Askov American., 1941-10-02
Government Issues
BY Hjamar Petersen.
We Are Much Concerned

A speaker for Intervention said re-
Gently that some isolationists actual
ly believe that Americas welfare
may safely rest upon Indifference
to the violent destruction of the ideas
upon which it has grown and be-
come precious to U.S."
That, it would seem, is putting
words in the other fellows mouth.
Because the great majority of Ameri-
can citizens do not want to enter
another European war certainly is
not to say that they are Indifferent
to what is going on in the Old World.
Americans as a whole are deeply
concerned over the human slaughter
that is taking place today. Accord
ing to press reports, there have been
more men-Russians and Germans
killed in Russia during the last
three months than in any other battle
in the worlds history.
No humane person is Indifferent
to that, and to the destruction of noble
ideas. But the differences of opinion
in America are over what way Ameri-
ca can do the most good.
Most of the isolationists from war
are not isolationists from fruitful,
peaceful, and happy international re-
lations. The isolationists from war
feel that America can be of much
greater service to itself and to the
world by remaining out of the con-
flict. The world will need at least
one nation where economic condi-
tions are fairly normal, when the
smoke of battle has cleared away and
when there is unemployment, suf-
fering, starvation and bewilderment.
War settles nothing, only creates
more wars. Force against force will
not solve the worlds problems.
Whether we won or lost the last war,
We must some time stop this mad
ness. And now is good time to stop
for wars are becoming increasingly
worse and devastating. After war
economy, the money making period
for some people, there is a long
period of readjustment to peace
economy and during those years al
together too many people are hurt.
The past % years tells that tale
right here in America.
No, Americans are not Indifferent
to what is going on in Europe to-
day. With all the worlds national
backgrounds represented in Ameri-
ca, it is only natural that we have
sympathies for the people of the
various countries that have been
overrun, occupied, or are at war, but
we are too far away to settle their
differences.
We may have American individu-
ais with imperialistic aims, but as
nation and as a government we
are not imperialistic We do not
desire possessions all over the globe.
We do not want to police the world,
nor do Americans desire our country
to be partner with another country
in policing the world. If there is
to be world policing it must be done
through court or league that rep
resents all or nearly all of the ma
tions.
The dictators that are loose in
Europe today are desperadoes and
murderers. No good, true American
has any use for any of them. They
would not have gained the power and
influence they hold had it not been
for the wrongs in the 1919 peace
settlement dictated by nations that
call themselves democracies, and
other short-sighted policies. There
is fault on both sides and to rub
out Hitler, Stain and Mussolini is
not curing the cancer, it is not getting
at the root of the evil. Governments
fight for raw materials and trade
and that is one of the great causes
of the conflict today. We have the
words of Prime Minister Winston
Churchill for that.
Many of our Americans of today
and most of their ancestors, came
originally from Europe. They came
here to get away from the continuous
border disputes and warfare over
there. Many young men came to
America at the ages of 16, IL, and 18
to get away from years of military
service in their native European coun-
tries. These former Europeans came
to land of liberty, land of oppor-
tunity, and they came here because
they desired to live in country that
was not continually at war with
others.
Hitler has about trebled his popu-
lation and he will have plentv Of