Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1941-12-18
Government Issues
Orienting Our Thoughts
And Efforts
By Hjalmar Petersen.

10
Whether we were for or against
the foreign policy of the administra-
ton, America has been viciously at
tackled and unitedly we stand up to
defend our country and to fight back
the attackers. The President is now
our war President. Our support must
be genuine and wholehearted in an
effort to win quickly and completely.
The quicker we win the war the less
will be the curtailment of our demo-
cratic processes.
If the days ahead seem dark and
dreary, we must remember that we
live in the most fortunate land in
the world. We must strive to make
it possible for future generations to
enjoy an America as great, as free,
and as wonderful as we have enjoyed
under the constitution and bill of
rights.
Individuals who for years have
been against war as means of set
ting disputes between nations and
who are deep-rooted in their con-
victions will not change their minds
on that subject over night They
continue to think that war is not a
good way of settling disputes, but
now that we are in it, we are all out
to win.
When this war is over there should
be world organization representing
all or nearly all of the nations, if
we are to have world peace America
did not enter the League of Nations
after the World war of 1914-18. al
though an overwhelming majority of
Congress voted to enter that war to
make the world safe for democracy,
and to end all wars.
America has been neither isolation
ist nor internationalist. We must be
one or the other. We cannot continue
the same course we have pursued in
foreign relations, if we are to avoid
more wars.
Unitedly America will labor to the
utmost to defeat our enemies, but
when the war is over, and Japan,
Germany and Italy are defeated there
will still be millions of japanese,
Germans and Italians who want to
and must live. That is a situation
we have to face in the future. What
are we going to do about it? Are
we going to be isolationists in Ameri-
ca-isolationists from world peace?
Or will we join with other countries
for peaceful settlement of disputes
between nations, to do away with the
terrible scourge of war?
The national administration should
be criticized sparingly from now on
during the war. If there is criticism,
it must be factual and constructive in
purpose, but the less criticism the
better, for the paramount problem
is to win the war.
During the war we can, and right
fully so, discuss what is to come after
the conflagration. 1t is not enough to
whip our enemies, we must labor
for national as we'll as international
Improvement in relations between in
dividuals and governments.
We can also, and we should, dis
cuss and maintain our civil liber-
ties. That is fundamental Ameri-
can right. Should we lose our civil
Liberties then democracy is gone.
Congress voted for war against
Japan and followed that three days
later with declarations of war against
Germany and Italy, after those two
countries had declared war on Ameri-
ca a few hours previously. The
war votes on Monday and Thursday
of last week were representative of
our people. When attacked it is the
solemn duty of our representatives
to provide for the safety of the peo-
pie. Congress acted wisely and per-
formed its patriotic duty under the
constitution.
For the time being there is mora
forum on political differences and
controversies. There will be little
work for political writer's. We can
discuss our country and the world
after the war, we can talk about and
discuss freely an equitable tax pro-
gram to pay for the war-based on
ability to pay, and we can discuss and
uphold our civil rights under the
and bill of rights, while
at the same time we bend all efforts
winning the war for America