Evening star., 1942-03-24
BiddIe Tells Ahepa
Ambition Must Be
Subservient 10 War
Public Interest and
Living Standards First,
Says Attorney General

ORll1lOll OIlobAb ilOp VIII a ~
"any attempt to take advantage Of
the war to push an ambition that
is not for the good of the Nation
as whole" Attorney General
Biddle told more than 800 persons
at the national banquet of the Order
of Ahepa at the Mayfower Hotel
last night.
All interests must be subservient
to the national good" he declared.
The broad public interest must al
ways come first. For If the excuse
of war is unnecessarily used to break
down the standards of living of the
people, the will OF the people to
victory cannot be sustained"
Mr.. Biddle made these statements
after he had recalled with praise
the workings and traditions of
Ancient Greece, from which he said
had come a heritage and liberty OF
self government"
McNutt Speaks Briefly.
To-day Greece has come alive"
he continued. The influence Of
Greek civilization Is rooted in our
own: and now again her courage
shines across the world. Her ex-
perience Of freedom is at the begin
ming OF the long history OF all men
in achieving freedom"
The Attorney General was the
principal speaker for the occasion,
the fifth national banquet Of Ahepa,
made uo Of Americans OF Hellenic
descent. He was followed by Fed
eral Security Administrator Nc
Mutt, who In q brief address re-
called that many patriotic Ameri-
cans were ruined in the first World
War because they spoke In a for
eign tongue and declared that we
must not forget that such perse-
cution is as much a violation as ter
roriSm"
Other speakers were George S.
Depasta. Minister Counselor OF the
Greek Legation: v. I. Chebither,
past supreme president of Ahepa,
and Van A. Nomikos, supreme pres
ident. Also seated at the speakers
table and introduced during the
meeting were Mehmet Munir Erte-
gun, Ambassador from Turkey:
Constantin Fotitch, Minister of
Yugoslavia; Liu Chieh, Counselor of
the Chinese Embassy, and Anis
Aver. Commercial Counselor Of the
Egyptian Legation, and Sir Ronald
Campbell, Minister Extraordinary Of
the British Embassy. A message
from the Greek Prime Minister was
read.
Victory Signs in Decoration
The banquet was held in a ball
room decorated with American flags.
bunting and victory signs. Among
the guests were a number Of other
representatives from the United Ma
tions and nearly $50 members Of
Congress.
Mr.. Biddle recalled the flight of
the Greeks to escape the infections
placed upon them by Turkey in the
treaty Of Lausanne in 1928 and then
turned to last summer, when the
Greeks thrilled the world with ex-
ploits which matched those Of
1hermopalae and Marathon Of old 4"
Our war today is q war of
peoples, allied throughout the world
to reconquer or to defend their
status as free men," he added. TO-
day the peoples see and understand
that their very right to live as
human beings, and not as beasts, Is
at stake. Their greatest source of
hope and strength lies in this sense
that this war affects their lives.
Nothing must threaten that unity.
No group should attempt to advance
Its interest at the expense Of any
other
Would Uphold Standards.
He said that If the standards of
living OF the people are broken down
by the excuse of war, they will no
longer believe that it is their war.
And this is, in the ultimate
analysis" the Attorney General
pointed out, "a civilian war. II the
minds Of the workers are left with
out Affirmative enthusiasm, without
the convinced belief that it IS their
war, they will not carry it through
to the triumphant conclusion"
Mr.. Biddle said most people OF
the world want the same thing-to
be free and happy and at peace
with each other.
Certainly we shall never be at
peace until We are all free" he
added. If all Of US in this room
should die in this war, and our
sons and our grandsons, the war
will go on until free men win out.
AS one might say of the men Of
Thermopolae, to die for 1t, II not
to conquer then, Is finally to con-
quer. That is why, since freedom Is
both our cause and our assurance,
we must preserve and extend 1t
yyt1 a.