness and
honor among governments, classes
and individuals. 1t is clear now that
the agony of this bitter moment is
the price which innocent as we'll as
guilty are paying for willful sin.
Refugee Children Again
The arrival of Crown Princess
Martha of Norway and her three