Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1943-10-21
NEWS In
BEHIND
The News
BY Paul
MaIIon

~ ~
W Dear Jim:
r You raised an interesting
criticism of my postwar express
SiOns.
Can there he a great deal of
difference between indiN idnal
morality and national and in
ternatiOnar morality?
Aren't selfishnesS and greed
at the root of most Of our trou-
bles of all kinds ,"
In international affairs l find
no one. absolutely no other ma
ton. dealing on the basis l like
best for myself.
They are not wicked people.
To me, they seem guided by
necessities of their national
situation.
Britain wants to keep and
strengthen her Empire. Russia
wants her way of life 10 pre-
vail. China's wants for advance
ment are obvious.
These wants are not founded
upon the individual morality of
the peoples i'm these countries.
We cannot deal with them I'm a
church. but at a business table.
In dealing with them, we
cannot surrender our wants en-
tirely 10 theirs. We must have
fair negotiation. To whatever
degree they are sharp, tricky
or imposing we must strengthen
our resolution to protect our
selves.
Yes, selfishness and greed
are at the root Of most of
troubles of all kind, national
and International They caused
this war But we have selfish
groups in our own midst, not
the only one or the most selfish
one being, as you suggest, the
occasional almighty above-the-
law labor union leader.
RUT do you recommend UNI
- SelfiShneSs for employers in
dealing with labor unions. or a
let s-give-in' attitude by this
government toward union de-
mands? Why then should YOU
advocate such government
policy in international affairs
toward similarly self-interested
nations?
Class groups and nations first
must be converted away from
Self-interest, before we can deal
with them on the grounds you
propose.
You are wrong about one
thing, the implications of your
questions:
'Do we need in this country
To be reminded to look out for
our own self-interest? Haven't
we enough of that spirit al
ready without having it urged
on us constantly"
Nationally, / think we have
kindly Christian spirit. If
there is a disaster anywhere
in the world, we rush to give
help as no other nations do,
whether it be a japanese earth
quake, saving Australia, or
what.
THERE is nothing wrong
Il about the spirit of this coun-
try. You are preaching the
right sermon, but in the wrong
church. You should be telling
your viewpoint 10 the British,
Russians, Chinese and other
peoples of the world who need
10 adopt our spirit. They. not
our people, need TO be converted
to the way of life you and l
both agree is desirable.
But i am afraid we will have
as much difficulty getting them
10 accept our PHILOSOPHERS of
life as we would have to get the
labor unions TO drop their sell
fish class interest and adopt a
national interest viewpoint.
Their leaders Justify their
own existence and their own
salaries by connecting all man
nerS of reasons to Justify sell
fiShneSS, and they will get those
reasons daily into your news
paper through speeches. state
ments and news developments.
Foreign nations will even ac-
cuse US of being grasping and
imperialstic while they them
selves are practicing imperial
ism and are graSping all they
can get. Remember when they
called us Uncle Shylock.'
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