Evening star., 1944-12-12
Letters to The Star
A Good Letter of Advice
From an Authority

class postage rate, most people no doubt
this year will mail their Christmas cards
at the circular rate Of postage of one
and half cents, unsealed. But I doubt
II many of them know the postofdce
routine in handling the cards mailed
at the lower rate. None of them are
forwardable from one postofice to an
other such as from Washington to Ar
lington, Alexandria or Silver Spring,
unless extra postage is afixed, nor are
they returnable.
Therefore those with incorrect or IL
legible addresses largely are destroyed
by the ofice in accordance with postal
laws. Many of the addresses who have
moved locally, file no change of address
order" so do not get cards addressed
to them.
city directory service" is only given
cards mailed at the first-class rate.
Many of these also are destroyed If the
addressee cannot be found and no re-
turn address is given. Many cards OF
both classes never reach their destina-
tions because OF illegible or incomplete
addresses, such as omitting both section
and postal zone number.
With SO many people on the move
these days, the value of first-class post
age with return address is obvious.
The general public would be surprised
to know OF the large number of their
Christmas cards on which they have
spent their valuable time, money and
postage, which are destroyed each year.
POSTMAN.
Wants 'Firmer Foundations
To the Editor Of The Star:
AL hail to Dorothy Thompson for her
courageous words on mobilization of the
peoples Of the world for peace instead of
for war!
Perhaps, If she and others like her had
spoken thus in 1899 and 1910, this most
ghastly of all wars might not have
been
Truly. it is travesty that we should
discuss how to prevent war when the
most obvious fact is that all peoples
everywhere hate war" And an even
greater travesty is it for us to be talking
now about preventing another war by
preparing for 1t more effectively even
before this one is over
That vast community of grief" which
as Miss Thompson says, encompasses
enemy and ally alike, could put a stop
to this war today-right now-and per-
manently, before it continues into an
other bitter winter-just as easily as the
war stopped for six hours the other day
in little French border town while
American and German military leaders
exchanged prisoners and eight German
soldiers refused to be exchanged for
further fighting.
Robot bombs and rocket bombs that
bring death and destruction wherever
they strike, are the latest Nazi contribu-
tion; magnesium and phosphorus bombs
and burning oils that leave terrible, in
durable wounds in human flesh, are re-
ported to be our contribution Must
these be only Introductory to other.
more deadly horrors. such as atomic
bombs or poison gas?
AS the record of history, both ancient
and modern has demonstrated, military
preparedness and military alliances not
always have prevented wars nor served
to assure victory. Blowing Germany
and Japan to smithereens will not do
away with war: nor will the substitution
OF an American or British militarized
youth put an end to aggression There
were wars before there ever was a Hitler
or Hirohito and even before Germany
or the Japanese nation came into be-
ing. The dangerous implications, for
the smaller nations particularly, already
are being glimpsed in proposed schemes
to place in the hands of the Big
Three" nations the power to put down
international disturbances threatening
general war. Military power in the
hands Of a few strong nations, no mat
ter how altruistic or blameless their
original intentions, inevitably will be-
come merely big stick to keep weaker,
dissatisfied groups and colonial peoples
from rebelling against explorations and
encroachments upon their freedom.
"Yet the peace structure which we are
building must depend on foundations
that go deep into the soil of mems faith
and mems hearts" as President
Roosevelt said recently before the
Foreign Policy Association, otherwise
1t Is worthless"
A new beginning has been made at
the Dumbarton Oaks Conference in
plans for an organization of United Ma
tions and a federation of the world. But
If it truly is to reach the heart and the
faith of man, the peace that a war
torn world still seeks must be built on
flrmer foundations than compulsory
peacetime training of our youth in the
art of killing and destroying or in the
maintenance of an international police
force to patrol the seven seas in search
of aggressors. MIRIAM zIONY.
Troubled About Conscription
To he Editor of The Star:
Let me second David Lawrence's ap-
peal for candor and frankness on the
part of the administration in connection
with its plans for compulsory universal
military training. Church and educa-
tional groups are urging delay in the
decision to be made. The administra-
ton is urging a decision at once.
But reasons are being put forward
for universal military training which
do not appear to be the real reason why
its proponents want it. They speak of
the advantages of physical training and
of discipline, but they say little of the
potential army of millions which is
thought necessary for the country to
maintain, Notwithstanding the prospec-