Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-04-23
BY HUGH :. JOHNSON

Hest and most sterile.
Ii is destroying the most cher
iShed relics and monuments of
centuries of common culture,
for in the prejudiced madness OF
this crazed explosion, a little re-
naming sanity will not forget
that both Germans and English
men are, in part at least, OF a
single racial strain. and the
folklore and tribal traditions of
one are, in some degree, replica
of the other-and so are many
of the monuments of the COM
mon race now being so heart
lesSly destroyed by each.
The truth is that the courage,
aggressiveness and stubbornness
of this conflict are due largely
TO the fact that the common
warrior blood on both sides is
the haughtiest, most dauntless
and forceful that the world has
ever seen.
There is no use denying that,
especially by an American. The
fratricidal strife of our Civil
War was the deadlieSt on record,
up TO that time. We are of the
same breed. 1t is not licked until
its strength is destroyed.
But couldn't there be some en-
gagement-even at the hot point
of the war--to stop this sense
less shedding of civilian blood
and berserk destruction of the
footprints of both peoples along
the path of decency over 1000
years?
THERE is absolutely no mill
Il tary value in much of this
destruction. As an impairment
of civilian morale (which might.
among other peoples. be a mill
tary asset the record is clear
that in both Berlin and London
the destruction of their homes
and the "altars of their SireS"
just makes these peoples angrier
and more bellicose.
1t is easy to see the counter
argument. A true military object
like a bridge or an airplane fac
tory is bombed. Some civilians
are killed. 1t is unavoidable.
The other side Immediately
says:
you killed our women and
children and now we are going
to kill some of yours"
There is another angle:
"They use the towers of their
cathedrals for observation posts
which help to kill our soldiers"
Or. 'If we did not bomb that
area, they would use our hui
manity to our disadvantage.
They would move into II at
least auxiliary work on NUM-
tions."
And so the monuments OF
ages OF their and our own cul-
ture are smashed to dust. Now
there is threat to destroy the
relics of antiquity in Athens
Rome and Egypt.
The lives and limbs of inof-
fensive women and children. the
aged and the sick and helpless
in hospitals are snuffed out like
candles or torn to bloody tatterS
among unbearable suffering and
shrieks of intolerable anguish.
1t has no m tary effect
whatever except to kindle an
interminable hate. Stiffen a de-
termination TO unShakable re-
Sistance and create an almost
bestial resentment on both sides
so bitter that it will keep alive
the germs of revengeful wars
for generations.
IT IS axiom No. | that no
L third party should intervene
gratuitouSly 10 stop the main
current of these wars to a knock
out. But is there nowhere on
earth any disciple of the Prince
of Compassion sufficiently inn
partial to be accepted with con-
fidence on both sides as a medi-
ator in this kind of prehistoric
slaughter of innocent non-com-
batantS?
Couldn't both sides agree not
10 attack non-military detectives
and not to take any military adj
vantage of the restraint of the
other? And couldn't some neu-
trail arbiter. the Pope for in
stance. be accepted as an OBJ
server and guarantor of the good
faith of both?
With liberal allowance for the
marginal unavoidable destruc-
ton of non-combatant lives in
justified bombing attacks on
authentic military objectives-
bridges. munitions plants and the
like couldn't something of this
slaughter of the innocents in
this vicious circle of retaliatory
bombing of non-combatant civil
ian populations be Modified?
Yes. if there is a spark of san
ity left in this saturnalia OF
} blood. but. since that is doubtful
apparently no. Anyway Ut is a
suggestion with a thought. 1t is
respectfully submitted 10 the
Holy See - for whatever il is
worth.
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