Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1942-12-25
Christmas

President Roosevelt, in a message
. to the men and women of the armed
forces of the United States, has de-
clared: THE star of Christmas again
shines brightly in world black with
war and hate. Never has mankind
yearned more for what that star
signifieS-for peace and honor to
men of good will" This sentiment,
however, is not put forward alone.
1t is the judgment of the leader of
the American people that: This is a
happier Christmas than last year in
the sense that the forces of darkness
stand against us with less confidence
in the success of their evil ways"
Taken together, the two express
sions here reproduced form a phil
osophy of inspiration and courage
which vast public will be proud and
glad to share. There can be no
reasonable doubt of the reality, the
sincerity, the profound integrity of
the longing of millions of the citizens
of the Axis countries as we'll as the
United Nations for universal civil
ization worthy of the name. The
anniversary of the birth of the Holy
Child of Bethlehem represents in its
traditional customs an instinct for
love and fellowship which humanity
naturally feels. Compared to the
number who must suffer, only few
perverse and wicked individuals are
responsible for the disasters by which
the race is afflicted.
Certainly, it does not follow that
the majority Of the people every
where are exempt from blame for the
present conflict or from a compelling
duty to correct those conditions
which brought it about. The masses
too often have permitted themselves
to be deceived and misdirected by
tyrants, and they must be wiser, less
fearful, more discriminating in that
respect in the future. Pope Plus XII,
in his Christmas address, warned
against the danger of "the subordi-
nation of everything to politics and
the heresy of national state which
subordinates all to human law" The
holy father also insisted that Gin
ternal peace" is as imperative as
external peace" If harmony is to
rule in the world, he said: Inside
each nation there must be unity and
love-"
In other words, the spirit of Christ
mas is the solvent for the sins and
the sorrows of the human family.
Every reasonable and honorable per-
son, without regard to any arbitrary
limitation, appreciates the value of
the teachings of Christ. No one
denies the merit of mercy and toler-
ance, Righteousness and justice,
mutually and cooperation. For
nearly 1000 years the power of the
idealism of Jesus, exemplihed in His
own career from the manger to the
empty tomb, has been growing in its
influence. No other doctrine is pos
sessed of such magnetic appeal. The
problem is to make its impact effec-
tive
President Roosevelt testifies that:
1.-THE way we must travel is yet long"
and when the war is won" there will
remain "the hard task of building a
better and freer world" Pope Plus,
in similar vein, proclaims: my
blessing goes out to all those who,
like the Crusaders, will fight for this
and for better Christian world"
The Chief Executive and the Pontiff
are agreed and those for whom and
to whom they speak are as one in
the hope and the determination to
make the meaning of Christmas
apply to all other days. Toll and the
sacrifice of precious lives are involved
IN the task, but the alternative is
the destruction of everything which
Christianity and democracy connote.