Evening star., 1942-06-22


The Problems of Lasting Peace.
The memory of man is short
and many who fight today in the
Army and Navy were not born
when the events of which the
authors write were happening. The
phrase I'VE won the last war and
lost the peace" has been echoed
and re-echoed just as We fought
a war to save the world for democ-
racy and We got FasciSm, Com
muniSm and another war" reflects
the somewhat cynical approach of
present-day observers concerning
the last conflict.
But what are the facts? What
happened at the last peace con-
ference? Why did the League of
Nations fail? Is it true that America
contributed to that result and how?
What really happened inside Ger
many? Why didn't Germany stay
diSarmed and what are the lessons
of experience that must be applied
In the making of an armiStice and
treaty when the present war
ends?
Views Echoed by WelIeS.
These questions and a lot more
are answered factually, dispas-
sionately, courageously by the
authors of the new book and it is
gratifying to note that Sumner
WeIes, Undersecretary of State, in
his Memorial Day address. gave
voice to some Of the same thoughts
that the Hoover Gibson book ex-
presses.
There isn't the slightest trace Of
domestic politics in the book and
credit is given to the Roosevelt ad-
ministration for its efforts to assist
in bringing about a reduction Of
armament and peace in pre-war
years.
Hugh Gibson Is an unusual man
In governmental experience. He
served as an aide at the Paris Peace
Conference and he served as an
American Ambassador to European
posts almost continuously from 1919
to 1888 under Hoover and Roosevelt
administrations.
He was the American representa-
tive In disarmament conferences in
the '20s and '30s and knows more
about the inside of European politics
than perhaps any other man retired
from the diplomatic service.
1t is difficult to select quotations
from the book-there are so many
examples one could quote-and it
would be unjust to attempt sum-
mary of its carefully arranged con-
tents. The book is well enough COM
piled to become a textbook in every
college and school in the country
and for every civic organization that
wishes to study the problems of the
peace so that American public opin-
ion can start to prepare for discus
elOl OI peace leIIIlS.
Gift of Royalties Suggested.
1t would be fine thing if Messrs.
Hoover and Gibson could find their
way clear to donate all royalties
received from the book to the Amer
lean Red Cross or some other relief
organization so that not the slightest
taint of commercial gain could be
associated with promoting a wide
circulation of the volume For it is
opinion know the facts about the
last peace treaty and the postwar
years lest careless and superficial
statement build up barrier to the
acceptance of the terms which
President Roosevelt and his asso-
eiates may some day propose.
1t would be a fine gesture If the
Roosevelt administration could in
dicate to the people that the new
volume was worth reading for his
torical background, at least, if not
for the constructive opinions con-
tanned therein. 1t is a book which
proponents of supergovernment on
the one hand as we'll as extreme
lsolationism, on the other, will not
agree with and yet it is a book
which suggests the starting points
for a healing peace and a practi-
cable method of enforcement.
Broadly speaking, the book favors
an international organization to en-
force the peace and particularly
that military force be maintained
by the victors till reconstruction
has been conSummated after years
perhaps of study by separate in
ternational commissions of all the
problems involved.
Certainly the idea OF another
hastily made peace in a log rolling
conference of few months, such as
was held in 1919 at Paris, is rejected
es not sufficient for the needs of the
future. Likewise attention is given
to the need for liberating enemy
peoples from the yoke of dictator
ship. There is, moreover, an appeal
for representative government as
the keynote to the arch of lasting
peace and a philosophical discus
sion of hates. fears and revenge as
a breeder of more war, economic
nationalism and trade barriers-all
of which have been dealt with in
piecemeal fashion now and then
by our public officials but which
now are brought together as truly
American statement of what might
be termed practical idealism.
The Hoover-Gibson book will help
Europeans as we'll as Americans to
educate themselves on the problems
OF peace that lie ahead-military
political, economic, financial and
humanitarian.