Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1943-03-25
Postwar Asia

4NdllOiidltSiil iiililtoi ioiii III
postwar Asia must be for
gotten if just and durable peace
is to prevail there, according to
Theodore D. Walser, who re-
turned to this country several
months ago after 26 years in the
Far East.
Writing in the Worldover Press
he discusses some of the condi-
tons that must be met and lists
three which he believes impera-
tive if a real peace is to be made
possible.
His article follows:
On all sides Tin clubs, business
groups, government circles, churches,
etc., one hears constant talk of
postwar aims" Having returned
from Asia only three or four months
ago, after a residence there of 26
years, and knowing little of con-
ditionS there, this talk seems all
too premature to me to be realistic,
since we have a long war ahead
of us.
But one of our statesmen has de-
clared that nothing will be won
in the peace that is not won in the
war; and, since attention to post
war detectives may tend to keep us
sane and might even conceivably
bring in upon us the realization that
the war method will not secure a
lust and durable peace" I'm glad
to address myself to the subject of
POSTWAR Asia"
Though 1 still hope for Wilson,
ian peace without victory" 1 do
not expect it, unless the bellicose
and revengeful attitudes of the
United Nations can be changed
Former President Herbert Hoover
has said: 1--WE can have peace or
we can have revenge, but we can not
have BOTH" / am optimistic enough
to believe that we will eventually
get away from the revenge motiva-
ton, but just now it seems as though
we would be faced with the prob
lem of hewing the structure of new
world out of the chaos which will
inevitably follow upon a dictated
peace And dictated peace" will
be victory without peace" unless
miraculous fair-mindedness should
exist at the time that the peace treaty
is written.
What conditions must, then, be
met, as far as Asia is concerned, if
World War II is to be anything but
tho threshold RI fWa,ll
War lily?
AS one surveys the conditions that
must be met and the situation that
must be created in Asia, if "just
and durable peace" is to prevail,
the first thing that gives one pause
is the utter disparity existing, among
the United Nations, so-called, as to
war or peace aims.
Briefly and too sketchily stated.
the following three conditions must,
/ believe, be met in order to allay
social unrest in the Far East, cut
the nerve of nationalism and mill
tarism there and strengthen the lib
eral elements, without whom a real
peace is impossible.
(A) Self-determinism for all eth
mic groups (resulting in political
autonomy and complete sovereignty,
if desired).
It is to be regretted that the Nine
Power treaty failed to secure this
boon Sovereignty and territorial
integrity") for China. In its breach,
the treaty was a great diSappoint-
ment to all peace-lovers. The same
rights Through self-determinism
must be secured for Korea, Formosa
and Manchuria. But further, since
it is Individually true, as Sumner
Welles has said, that "the age of
imperialism is ended. The rights of
people to their freedom must be
recognized" then, why should not
this same principle be applied and
self-determinism recognized as the
inherent right of India, Singapore,
Hong Kong, the Philippine Islands,
Java, ETC., as well? Here one can
easily imagine the protests that will
arise from the British and Dutch
camps. 1t is true that the United
States and Great Britain have but
recently abrogated their "extra-ter-
ritorial rights" (sicD in China, but
it is alarming to believers in free
dom to know that Mr.. Churchill de-
clared, in his recent Guildhall
speech, that eve mean to hold our
own" Does "our own" here mean
India and Hong Kong? If so, what
will our allies, China and India, have
to say? There is also a most dis
quoting rumor that Great Britain
has stated that the Atlantic charter