The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1942-05-11
, Clapper
Unprepsredness Costly,
Be II in War or Peace
United Nations Need 10
Tackle Postwar Problem
Terrific Repercussions
Likely AS An Aftermath =
Nv RAYMOND CLAPfER

IL u HHaNHFN
WASHINGTON - We have
seen IN the last few months how
costly vas our unprenaredness
for war. We shall also find Il
costly II We are not prepared
for the victory.
The victory Is not here yet by
a long shot but II Will come IN
time. but unless the United Ma
tons are prepared for IL We are
likely to pay dearly. A victory
that We are not prepared TO
handle will be = victory that will
quickly turn TO ashes on q ryre
Of civil war, massacre and eco
nomic chaos the world over, and
bitter disappointment that even
IN our own country might give
rise To violent upheayais and
peril 10 democratic government.
That IL the danger that
some of our highest officials
see and IL il prompting them.
even In the midst Of furieus
war preparations, In give
thought to what must he done
afterward. Some of them
think IL is important To fare
these questions now and 10
make more definite the pur-
poses To which the United Ma
tons intend IN put the victory.
They see that our failure to
do that has already had devas-
tsting effects in Asia. Cynical
suspicious of our purposes have
caused the Burmese 10 give aid
and comfort 10 the japanese
forces. They have caused the
Hindus To question our assist
snce 10 India as possibly being
for the purpose Of holding them
under an imperialistic yoke.
None Of us have given suf-
ficient weight to the damage
that has been done to US in Asia
by lack Of clear war aims. The
most aggressive and specific
program for the postwar world
has been that long advocated by
Clarence STREET. through his fed
eral union plan.
But that program has been
regarded as mainly an elabor-
ate plan for an Ang To- American
union. 1t has been silent re-
garding the place of China, India
and other countries, lacking
democratic government. Russia
has become a major force in the
United Nations but ii has not
been included hitherto in the
federal union scheme because 1t
was not a democracy.
That exclusive approach has
been characteristic of much
postwar thinking. We have
tended to look at the future
world as the pet oyster Of
America and Britain. plus
such small democracies as
manage To come out Of the
war, chiefly the Scandinavian.
Now, however, the federal
union group has brosdened its
program. That change may be
indicative Of general tendency
to broaden the base of all post
war thinking. Certainly some
Of our high government Of
ficials have broadened theirs TO
reach out to all corners of the
earth in trying to reconstruct a
world community.
Except in the military effort
We are not the United Nations
At all but separate powers each
, fAAAE AAtf NAlHff HAtit tlk-
piciously. and wondering what
the other will demand after the
victory.
II the United Nations had
made their purposes clear in q
binding program, there would
be no room for Indian independ-
ence leaders 10 accuse the United
States Of interfering to assist
British imperialism.
The cause Of the United Ma
tons would become infinitely
stronger if II we're made clear
that the old 10th century world
was considered dead and that
the victory was 10 be used TO
construct a new era in which
self government and collective
security would go hand in hand
with new economic opportunity