Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-06-06
Il Depends on Us

TN HIS discussion Of conditions which it is desirable
should prevail after the present war Pope fius MI
said it was essential that government should safeguard
the invoabe sphere Of the rights of the human person
These "nvolablc rights were defined by the Pope as
living largely in the possession of property the perform
ance Of labor and the institutions Of the home and family
The relationship of government 10 such rights as he
conceives H. is fundamentally PROTECTIVE and neither
tvranncaly nor btnevoenty dctatoriaL
OF courS, the Pope recognizes that the human rights
he describes are "in,ioablc" only in spiritual sense
They have been recllessy and uthessy violated by
government in The past wear and being Wantopy NO.
lated by existing forms of government
- R4t since The intenton Of the Pope was to concern
himself with Whist SHOULD emerge from the wal IN
order to benefit and profit mankind, he was well within
the limits Of sound definition.
WITHOUT regard for nation creed the normal
w and persistent aspiration Of the human person
will always toward condition in which the peacelul
possession of property pursuit of labor and enjoyment OF
home and family Will be respected and assured by govern
ment.
What is the prospect Of that kind of government,
universally applicable to mankind emerging from this
war?
1t would be very grim prospect if any of several
kinds of government in authority and ascendaney
were to prevail.
If the comnunistc anarchy of Russia for instance,
should become general there would be such human
rights as the Pope recognizes.
If the similar and in fact KINDRED Fascist NaZl or
other mperalistc forms of government should prevail
either Jointly or severay there would be no survival OF
human rights according to the definition and conception
of the Pope.
DUT let us not forget that there IS form of govern
= ment capable Of recognizing and protecting the
fundamental human rights
The democratic AMERICAN form of government has
always done So and is quite capable of doing persist
entity and continuously and has only to be maintained and
supported in prestige and strength to accomplish what
the Pope represents be the purpose to which mankind
aspres.
Hence we should be most cautious about permitting
any impairment of or departure from our democratic
American system of government
We should be particularly reluctant to involve our
American democracy in for democratic processes ana
institutions are habualy abandoned in war ana are
restored AFTER war with great difficulty II at all
rs IT not our greatest American obligation to humanity
to preserve the adequate and ndesrctibe framework
of government in which the sole hope of having invio
liable" human rights after the present apparently
rests?
And since our best and perhaps ONLY hope of
preserving this kind of government which important
to humanity lies in preserving peace should we not
bend all our efforts and energies and policies toward keep
ing the peace we enjoy?
If purely selfish reasons alone to be considered
the American people would surely keep the peace which
assures them of democracy
But when the broadcast interests of all humanity
seemingly depend the same thing, why do we con-
= slider any other COURSE?
- -.