Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1943-02-25

The last in a series OF articles
on the Four Freedoms, released
by the office of war information,
is published below. Release from
the fear of the forces of evil
which ride rough-shod over the
nations at war, and linger as
yelled threats during times of
peace, is an absolute necessity
if the Four Freedoms are to be-
come an actually.
Fear is the inheritance of every
animal, and man is no exception.
Our children fear the tangible dark
and we give them what reinsurance
we can, so that they will grow and
develop normally, their minds free
from imaginary terrors. This re-
assurance, this sense of protection
and security, is an important factor
in their lives.
The new dark which has settled
on the earth with the coming of
might and force and evil has ter
rified grown men and women. They
fear the dark, fear fire and the
sword; they are tormented by the
dread of evils which are only too
real. They fear the conqueror who
places his shackles on the mind
Above all else they are tortured by
that basic political fear: fear OF
domination of themselves by others
Others who are stronger, others
yhn ofh ybn
the weapons and are destroying and
burning and pillaging. This is the
fear which haunts millions of men
and women everywhere in the world
1t is the fear of being awakened in
the night, with the rapping on the
door.
No structure of peace, no design
for a good world, will have any
solidity or strength or even ANY
meaning unless it disperses the shad-
ow of this fear and brings reassur-
ance to men and women, not only
for themselves but for their children
and their children's children. Ag-
gressive war, sudden armed attack
secret police, these must be forever
circumvented. The use of force
historically the means of settling dis
putes, must be made less and less
feasible on earth, until it finally be-
comes impossible. Even though the
underlying causes which foment wars
may not be Immediately eradicated
from the earth, the physical act OF
va foI II
by their ingenuity, their intelligence
their memory, and their moral ma
ture, choose to do so. Force can be
eliminated as means of political
action, only if it be opposed with an
equal or greater force-which is eco
nomic and moral and which is backed
by collective police power, so that
in community of nations no one
nation or group M@ations will have
the opportunity to commit acts OF
aggression against any neighbor, any
where in the world.
The machinery for enforcing peace
is important and indispensable; but
even more important is that there
be established moral situation
which will support and operate this
machinery. AS the last war ended
an. attempt was made to construct
an orderly world society capable OF
Self-control. It was an idealistic
and revolutionary plan. But like the
first automobile, it moved haltingly
and. was more of novelty than q
success. For a while mems hopes
focused on the plan; but it was never
universally accepted. The faith was
not there, nor the courage.
Today many nations are working
together with unbelievable energy
and with harmony of feeling and
interest. They are united at the
moment by the desire to win battles
but they are also united by COM
mon principles and by a conviction
that their people ultimately want
the same thing from life-freedom
peace, security, the chance to live
as individuals.
Such collaboration has it origin
in the democratic spirit, which in
fects men regardless Of latitude OF
longitude, and it has been fed by
the close association between ma
tons which are geographically neal
neighbors-as, for example, the inter
American powers. Canada has beer
a good neighbor to the United State.
for many years, and the Canadian
border, never fortified, stands today
as symbol of what the world viii
be when mems faith becomes grea
enough and their heads become hare
enough.
Still another answer to fear i.
found in the concept of the Unitet
Nations. For the first time in his
tory, twenty EIGHT nations have beer