Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-06-25
War Is Fight
For Life, Not
For an Ideal
Americans Warned u. S
% Must Win or Die
BY WESTBROOK PEGLER

A LII recent talk about the kind
"A of peace which we would
grant the defeated Germans
seems to have been ill-timed
and the subject may well be
filed away under the head of
unfinished business.
Much more important and APP
propriate TO the news of the day
is the contemplation of the kind
of peace that Hitler and the
japanese would inflict on us.
1t is not a topic to uplift the
spirit for the truth is that, as
far as this war has gone, our
side has been able only to punt
and pray and now again we find
the enemy inside the scoring
zone with the ball in their pos
session.
But desperation or fear may
have powers of stimulation equal
To those of optimism and milky
generosity.
If we suddenly admit TO our
selves today that we have no
guarantee from God that we will
win the war, that other great
nations have vanished, which, in
their prime. seemed imperish-
able, and that defeat means
obliteration OF the United States,
we will fight harder for our per-
sonal and national life than we
would for an ideal on which not
all of us agree.
All of us can understand the
fate of Poland. France and Nor
way and need no persuasion 10
escape il ourselves. whereas
many OF us get into windy
wrangles on the proposition that
the United States is fighting 10
establish the four freedoms ev-
erywhere in the world.
If the Germans win this war,
Japan will possess our Pacific
Coast and the American people
there will become serfs OF
japanese under a japanese gov
eminent enforced by the brutal
little soldiers whose sense of in
feriority expresses itself in acts
of unprovoked savagery toward
the white man and especially TO
Americans and BritonS.
THAT is no exaggeration but
l. the obvious thing 10 expect,
for they do not share our civili-
Zation. they hate us. they delight
10 torture and Kill Americans
and Britons and they already
have set forth the claim that the
toll Of Japanese farmers. fisher
men and other workers during
the development of the West
Coast earned them a right 10
possess that area of our country
Hitler has shown us BY his
conduct in other conquered lands
what we might expect from him
and il would be ridiculous TO try
10 take selfish. individual COM
fort. as some Americans might.
from a belief that he would con-
fine his fury TO our Jews and
Negroes.
To be sure. he has decrecd
that they are Subhuman and
possess no more rights than
beasts. but practice has shown
that all other Americans of all
other breeds and creeds would
be reduced TO the level OF slav-
cry in the service Of Hitler's
chosen people Of the super race
II takes no stretch OF the
imagination 10 conjure repeti-
tons here in many small Ameri-
can cross-road towns OF the
mass execution OF all the men.
the deportation OF all the
women and the adoption" Of all
the children for education in
the Nazi beliefs in blind revenge
for the killing of some boss
hangman sent in from Berlin 20
enforce the NaZi terror.
II is a literal truth that
American high school boys
would be shot against the wall
in sight of their parents, their
sisters and teachers for daring
10 sing the Star-Spangled Ban
ner or even for speaking ir-
reverently of Hitler. and the
only Americans whom he would
suffer 10 exist in any physical
comfort. and 10 circulate more
or less freely, would be a few
traitors Of the bund and few
mean and soulless native oppor-
tunistS.
THE United States would
i cease TO exist and actual
slaughter would sweep away
countless Americans here. in
familiar streets in our own land
This is not fantasy. but a
terrible threat whose fulfill
ment comes closer with each
Tobruk and each step Of the
Japanese along the Aleutians
and il is subject 10 no discount.
for the Germans have never
made any pretense TO the con-
trary in any of their dealings
with beaten peoples.
This is a struggle for life.
not for distractions and politi-
cal visions. and, with the fact
and the German record in mind,
IL is folly to think of permitting