Evening star., 1943-06-19
Realistic Approach to Peace

Senator Lodge of Massachusetts,
has suggested fruitful" approach
to peace for this country. His plan
differs from others which have been
advanced because it frankly and real
iStically declares that the United
States should be prepared to state it's
own needs when peace is made. He
places emphasis on what the United
States is to get out of this war. The
emphasis in other peace proposals
has been upon what this country is
to contribute to the rest of the world.
In one respect, however, the Lodge
approach to peace is on all fours with
other plans. He puts permanent
security against war-the adoption
of workable plan to assure peace
first on the list Of this country's
needs. Without some instrumentality
to maintain peace, once the war ends,
there can be no assurance that any
of the needs of any of the United
Nations will be filled.
The Massachusetts, Senator, quot
ing from the experts who have
looked into the situation, showed in
detail that essential minerals are
fast being used up in this war
among them lead, copper, iron and
petroleum. The Nation, he said, will
have to import these and other nee
essary materials after the war. The
country will not be self sufficient, as
many have believed in the past. It
will be necessary, Therefore, that
steps be taken to assure the United
States proper supplies-which will
no longer be available within its own
territorial limits.
Further, among the needs listed by
Senator Lodge, are means of using
the huge merchant marine which
is now built and building, the proper
participation of this country in the
great field of commercial aviation
which is expected after the war, and
the use of all kinds of international
communication services.
Frankly, Senator Lodge does not
have too much faith in what he calls
the "cosmic" or "transcendental" ap-
proach to peace. 1t has it's place
But in realistic world in which our
allies, Great Britain and Russia, both
know what they hope to get
out of this war; it would be folly for
the United States not to be prepared
to say at the proper time what it will
require in material way. During
and after the last war, it was repeated
many times that the United States
wanted nothing out of the war-ex-
cept to make the world safe for
democracy and the maintenance of
peace. The United States got moth
ing out of the last war. Not even a
long maintained peace.
To the idealists, Senator Lodges
demands for realistic approach to
peace may come as a shock. And,
indeed, should the United States pro-
claim today what it intended to de-
mand at the peace table, the effect
might easily be to encourage other
nations to make even larger demands
than they intend to make and to
focus attention on conflicting aims at
time when the whole effort should
be the winning of the war. However,
it should not be amiss for the United
States to give due consideration to
it's needs when peace is made and to
be prepared to make such demands
as may be necessary.
It was the contention of Senator
Lodge that more definite and real
istic program-or the proposal Of
such a program-would go further
toward uniting the American people
than more idealiStic and altruistic
program, in which this country is
visualized as an international Santa
Claus. 1t may be that he is right.
Certainly there is far less agreement
in this country that Uncle Sam is to
assume Santa Claus role once the
war is over than there is beyond
American borders.