Evening star., 1941-04-25

every free nation anywhere is a
baStion of strength to all the re-
naming free peoples everywhere.
Makes a Fateful Difference
To America and Americans.
Sometimes the same confusion
of thought is expressed in a diff
ferent question. Why, it is asked,
should we care who wins? Is not
this merely the traditional and
reCurrent struggle for power?
Does it make any difference 10
America? What difference does
it make to America?
1t makes a fateiul difference.
In world which was, in the
main. devoted to the cause OF
peace and in which no nation
had designs upon the western
Hemisphere, we could, perhaps,
take a detached attitude. But
evidence has been piling up over
several years which makes it per
fectlv plain that one group OF
powers actually does have de-
signs both upon the New World
and upon the principles. the
possessions and the way Of life
that are ours. All the military
movements and official acts and
utterances of these powers have
confirmed the knowledge that
plans for world domina ton Our
freedom and our wealth newt
ably make us magnets for their
machine of force.
Yes, it makes a difference who
WinS-the difference whether we
stand with our backs to the wall
with the other four continents
against us and the high seas lost.
alone defending the last free
territories on earth-or whether
we keep our place in an orderly
world
Again, it is asked. how are we
in danger? Are not these idle
fears? Since one warning nation
cannot successfully invade Brit
tain across 90 miles of the Eng
lish Channel how can any na-
ton invade us from across 5000
miles of the Atlantic?
Channel Does Not Bar
Wav, but Determined BritOnS.
The reason why the English
Channel has not been success
fully crossed is that the British
have maintained control OF that
Channel. Forty million deter
mined BritonS in heroic re-
sistance have converted their is
land into a huge armed base
out of which proceeds a steady
stream of sea and air power. III
is not water that bars the way.
It is the resolute determination
of British sea power and British
arms Were the control of the
seas by the resisting nations
lost. the Atlantic would no longer
be an obstacle-rather, 1t would
become a broad highway for a
conqueror moving westward. Our
protection would be enormously
leSsened.
Those Americans who, in ef-
feet, are saving that a British
defeat would not matter TO us
signally overlook the fact that
the resulting delivery Of the high
seas to the invader would create
colossal danger to our own ma
tional defense and security. The
breadth of the sea may give us
a little time 1t does not give
us safety. Safety can only come
from our ability. in conjunction
with other peace-loving nations,
to prevent any aggresSor from
attaining control of the high
seas.
Some, hoping that this crisis
may end ask whether some sort
of peace cannot be made-a
peace which will end the strug-
gle in Europe and which will
permit us to resume our normal
life. I wish this were possible.
But one obstinate fact stands
in the way. One of the contend
ing groups not only does not
wish peace, as We understand
peace, but literally does not be-
lieve in peace That group uses
the word, it is true-as it was
used by the aggreSsor at the time
of the Munich arrangement in
1888. Peace to that group is
merely convenient cloak for
continuing undeclared under
cover war, as France and many
other nations to their misery
have discovered. Behind the de-
ceptive protection of the word
peace" the rulers of that group
accumulate vast striking forces.
They infiltrate shock troops dis
guised as peaceful travellers and
businessmen. They set up organ
izations for spying, sabotage and
propaganda. They endeaVor to
SOW hatred and discord. They use
every tool of economic attack.
of bribery, Of corruption and
local disturbance to weaken the
countries with which they are at
peace" until a military move