The potters herald. [volume] (East Liverpool, Ohio) 1899-1982, 1942-07-16

National and International Problem!
Inseparabie from Local Welfare

AlleI tue ldSI VIII, Tie american
people were definitely sick and tired
of militarism and all that it involved.
Working on the theory that 1.-The war
to end wars" had been finally fought
land won, the American people and
their government proceeded to scrap
their military power with astonishing
speed. A large part Of the Navy was
scuttled. The Army was reducedto $780,
1000 men a smaller force than was
maintained by many fOurth-class
European power. The Air Force was
reduced almost to the vanishing point.
IAppropria tions for all the military
services were cut to the absolute bone,
despite the warnings and pleadings of
such foreSighted commanders as Cen
eral Macarthur, who was convinced
that another and greater war was COM
ing and said so to disbelieving ma
ton. We Withdrew ourselves from our
lforeign commitments as swiftly as DOS
sible, and pursued a policy of 100 per
cent isolation.
The American people seem to think
in very different terms today. They,
and their leaders in both parties, are
coming to realize the immense obliga-
tions which our world leadership will
impose on us after, as well as during
the war; AS the United States News
puts it, after the war, "The world will
be in no shape to run itself . There
will be the task Of policing and of
putting on their feet the 300,O0O,OOO
people of Europe There will be the
task of dealing with S0,0O0,0O0 people
in Japan E. A year or two may elapse
between the last battle and the actual
peace treaty. During this period
Jorge occupational forces will be need
ed . The size Of the task involved
indicates a force of 100000 to 2OOO,-
1000 men outside of the United States"
No one regards thos prospect with
any particular pleasure. Instead, it is
regarded as a matter of sheer neceS-
sity, whether we like it or not And
there is an amazing unanimity of opin-
ion as to what must be done. For in
stance, both Mr.. Roosevelt and Mr..
IWillkie, who hold extremely opposed
points of view on many vital domestic
ISSUED, see almost eye to eye when it
comes to Americas role as stabiliZer
and policeman in the postwar world.
Former President Hoover is co-author
of Il thoughtful new book in which he
too argues that the American destiny
lies in a kind of internatiOnalism which
is the direct antithess of our national
attitude during the '2Os. And American
industrial leaders, in all fields of en-
terprise, hold sihrlar opinions. There
is, of course, much argument as to the
details of our postwar policy - but
there is little argument as to the basic
principles which must underlay that
'Ipolicy.
1t will cost great deal of money to
IpOlice and rehabilitate the world 1t
Twill require the maintenance of
gigantic Air Force, and of very large
Navy and Army. 1t may involve out
right gifts to stricken nations. 1t will
mean that in the interest of world
peace, we will have to forego some
of our past trade advantages, and dis
IpenSe with high tariffs and other bar
riers to commerce. But, it is argued,
the cost Of doing this, gigantic as il
may be, is far less than the cost of
fighting a terrible war every genera
tiOn or two. 1t is also argued that, due
to the incredible production machine
we will have at the wars end, our
national income will be so high that
we will be able TO afford expenditures
which would have been impossible in
the past.
i This, of course, is form of I'M
|perlalism. But its principal spOkes-
men, such as Wallace, WelleS, RooSe-
welt, Hoover and Willkie, say that it
will have little i'm common with the
imperialism of The past They say it
Twill not be based, as was the old i'm
Deriaism of tn" past They say it will
not be based, as was the old imperial
ism, on subject people. Instead, it is
Ito be based on more or less equal
peoples, with each given full Oppor
|tunities to share in the wealth and
progress or the world
There are Skeptics who doubt that
all thos can be done. Even it's Jealous
ladvOcateS admit that it is colossal
undertaking. II will be IA journey of
economic and social exploration for
(which there are neither charts nor
IprecedentS But MILLIONS of men and
women believe that unless it succeeds.
the last, best hope of earth will be
lost, and "A new dark age will come
upon the world
4 X 4 X
i The terrific reverses in Libya are a
tribute to German military leadership
and harsh criticism on British
military leadership. That seems to be
the collective opinion of most author