Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-06-18
Readers Ask
Peace Backed
By U. S. Arms
Lack Of Faith in Treaties
Believed Realistic
BY PAUL MALLON


" Judging from the volume
and vchemence of reader reac-
ton 10 recent columns, the peo-
pie of this country are not
agreed on how 10 maintain peace
in the postwar world. But they
are thinking and debating, and.
from their thoughts and argu-
mentS. will come the right way.
There seem 10 be roughly
three groups. Most earnest of
these minorities is the old
League of Nations school of
thought. which holds that Wood
row Wilson might have set this
world Alright with his idealism
had not his league been cor
rupted by French and British
politicians.
A second minority group, and
a smaller one, is the old lSola-
zionist school, Just as earnestly
claiming that our vision Tor
peace IN the future should not
be lifted beyond our shore line.
a third group, which seems 10
be in a majority. favors new
method. discarding both old the
cries as unsuccessful, and start
ing afresh. on the basis of eXpe-
rience of the last 25 years. 10
plan realistically and intelli-
gently for peace in better way.
TNHIS group seems less inter-
Il ested than some of the adj
ministration spokesman, like
Vice President Wallace, in re-
forming the world socially
Apparently its primary inspira.
ton is a thirst for international
justice. Its prime purpose is
domestic security founded on
justice.
Few of the majority of my
correspondents think British.
French, Russian or any other
statesmen are going TO be much
different after this war. They
expect them 10 be looking out
for their own interests as usual,
but they also expect our states
men TO be looking out primarily
for our interests.
Obviously no plan has yet
caught their support. The one
basic principle from which they
are working is that this country
shall not again be duped into
disarmament.
nNE reader sent me clipping
" from Clare Booth Luce'S
analysis in Life Magazine of
the great career OF General
Stilwell. the American fighter
appointed by China's Chang
Kai Shek TO head his armies.
Mrs. Luce was trying to find
out why the general went TO
China after the first world
war, and interviewing him, she
wrote:
He said that when he re-
turned home from France i'm
1919 he found a wave OF pacif-
ism was already In the making.
:. 1 went right into Chauncey
Fenton's office, the head of the
war personnel department In
Washington, and I said, "Chaun-
cey, from here out the army Is
In for a terrible drubbing at the
hands of the sob sisters and
starry-eyed idealists who think
human beings amt. can't stay
here and watch this country dis
arm and demobilize to the point
Of disaster. It'll just make me
boiling mad. and I'll do or say
something that will get me into
trouble. So please give me q
job that will remove me as far
from this painful scene as pos
sible'."
He went TO China.
TEIE general must have been
madden yet in Burma where
the fruits Of this lack of Ameri-
can vigilance bitterly prevented
him from getting the planes
and tanks in time TO stop the
vicious Jap march of slaughter,
rape and brutality.
This time this nation clearly
is not going to dispense with
the service of its heroic fight
erS who are winning this war
and depend for protection upon
extensively purchased treaties
which have never done the job
before.
This is the direction. at least,
which Mr.. Roosevelt and Brit
ain have taken in their Russian
agreement. There are some who
say the agreement may be a
preliminary 10 selling the New
Deal around the world at the
price of cancelng Allied obi
cations 10 Us for war materials.
but that suspicion has no strong
evidence yet to back il.
TlIE primary point of the
Il British treaty with Russia
is that the victors are going 10
stay in arms until they have
positive security. As far as
treaties go N looks like this