Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1941-01-30

there be today? Why this latent re-
luctance to fight for those great con-
cepts envisioned by Woodrow Will
son, and now finding form again in
the words of President Roosevelt?
Why must we be led? Why must we
be dragged?
1t is not that we are "soft"-the
figures prove otherwise. And it is
not, as Archibald MacLeish declares,
that we have read the wrong books.
And it is not, as Mortimer Adler de-
clares, that we have been given the
wrong type of education.
1t is none of these things. In our
opinion, the reason lies in the simple
fact that the object of war is peace,
and this administration has not con-
WINGED the American public or Ameri-
can youth that it does not have some
other object in mind.
Listen to DR.. Wriston:
81 have heard no proposal for a
constructive peace since the over
throw of France: In fact, the gen.
eral attitude seems to be one of utter
pessimism regarding the possibility
of a world organized for peace upon
principles of justice and freedom and
where ethical standards in interna-
tional relations will be high.
ut was great triumph to over
throw the Kaiser. think the things
that he stood for menaced our lives
and deserved to be overthrown. But
we ought by now to realize that it
was not very sensible to overthrow
the Kaiser in order to pave the way
for Hitler.
1.-THE United States has left a per-
manent scar upon its own life be-
cause by war it ended slavery but
then proceeded to dodge the prob
lem of the Negro. I am ready to
grant, indeed to assert, that the world
must see an end to totalitarianism,
but that is not an adequate reason
for going to war.
you must first decide what you
will put in its place and what price
you will pay to maintain peace after
the victory is won.
ITO 60 to war again for negative
reasons alone is to invite again the
establishment and the disasters
from which the world is now suffer-
ing"
That, we submit, is the thought of
Youth today.
And do not say there is no time
for such things; do not say that we
will discuss these things later.
France had nothing but the status
quo to defendant France fell.
Chamberlain offered nothing but
retention of the status quo-and only
a fighting Parliament, insisting on its
right to debate, forced him to make
way for Churchill and the first init
nations that out of this war may
come greater England
Roosevelt today offers freedom
everywhere in the world"-and al
home Youth hears him and ponders
the fact that those who are most
vehemently calling for entrance into
the war and preservation of free
dom" abroad are those who are most
vehement in demanding curtailment
of freedom of speech and freedom OF
thought; freedom to strike and free
dom to work, right here at home.
Youth wants to fight for democracy
and wants to fight for it on two
fronts, at home and abroad. Youth
is bewildered and confused when il
finds the leaders of America calling
for crusade for democracy in Europe
and denouncing that same crusade
at home.
That is why they are soft. That
is why, despite their adherence OF
Hitler and all that he stands for, they
cannot rid themselves of the thought
that powerful forces are already us
ing this war to wage most bitter
struggle against democracy at home