Evening star., 1942-04-26
Allies Urged to Beat Enemies
To Psychological Offensive
MacL Leish's Warning of Peace OvertureS Viewed
as Timely but Negative; Wilson's
Success Recalled
By FELIX Morley.

viously the period in which to expect
peace overtureS.
So Mr.. MacLeish is undoubtedly fully
justified in saying that "an Axis peace
offensive is in the cards for this next
summer" What is not equally convinc-
ing is his suggestion. at the annual
luncheon of the Associated Press last
Monday, that on the newspapers Of this
country rests the primary responsibility
for countering that offensive.
When the appropriate time comes the
newspapers can, and undoubtedly will, do
everything in their power to show up the
guile lurking behind Axis overtures. But
in this connection the press can only
serve defensively 1t cannot create the
official policies which in the last analysis
are necessary 10 nullify seductive peace
propaganda
In military science, it is an accepted
axiom that offense is the best defense.
On this assumption, it seems, the future
strategy of the United Nations will be
planned. If the reasoning is sound for
physical combat, it is surely equally valid
for psychological contest, In all wars,
the latter is important, particularly so in
the current struggle, where the advan-
tages of decency, honor, unselfish aspira-
ton and other ideals for which men will
ingly die are Overwhelmingly on the side
of the United Nations
Allied Statesmanship Needed.
If there is danger of an Axis peace
offensive endangering American morale,
surely one way to meet 1t is by political
counteroffensive against the minds, as
we'll as the bodies, of the enemy. Such
counteroffensive was most successfully
launched by President Wilson when the
last war hung in the balance. And If any
real parallel for the Fourteen Points,
more definite than the Atlantic Charter
or Four Freedoms, were sponsored now
its ardent support by press and public
could be assumed.
Mr.. MacLeish is undoubtedly correct in
saying that "a Nazi peace offensive is as
much Nazi weapon as a Nazi mech
anized division" The question he does
not answer is why an American peace
offensive, now as in 1918, would not SINH
larly be as effective as the troops we can
not yet send into action overseas. Such
a psychological offensive, obviously, the
Government must in the first instance
undertake.
The formula, OF course, is arbitrary.
But the factor of these missing units" Is
very real, for US as we'll as for the Axis.
The administration. does not merely an
ticipate-it formally warns-that effec-
tive political warfare is shortly going to
be directed by the enemy against us. 1t
rightly cautions press and public to be
on guard. But there is total failure to
eexplain why we are not ourselves doing
more, other than by assertion of our un-
questioned moral superiority, to carry
political warfare into the enemy camp.
G. o. p. Stand Is Starter.
Mr.. MacLeish, perhaps affected by the
tension so pronounced in Washington,
suggests that there is a certain restive-
ness in the American attitude toward the
war. If so, its roots may be traced to our
failure so far to take the offensive, either
in the military or the political field. And
in the latter sphere, at least, there seems
no reason why action should be deferred
until 1943
BY its resolution definitely repudiating
isolation, asserting the truism that Our
Nation has an obligation" in the de-
velopment of organized world order, the
Republican National Committee last
week gave very constructive lead. This
overture toward the formulation of a
wholly non-partisan American program
for world peace should not be overlooked
by the party which. because it holds
Office, has primary responsibility for the
development of effective policy.
An Axis peace offensive is viewed as
imminent by the once of Facts and
Figures. The enemy should not be
allowed the advantage of initiative in
this respect. Before that anticipated
offensive strikes is the time to counter
it. And the way to do so is to express
our own war objectives, not in detail but
in line with clear-cut principles suffl-
ciently convincing to undermine morale
in enemy countries.
1t is not enough to fall back on the
wholly defensive attitude which Mr.. Mac
Leish suggests for the American press.