Evening star., 1942-06-01


outline Of purpose which, though
phrased in broad principles, affords
the basis for plan of world recon-
struction.
1t was not merely that Mr.. Welles
called for an international organiza-
Son to keep the peace. That was by
no means the most significant thing
he said. Rather does the speech con-
tain grim confirmation of a COM
ing event unrealized by most OBJ
servers-namely, that this war will
not in a peace conference of
victor and vanquished, but in a
period Of social and economic chaos
after the firm handling of which
BY the United Nations a set of peace
terms will be formulated.
Significant, too, was the hope held
out by Mr.. Welles to the German
people-the first to emanate from
either the British or American Gov
ernments and yet absolutely vital
II the peoples of Central Europe
are to be induced soon to over
throw their present rulers instead
of being goaded to a desperate and
exhausting struggle of self-defense
against vengeful opponents.
The German people must be told
that there is a way out, that by
turning out of power the Hitlers
and the Goerings and the Hmm
lers and the whole set of Nazi
chieftains, there is chance for
the innocent masses that have been
exploited by the Nazis to regain a
place in the family of nations.
Voice of Reason at Last
Il believe" said Mr.. Welles, "that
these voices of the men who will
make our victory possible will de-
mand that justice be done, inexo-
rably and swiftly. to those individ-
uals, groups of peoples or peoples,
as the case may be, that can truly
be held accountable for the stupen-
dous catastrophe into which they
have plunged the human race. But
I believe they will likewise wish to
make certain that no element in
any nation shall be forced to atone
vicariously for crimes for which it
is not responsible and that no people
shall be forced to look forward to
endless years of want and Of starva-
ton"
Here at last Is a voice Of reason
IN an impassioned world Of war.
With this the short-waue radio and
the leaflets that are tossed over
Germany can do a job of reassur-
ance to the German masses who
must soon perceive that the hour of
disillusionment approaches as they
see the futility of more and more
"offensives" against Russia, as the
British and American air power
continues to wreak havoc and de-
struction and as the prospect of
food, clothing and raw materials to
aid their reconstruction is held out
to them.
The very theme of the Welles
speech suggests that the day Of
German internal collapse may be
near. His address deals in one para
graph realistically with the first
stages of the post-armistice period
that must ensue. He says:
FINALLY, believe that they (the
voices Of the men who will make
our victory possible) will demand
that the United Nations become the
nucleus of world organization Of
the future to determine the final
terms Of just, an honest and a
durable peace to be entered into
after the passing of the period
Of social and economic chaos which
will inevitably come upon the termi-
nation Of the present war and after
the completion of the initial and
gigantic task of relief, Of recon-
struction and rehabilitation which
will confront the United Nations at
the time of the armistice."
Roosevelt Approval Seen.
Those words are carefully selected.
They must have been approved by
the President. They imply that
relief and reconstruction must
come first, stable governments next,
then ultimately a set of peace terms
based on an international organ
ization to maintain order In the