Askov American., 1943-10-14
No Golden AGE

No golden age, but period of
hard, sober, realities, with
need for infinite tolerance and
mutual understanding, awaits
the nations of the world in the
postwar era, according to E.
Dixwell Chase, writing for the
Worldover Press. The optimism
of World War I has disappeared
in the light of events of the past
two decades but the undercur-
rent of serious thought may be
good sign. The article follows:
The joy that greeted the news ot
Italy's capitulation and the excited
anticipation of further riffs in the
totalitarian war fronts did not COM
pletely overshadow the SOLDERING
realization that the burden of Allied
responsibility in political, economic
and social fields is growing with ter
rifying swiftness.
Perhaps this undercurrent of sober
and cautious thought about the post
war developments is healthy sign
Certainly it is in contrast to the
exuberant optimism of World War
I. There is no feeling of confidence
today that we are about to enter q
golden age. On the contrary, when
asked what he thinks things will be
like after the war, the average man
is likely to shake his head and speak
of unemployment, or of this or that
social or international issue that will
"bust wide OPEN. He agrees that
some sort of international organiza-
tion is necessary if another war is to
be avoided, but he is still hazy about
just what kind of an organization is
desirable or possible.
If this measured pessimism is g
sign of the doubt and questioning that
precedes wisdom, if it means that we
have begun to grasp the truly calam-
itous proportions of the historic
period through which we are pass
ing, if it means that we are starting
a serious attempt to rethink our
basic beliefs, we may make out bet
ter after the war than many now ex-
pect. Certain it is that pat ideologies
of all shades have lost support, and
faith in specific formulae has dwin-
died. Insofar as these ideologies and
formulas failed to meet the needs
of our age of crisis, it is good thing
that they should be cleared out along
with the rest of the dead wood and
underbrush that have kept us from
seeing the live timber in our society.
If, on the other hand, this skepti-
cism is only a continuation of the
moral and cultural decline that pre-
ceded the war, and no reforming
of basic beliefs to support tomor-
rows civilization is taking place, then
the dreary prediction of a student o1
historic cycles that our civilization
is due for a major nosedive around
1860, not to reappear again until
about the year 1000, may not be SC
wide of the mark. But that is theory
this writer is not going to lose sleep
over for while yet!
The point is that from now on all
nations are going to be going through
process of cropping and searching
for way out, and no single for
mula is likely to fit all nations OF
regions at the same time. How rad
ical a departure from accustomed
ways will be required for each region
will depend, no doubt, upon how
deeply it has been scourged by the
war and the breakdowns that pre-
ceded it. The solution for Europe
for instance, will surely be differen
from that required by England, anc
that for the United States will diff.
fer yet again. Much tolerance ans
mutual understanding will be need.
ed, for an attempt on the part O.
one region or country to impose it.
solution upon other areas would mos
certainly be disastrous.
1t is here that the activities O
AMG in occupied and liberated coun.
tries of Europe are bound to NEE
the most perplexing questions. Tt
say that AMG will be strictly neu
trail until the individual countrie.
have a chance to choose their owr
form of government and their owr
policies is all very well, but actual
ly there cannot be any such thing
as absolute neutrality. The very peo.
pie who are chosen from among thu
citizens of the occupied territory tt
assist in the military administration
will affect the choice of the popu-
lation later on. And there is no escap-
ing the fact that to some degree
the political predictions of AMC
authorities and of their governments
will color their selection of collab-
orators. We would be foolish to ex-