The Hardin tribune-herald. [volume] (Hardin, Mont.) 1925-1973, 1943-05-20
Little Nations Skepti(a|
Of Future Peace Terms
Oppressed Countries Fear That Hatred or
Indifference to Them Will Dominate
Proposals When War Ends.
BY BAUKHAGE
Nesus Analyst and Commentator.
WNU Service, 1343 H Street, NV,
Washington, D. C.

WNU Service, 1343 H Street, NV,
Washington, d. c.
Like voices crying in the wilder
ness the little nations of the world
are supplicating America. They
have been searching our oratund
declarations of the peace aims of
the United Nations to see just how
much we have, actually. promised to
1.-The little people," And they are
not sure at the present writing that
1t is very much.
Sooner or later the United States
must 60 on record in black and
white. in simple, straightforward
English, as to what we can offer
besides glory and honor and graft
tude and sympathy for the men and
women who have already felt the
yoke Of war.
had that brought home to me
the other night.
1t was nearly three o'clock in the
morning. The slim. earnest gentle
man opposite me with the slightly
foreign accent had lost track of time
and it seemed as if the ancient clock
on the bookcase was discreetly muf-
fling its chimes. I was in no hurry
for I knew I was hearing the soul Of
a nation speak.
"You must remember" my COM
panion was saying. there are just
two kinds Of nations IN the world
today. the big ones and the little
ones. And the little ones whose bor-
ders are not now the Gene Of actual
fighting or those that are still battle
fields or may Don be-all are filed
with fear. Most Of them have al
ready felt the boots of invaders. And
they fear that the great machine
will roll I'VE them again. that they
win be obliterated and that when
the peace comes, they will be for
gotten. The big nations will make
the peace"
The next day I read the statement
out of the Finnish legation that Pin
land wants to stop fighting as soon
as the threat to her existence has
been averted and guarantees OBJ
tanned for her lasting security"
At about the same time, there
was made public in London the pro-
posals for revising the constitution
Of the government Of the Neither
lands empire which would advance
the autonomy Of the Netherlands
East and West Indies and other pos.
sessions.
I had already heard a Hollander
from Java state in most emphatic
terms that plans would be carried
through to give the Javanese an
equal standing with all other citi-
zens Of the Netherlands empire after
the war. He pointed to the fact that
one Javanese had already held the
post Of foreign minister in The
Hague before the days of the in
vader.
The Finnish statement and the
Dutch intentions are both evidence
Of how those two small nations are
trying now. to assure the big"
democracies that regardless Of pres
ent conditions they only seek to main
tain. or where it has to some degree
been lacking. to attain. the democ-
racy which they claim is as sincere
as ours. whether they r under the
oppressors' heel, as Holland is. or
are maintaining a lopsided. precari-
Gus neutrality like Spain. or even
fighting against n Of the Allies like
Finland. (Finland is not at war with
any country but Russia.)
I think it is also evidence Of the
growing certainty Of the part Of the
small nations, ever those surround
ed by Nazi bayonets, that it is only
a question Of time until the United
Nations will triumph. And they are
afraid that war hatreds or indiffer-
ence to the fate Of the little nations
will dominate the peace. They are
afraid most Of all that the United
States will withdraw from the scene
as we did after the last war leaving
only a blueprint for peace, the
League Of Nations. and no power to
enforce its decisions.
The Atlantic Charter to them is
not a very specific document.