Askov American., 1943-09-02

i
You may reply that the Atlantic
Charter states the objectives of the
United Nations. But there is no clear
agreement on the Interpretation of
the Atlantic Charter. Mr.. Churchill
has made it plain that it does not
apply in the Pacific areas and has
insisted, with special reference ap-
parently to Hong Kong, Burma and
Malaga, that "We mean to hold our
own" Here in America there has
been the most diverse speculation
concerning your intentions for the
peace. Mr.. Kingsbury Smith in two
widely quoted articles in the Amer
lean Mercury has definitely told us
that your administration is committed
in detail to an indefinite policing of
Germany under American gauleiters
and to somewhat similar program in
Italy, which would include a regula-
ton of Italian economy, according to
our judgment of what is best. Do
these articles approximately express
your intentions?
These questions which were al
ready acute have been made more
urgent by recent events. Mussolini has
fallen and the world rejoices. Even
in the few days since you spoke,
military progress in Europe has been
great; rumors of an impending crack
up in Germany grow in numbers and
credibility. 1t is not time for a polit-
! ical offensive to hasten German rev.
olution?
So far your only public answer has
been Unconditional surrender" But
what does that mean as a term ap-
piled not to armies but to nations?
On the very day after your speech,
General Eisenhower spoke to the
Italian people of the honorable
terms" offered them. Reports have
been fairly specific concerning some
of those terms. Suppose you and Mr.
Churchill should make those terms
more specific and indicate that they
were prophetic of what could be ex-
pected in the rest of Europe, might
not the cause of liberty and peace
everywhere be furthered? I am not
suggesting that it is our task to force
any type of government on Italy,
but by the same token it is not our
task to stifle the effort, even the
revolutionary effort, of the demo-
cratic forces in Italy to come to
power. The democratic forces would
be aided by explicit terms; for in
stance, concerning the Italian COL
onies. They should not be given back
to Italy to exploit. But are they to
be handed over to Great Britain, or
to Great Britain and ourselves in
partnership, openly or behind some
facade of ''internationalism?" If so,
how is the cause of democracy and
peace furthered in the world?
This question is the more pertinent
because in all the elaborate discus
sions of the French Empire in North
Africa there has been no suggestion
of concern for the rights of the native
people, who outnumber the French
about seven to one in territories won
by the French by military conquest
still unaccepted by the people of
large areas. It is reported that you
and Mr.. Churchill are about to ex-
tend some sort of recognition to this
uneasy cooperation of De Gaulle and
Giraud in the French National Com
mittee of Liberation. That, so far as
it goes, is good. 1t may remove the
suspicion raised by our North African
political policies. But what about the
natives? What hope of rights have
they?
| This question becomes more urgent
when we consider white imperialism
in~Asia. How many American boys
are to die to restore the Dutch EN-
pire in the East Indies, or the British
Empire in Burma or Malaga, and
how long can we expect a peace to
last which is thus established?
Is it necessary to the liberation of
the Philippines and China from
Japan that we should tacitly aid the
British Empire to fasten its rule on
India on terms which mean the con-
tinued confinement of two of the
most outstanding men in the world;
Gandhi and Nehru? AS 1 write, the
first year of their Imprisonment
draws to a close. How much longer
must they and we wait for some
token that other than the imperial
ism of naked force will be the answer
to ASia's problems?
One other recent event gives i'm
mediate point to this letter. 1 refer
to Stalin's widely circulated appeal
to the German people through the
mouth of his hand-picked German
group in Russia. You may know
as certainly we do not - what are
his intentions or what sort of German
government he would like to see set
up. 1t is unfortunate that this ap-
peal appeared without consultation
between the United Nations. I should
have liked to have seen it more spe-
officially addressed to the democratic
forces in Germany. But as it stands
it seems to me that it commits Rus
Sia whnco ,1lfipo 70 voxuor -, E,,,1,.