Evening star., 1944-12-26
Statesmen CHALLENGED
By Pope's Message
Observer Says Appeal Should
Pave Way for Lasting Peace
By David Laurence

rave way Ior LaStln2 fedce
By David Laurence
This world of tragedy has few voices
still sufficiently powerful to make them
selves heard above the din of battle and
one of them is the voice of Pope Plus
XII.
The Popes message broadcast to the
world for Christmas was this year much
less message OF religion and much
more an essay on political science but
running through it was a blending of
both In such stirring way that il
the peoples of all the world could really
learn and understand the background
of that appeal it might be said with
confidence that the process of making
permanent peace had really begun.
For irrespective of sect or creed. ir-
respective of political party or economic
class, the Pope's words strike deeply at
prejudice, at selfishness, at brutality,
at the passions and hates of peoples as
| well as individuals which sow the seeds
| of perennial friction that generates
| horrible wars.
oFedt SLdtcSmdn.
| The Pope is truly one of the great
statesmen Of our times His consti-
tuency is not merely the Catholics Of
the world but all persons who have be-
gun to see that disregard of the lessons
and teachings of Jesus have brought
mankind to the brink Of chaos.
The Pope doesn't need to think Of
| third fprroS
mentary majorities or the curve OF
personal popularity or the prides of
position which cause our spokesmen of
the public interest to be afraid to take
| criticism, afraid to admit mistakes,
afraid to do aught but give lip service
to the basic principles of Christianity.
So of all the men who speak to big
audiences nowadays, the Pope's words
carry message of truth and sincerity.
The words of Prime Ministers and Pres
ldents are unfortunately construed as
the words of political expediency.
Thus the present war is being pro-
longed because the Allied statesmen
have not dared to define their slogan
unconditional surrender"-or to make
1
ment of peoples, but merely surrender
of the armies of the enemy.
Gives Definition.
The Pope with courageous stateman-
ship contributes a definition in the fol-
lowing passage:
80 But only on one condition:
Namely, that the peace settlement which
should be strengthened and made more
stable by mutual guarantees and, where
necessary, economic sanctions and even
armed intervention, should not give
definite countenance to any injustice,
does not imply any derogation of anv
right to the detriment of any nation
whether 1t be on the side of the
Victors, the vanquished, or the neu-
trals), and does not impose any per-
petual burden. which can only be al
lowed for time as reparation for war
damage.
That any people, to whose govern
ment-or even partially to themselves
the responsibility for war is attributed.
should have for time to undergo the
rigors of security measures until the
III.
should be gradually welded together
again. is quite understandable from
human point of view, and in practice will
In all probability be inevitable.
Nevertheless even these peoples must
have Well-founded hope-commensu-
rate to their effective collaboration in
the work of reconstruction-of being
able together with the other states, with
equal consideration and with the same
rights, to be associated with the great
community of nations.
Road to New Goals.
To deny them that hope would be
the reverse of seeing wisdom, it
would be to assume the grave respon-
slbility of barring the way to a general
liberation from all the disastrous con-
sequences, material, moral and political
of the gigantic cataclysm which has
shaken the poor human family to it.
very foundations but which, at the same
time, has shown it the road to new
goals.
No one certainly thinks of disarmin.
justice in its relation to those who have
CAPioIlcu lilc VIII SITUATION IN OrQel
to commit real and proved crime.
against the common law, and for whom
supposed military necessity could al
most have offered a pretext, but never
justification.
But if justice presume to Judge and
punish not merely individuals but even
whole communities together, who could
not see in such procedure violation of
the norms which guide every human
triaI?'
Certainly the calm and objective
words of the Pope are challenging to
our statesmen. For, If the meaning of
Christmas Is not to be lost along with
the other moral values that have al
ready been swept away, as much time
and thought as is now given to the
building of weapons of destruction must
sooner or later be given to the building
OF instruments of human reconciliation.
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