Evening star., 1941-12-14
Democracies' Union
Advocated by Streit
As Key 10 Victory
America Facing Toughest
Problem in History
He Tells Meeting

Warning that the United States
faces "the toughest problem in our
history Clarence x. Streit urged
union of tn. surviving democracies
as the most effective means of de-
feating the Axis. In addressing q
Citizens of the World rally at the
Friends Meeting House he pointed
out that the alliance between Ger
many. Japan and Italy is the first
ever directed against the United
States. IF there was ever a time
to unite the democracies, that time
Is now" he said.
Last nights meeting was arranged
by the Citizens of the World, whose
membership includes a number of
students who have escaped from
European countries conquered by
the Nazis. o. E. Fang of the WASH
ington Association for Union Now
presided. Miss Susan Cornelia
Jones, president of the Citizens
of the World, introduced Mr., STREET.
In meeting the threat of the heav-
lily armed Axis powers, the democ-
racies have choice of two alterna-
tives, an alliance or a union. Mr..
Streit declared. Britain and France.
he pointed out. in their war against
the Nazls. chose an alliance. AT
the first test the whole structure
went down like pack of cards. -
he said.
Cites Britain and France.
Before the collapse Of her ally,
Great Britain offered France a fed
eral union, which was rejected. he
continued. He expressed the view
that If Britain and France had
joined in federal union early
enough Italy would not have en-
tered the war and the two countries
would thus have been enormously
strengthened.
In the light of the fall of France
and other European victims of Axis
aggression, the remaining democ-
racies should now join to form a
Federal union, Mr.. STREET asserted.
No ocean. no Gestapo, no Magi-
not line" can keep ideas from the
world, he said. BY offering to the
Germans, Italians and the oppressed
peoples OF Europe the opportunity
to join later United States of
the World" enjoying equal rights
and equal freedom with other ma
tlons. the democracies have avail
able "a lever to destroy the Axis
from within Mr.. Streit asserted.
For such vista would effectively
answer the arguments Of Hitler and
other war lords to their peoples that
If we don't win now, we are sunk"
Millions Of lives would thereby be
saved, he predicted.
Missed Opportunity.
At the end of the first World War
the United States had a fine oppor-
tunity to make the world safe for
democracy on the principles on
which our Federal Union is based
but We failed to take advantage of
this opportunity. Mr.. STREET. declared.
There is still time to end the chap
ter more heroically than we began
1t, with the American ideal of free
dom through union" he added.
Stressing the need for immediate
action, he proposed. as the initial
step. that either Congress or the
American people ask the President
to formulate an emergency program
for the union of the democracies
aligned against the Axis. This un-
ion should start with the countries
that have had experience in oper-
ating democratic forms of govern
ment, he said.
John Primbranl. a young Czecho-
Slovak refugee who arrived in this
country about three months ago, re-
cited briefly his experiences in es-
Gaping from Central Europe through
France and England.