Evening star., 1942-06-13

ing We were hopping mad at it and
wishing that it would return the
sweater, as well as the mittens and
cap with ear mufTs that accom-
panied it.
AS matter of fact, we feel that
Finland should return all the stuff
that flowed to it from this country.
We are having troubles of our own
now, what with citizens having to
give the color of their wives eyes
TO get sugar, having to show every
thing from birth certificates to let
tiers from their pastors to get
enough gasoline to keep their auto
mobiles from dying from thirst and
wearing suits that look as if they
had been cut by a tailor while he
was landing a trout.
The Firms could make a gracious
gesture by starting Return OF
Bundles to America" movement.
This would be difficult, sure, be-
cause the Firms would have to get
the stuff off the backs of the Nazi
soldiers who are wearing it, but
even if they returned only the little
bit that didn't happen to fit the
NaZis it would help.
Unless the Firms do something
like this, our Government is likely
to come to its senses, wipe the tears
of sympathy for Finland from its
eyes and realize that it can't go on
being sorry for Finland forever. 1t
might even so so far as TO declare
war even though it had to base
such action on the trivial fact that
Finlands soldiers are fighting SIDE
by side with German soldiers
against United Nations ally whose
defeat would be catastrophe.
It's awfully easy to feel sorry for
the Firms. And perfectly natural,
too. They were jumped by Russia,
and being sportsmen, our hearts
bled for the under-Gog. But now
they aren't the under-dogs any
more. They have the assistance of
what is generally conceded to be
the No. ! war machine Of all time.
It's not the Poodle fighting the
Bear today. The Poodle now has
the Panther or the man-eatlng
skunk or whatever you want to call
the German machine, going for it.
Yet this country acts as if it were
still just war between mighty Rus
sia and small, gentle little Finland.
Aside from a few seedlings from
our Government, Finland has SUI
fere& little or no wrath from this
country. It's soldiers go right along
taking orders from the Germans and
plugging Russians just as if shoot
ing Russians were not the same as
shooting American soldiers.
1t is beautiful for this country to
brood tiny Finland under the wings
of the eagle, and generally treat it
as little brother, but does it make
sense? Does it add up? This is a
war of survival, and as tragic as it
would be for a fine and decent
people like the Firms to go under.
it's hardly fair to ask a single
member of the United Nations
forces to give up his fingernail-
hold on life 10 make way for a
citizen of a country who is bound,
willingly or unwillingly, with the
enemy. If Finland is a threat to
our survival, then let Finland 90,
even though the tears at its passing
be heavy.
We sent our sweater to the Firms,
and We sent it gladly.
But that wasn't June, 1912.
We would be very glad to know
that today it was on the back of a
Russian, helping keep him warm as
he drew a bead on an enemy soldier,
even if that enemy soldier happened
to be a Finn.
In a war of survival the time to
shed tears for the enemy is after
YOU have licked him. not before.
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