Evening star., 1941-11-24

politics, has produced an almost
nauseated reaction all over the
continent. The apotheosis OF
this vulgarization Is, Of course,
Hitler, preaching . pseudo-aris-
tocratic theory In the language
of the half-educated and creating
elite masses of tow-headed "su-
permen" who claim leadership on
the basis OF their Germanic
chromosomes-thinking to make
a nobleman out of . brown shirt
and blackjack, and creating
instead either a thug or q briefly
enthused soldier, who winces At
French girls shrug, and wishes
people liked him.
In a sense we are more scared
of Hitler than Europe Is, even
Europe bleeding under his heel.
because Europe knows better
than We do. that he doesn't
belong"
True Character Asserted.
But, when either q personality
or a culture is shaken to its
foundations. its true character as
serts itself, and it Is only by its
truest character that 1t can save
itself. Europe, am convinced,
will rebuild itself as an hierarch.
ical social structure.
In the general overturn much
that has been thought gold will
turn out to have been dross, and
much that was thought dross will
be pure gold. The saints and
heroes may come out Of the plain
est middle class homes-or out Of
the gutter, for that matter-and
a title, decorations, and elegant
manners may prove to cover q
craven spirit. Yet, 1t is worth re-
marking that Churchills most
famous phrase, and most memoir
able because most true, was "Sel-
dom in history have SO many
owed so much to 80 few" The
old school ties In the foreign
once are no particular badge Of
nobility in Britain today, but the
r. A. F. wings are. The world is
crying for leadership-leadership
that asserts itself by sacrifice and
willingness to take responsibility:
although 1t wants none Of despots.
1t yearns for heroes. Although
1t is destroying vested privileges
right and left, it is creating new
castles Of the superior.
Recognize Austere Spirits.
And both in Europe and In
England, I suspect that the new
democracy will not desire to put
everybody in the same grade. 1t
will recognize equality on the
level where all men really are
equal-in the right to life. liberty
and happiness. But 1t will also
recognize that there are those
austere spirits who lift themselves
above the desire for life, willing
to sacrifice their own liberty to
duty, and would rather expert
ence, create and build than avoid
pain, which is most peoples defi-
milton Of happiness. And those
will win the hard responsibility
OF inequality-and higher rank
In the structure of society.
Not all our democrats will like
that new democracy. for it will
bear little resemblance to that
way of life which glorifies
mediocrity and the middle way"
We may even find ourselves in
the wake Of it, and not in the
van. And We may discover in 1t,
too. something Of the spirit of
American pioneer days, when We
also recognized that there were
equals and those who spurned
the privilege of equaity-men
whose characters determined
their inevitable leadership.
But at any rate we can make
peace with such q Europe. With
a free and federated continental
Europe-across the bridge OF
Britain-the bridge that must be
secured by and for the Old
World and the New.
And only America, while she
Is still somewhat aloof, can
create q peace program that
will make her name blessed.
Only the people of America
Anslo-Saxons and Germans ard
Latins and Slavs as we are. Peo-
pie Of wide horizons and daring
imaginations, as We are, when We
are our best and truest selves.