The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1941-09-17
WAR AIMS OF DEMOCRACY

Ever since the war started-now,
just two years ago-it has been wide
ly felt that the cause of the democ-
racies would be strengthened by a
clear and challenging statement of
war aims. There has never existed
Axis Powers were fighting. And
there is no question but that certain
of these ends enjoyed a broad demo-
gogic appeal. They were not to be
countered by puttering about in a
business-as-usua1 way or by pontifical
speeches clarifying the shambles of
past from which the present conflict
emerged
The belief that what world democ-
racy required was statement may
now be put to the test. While the
Churchill Roosevelt eight-point-d ecla-
ration is not the crusading manifesto
that many had sought, it is unmistak-
ably a challenge to the nazi world
order; it is as full and adequate
statement as could reasonably have
been hoped for by those who have
felt statements to be of urgent i'm
portance. To be sure, eye-witnesses
Immediately cropped up to report the
ghost of Wilson at large again. But,
if there is disappointment, it arises
not from the shortcomings of the
eight points as much as from common
illusions respecting war aims.
The Role of War Aims
1t is true that clarity with respect
to war aims is of paramount impor-
lance. Democratic war aims must be
as clearly recognized by friend as by
foe. They are an essential part of the
strategy of victory. On the home
front they must bolster morale by
affirming to the people that the fu-
ture is worth fighting and dying for
measure than the past, be theirs to
mould On the foreign front they
must penetrate to mobilize support
behind the enemy lines by assuring
that the things held dear - freedom
and opportunity, security and national
ihCidtCN ny diN-
tatorship and prolonged warfare than
by peace through democratic victory.
France is the classic example of
nation that attempted to fight without
aim or purpose. Her foreign policy
united her enemies and drove away
her friends Her domestic policy |
the resources of her own |
people. But no mere declaration of
aims, however worthy, by the Dala-
der government could have overcome |
this pass. Because it takes more |
than good slogan to produce a good |
war aim.
The impact of the Churchill-Roose-
welt statement comes not from the |
weight of its words but from the |
force of its origins-the clear unity |
of the British people in their resist
ance to Hitler, reinforced by back
ground of growing American deter
Indeed, many who have |
pressed for bold statement by the |
have failed to recognize |
the boldest statement of them all
the aroused VIII Ol Tree men utleuu-
ing the right to determine how they |
shall live. The fight to defend this
right becomes in and of itself a war
aim defying words. 1t is this war
aim that blazes in the fires of burn
ing London; that is contained in acts
Of sabotage and defiance on the nazi-
held continent.
No Blue-Prints
By their very nature democratic
war aims can never be made fully
explicit. are not subject to blueprint
ng. At all points they represent
between political pres
;ures operating from both within and
without the national boundary to de-
ermine them. Always they are torn
past and future.
Thus each successive rise in popu-
ar control over a nations policy
and thereby alters in
some degree its war aims. If a |
Churchill declaration packs more {
punch than one by Chamberlain it is
lot simply because of the phrasing; I
t is because of the historic events
hat have altered the balance of power (
n British home politics between la s