Askov American., 1942-01-08
What Can Be Done For
Peace In Wartime

Peace In Wartime
All Americans are deeply con-
cerned about the successful out
come of the war, and peace
minded groups and individuals
look to just and lasting peace.
These peace minded people are
now troubled about how much
they can do and what they can
do toward that goal. Peace
forces in England have had two
years experience with the same
problems. They continue to is
sue their publications regular
ly and these have been received
in America uncensored.
Frederick J. Libby, executive
secretary of the National Council
for Prevention of War, at Wash
ingtpn, D. c., and an ardent
worker and leader for a just and
lasting peace, spoke at Pitts
burgh recently, addressing him.
self to "men and women of good
WILL" which address embodied
the following:
Just over twenty years ago, on my
return from nearly two years work
in Europe with the Quakers, first
building houses in the devastated
areas of France and then in 1920 as
the Friends commissioner handling
personnel problems in their child
feeding in central and eastern Europe,
I dedicated the rest of my life to
the prevention of another war. The
National Council for Prevention of
War has grown out of that decision.
Now the incalculable disaster that
we all have sought to prevent has
come to us. The newspapers today
have talked of 1916 or AZ as the
earliest possible termination of the
war; of an army of 100000 or 7,0O0,-
600 as mildly conservative" esti-
mate of the forces required; of $780,
600, 100000 as the estimated cost of
our preparedness program. No one
can foresee what the future holds,
but it is very dark-dark for us and
dark for all the people in the world.
1t will be the task of men and
women of goodwill, not to try to
obstruct the war effort to which our
country is now committed by the
overwhelming vote of Congress, but
to find expression for their good
will in the following and other ways:
l. To prevent a spirit of intoler-
ance and hate toward our racial and
other minorities and towards other
peoples from growing, either in our
selves or in our communities. War
by its very nature stimulates hate
and intolerance. Intolerance towards
minorities within a nation precedes
totalitarianism, as we have had op-
portunity to observe abroad. Hatred
is the antithesis of the Christian
spirit of love and goodwill. We must
not hate anyone.
2. To plan, as British peace or
ganizations have been doing through
out the war, for a just and lasting
peace. Defeat of ones enemies" is
negative and barren aim, likely to
result in another Versailles treaty,
to be followed in twenty years by
another World war. President Hoover
is quoted as having said: "You can
blunder into war; but you can't blum
der into just and enduring peace"
Mr.. Sumner Welles, our under-sec-
retary of state, said on Oct. Z:
II can conceive of no greater
misfortune than that the people
Of the United States and their
government should refrain from
devoting themselves to the study
Of reconstruction until the end of
the war; than that they should
permit themselves to adopt the
passive policy Of wait and see'."
International chaos and anarchy
must be replaced by growing world
order. Since justice can only be ap-
proximated at any one time, vital
institutions must be established to
meet the recognized needs of the
world such as economic collabora-
ton, equitable access to raw ma
terials and markets, tariff regulation
monetary stability, the abandonment
of imperialism, and progressive world
disarmament. Such agencies of JUS
tice should develop into a world au-
thority of some sort that will be
equally acceptable to all peoples. This
education devolves necessarily or
peace organizations and local peace
councils and committees, and mus'
20 steadily on through the war.
8. To support the method Of ne
gotiations as the best possible method
of ending the war in lasting peace
The war is bound to end sometime
however remote that time may be, by
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