Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-09-10
RooseveI+'s
Youth Speech
Hit by Peg:Ier
Labels Student Service
Cordial 10 Reds
By WEsTBROOK PEGLER

what is the international
Students Assembly at which
President Roosevelt delivered
his message to the youth of the
world last week, how did ii come
into being, who organized it and
is it something that all of us.
suddenly. are required to respect
unquestioningly?
The President spoke sharply
of those who regard this war
strictly as fight for the life Of
the United States when he said:
There Is still, however, .
handful Of men and women In
the United States and elsewhere
who mock and sneer at the four
freedoms and the Atlantic
Charter. They are few In num-
Der they have the financial
power to give our enemies the
false impression that they have
a large following among our citi-
zens. They play petty politics
I'm n world crisis"
Now there has been no notice
able hooking and sneering at
the four freedoms as such but
there has been considerable dis
sent from the proposition that
II is the duty and the mission of
the American people to establish
them everywhere in the world"
and that this is the purpose for
which the United States went TO
war.
TliOSE who hold this view. a
4 narrow view if you will. be-
lie!c that this is simple. prim
tive struggle 10 destroy a
enemy who started il with
treacherous attack on American
soil.
They are not. as he said, few
in number nor have they any or
gained financial power nor any
desire TO discredit their govern
ment in the eyes of foe or friend.
For holding thee patriotic
beliefs and for engaging legiti-
mately in politics on the purely
domestic issues of the New
Deal. many Americans. not Just
a few, are held up TO contempt
by the President in an address
to a congress largely composed
OF young foreigners.
THE doctrine of the four free
doms everywhere in the
world is not a required belief
nor is the so-called Atlantic
Charter Holy Writ.
They are propositions made
by the President and Winston
Churchill and that is all they
are.
Americans obligate themselves
only TO uphold the Constitution
OF the Republic and defend her
against her foes.
Now. abruptly. comes the In
ternational Students Assembly
in Washington under the aus
pices of an organization called
the international Students Serv-
ice. described as a gathering Of
$50 youths Of SO countries.
IL may be all right. but any
American has a right to look
into its background.
Every one who reads Mrs.
Roosevelt's column knows that
she has been promoting the In
ternational Students Service
for long time.
Last year her friend and
protege. Joe Lash. formerly ad
tive in youth organizations, wa -
very prominent among those
who were putting themselves
forward as candidates for STU
dent and youth leadership at an
institute which she enter
tanned at Campobello Island.
ASH not only has a political
~ background which would
impair his pretentions TO leader
ship OF American youth, but he
Is. moreover. no youth.
He is a man rising 30 years
who has been active in the
youth leadership game as a vo-
cation for more than a decade.
Another prominent participant
in the institute" was Justice
Felix Frankfurter. whose teach.
ingS are not necessarily binding,
and may be rejected without
prejudice.
The International Students
Service was once an organiza.
ton devoted TO the assistance
OF students who were victims OF
persecution in their European
homelands. principally Germany,
Italy and Spain.
IL now seems TO be develop-
ing into world political union
oil youth under Mrs. Roosevelt's
patronage and will continue 10
oppose Nazi-fascism but IL
lavishly cordial TO Communist
youth.
LIVERY one knows that COM
~ munism and Nazi-fascism
are alike in their attitude on
the four freedoms and that re.
hgion Is not free in Russia.
Then how can the youth of
the anti-Axis nations get to-
gether on a postwar program
or anything else?
Naturally. the President and e