Evening star., 1941-07-18

called democracy. 1t is not. 1t is
the degeneration of democracy
into personal and party politics.
The Selective Service Act was
passed a year ago, and a great
deal of water-and blood-has
flowed under great many
bridges since then. Now the
President and the chief of stan
urgently ask that the period Of
service be extended. They also
ask that all restrictions as to the
disposition of the Army should
be removed. Both requests should
be granted Immediately.
Every country in Europe. in
cluding Sweden and Switzerland,
who certainly have no warlike
intentions, have prolonged their
military service indefinitely. In
every crisis in the last eight
years, every government has been
allowed to retain its soldiers as
long as possible
This country Is neither Swift
zerland nor Sweden but world
power with outposts all over the
globe. But the congressional op-
positionists act like provincial
officials of a small town.
Shouldn't Tell Hitler.
1t is impossible to make a
strategy OF defense If you tell your
enemy in advance what you are
going to do or not do with your
troops. Even If there is not the
slightest intention of sending our
troops abroad, we should under
no circumstances tell that to Hit
ler. and fix it in law that we cam
not. That is just the most primi-
tive common sense You can
neither defend yourself nor de-
feat an enemy in this world as
1t is today, If he knows In ad-
vance the range OF your moves.
One cannot even conduct an ef-
fective diplomacy under such con-
ditions.
All things have to be seen in
perspective and in proportion
There is no freedom for any citi-
zen Of country unless his coun-
try is free. Freedom is insep-
arabic from power. The mainte-
nance of power in the world as
1t is, is not conditioned only by
the way we want to act, but by
the way the other fellow acts.
In time of peril, free men do
freely what they have to do to
remain free. Debate is a very
good thing, but it is also true
that one can debate a nation to
death. Freedom looks better on
a banner than in an obituary
notice No nation has ever re-
manned free that was not willing
on occasions to restrict personal,
party, economic and social free
doms for the sake of the larger
freedom of the whole community.
Unfortunate Promises Made.
1t is unfortunate that during
the elections promises were made
which should not have been made.
The President could. with every
prospect Of being able TO fulfill
1t, make the promise that he
would keep war out of this hemi-
sphere. But he was only gambling
on probabilities when he guaran-
teed not to send an army abroad.
For the only certain way TO keep
this war out OF the Western
Hemisphere is to see that it Is
decided outside Of the Western
Hemisphere, and decided against
Hitler. The only promise. there
fore. that any leader of a nation
In a crisis like this should have
made is to defend the freedom
and the power of the United
States Of America. without war II
possible, and with war if neces-
sary, and If by war, then in that
place and under those circum-
stances that best promise vic
tory.
One thing is certain: This coun-
try can neither make peace nor
war nor even survive unless it
takes OIL its own shsckles to start
with and obtain complete free
dom of action. We have got to
end the period of prohibitionism.
and stop thinking that there is
some peculiar virtue In impo-
tence.
And if your life is at stake. you
had better trust the doctor-in
this case the President and the
Army and Navy commsnd-and
not the kibitzers.
Reieased BY the Bell Syndicate, Incl