Evening star., 1944-10-05
Letters to The Star
Argues for Federal Union as
Hope for Peace

TO the Editor Of The star:
Constantine Browns article in The
Sunday Star of October / deserves ap-
probation because 1t raises issues fast
disappearing from public discussion as
the Atlantic Charter fades into the
limbo of lost hopes.
The crucial question now Is not
Isolation versus Internationalism, but
International Meddling versus Interna-
tional Government" and the gulf be-
tween the latter two is certainly as wide
as the gap between the former.
Abandoned for years, the principles
for which Woodrow Wilson fought and
died again are fashionable in America.
But the fatal error of assuming that
isolation is the only sin and that any
course OF action we may take in Europe,
as long as we stay in," is an adherence
to the Wilsonian tradition, may lead
the United States into second betrayal
of the worlds hope for peace main
tanned by right instead of might.
President Wilson did not 60 to Paris
to make a peace designed to maintain
the status quo among nations nor one
that would give the victorious Allies
such strangle hold on the smaller
nations and the defeated powers as to
preclude further adjustments. He con-
sented to many of the questionable pro-
visions OF the Versailles Treaty only be-
cause 1t seemed impossible to bring the
Allies together on other terms and be-
cause he depended upon the League of
Nations, established by the same treaty,
to adjust its grievances amicably, since
the League was to be a flexible instru-
ment replacing war in settling disputes.
Mr.. Wilson went to Paris, not to out
play the, diplomats of other states at
international poker but with the hope
OF replacing international poker (known
to the world as diplomacy with inter-
national law, binding in the same degree
upon all nations. large and small. That
he failed was the worlds tragedy as well
as his own.
The United States today Is playing
international poker in the grand style
with Britain and Russia. There is not
the faintest hint of any organization or
any law that will bind these three powers
in any way. They will stand above the
laws which they will make and impose
by force on the rest OF the world.
We Of the United States would con-
slider intolerable and contemplate a sub
servience to laws in the making of
which we had no voice. Indeed, the
governments of the Big Three" so far
have been unwilling even to swear
obedience to the laws they propose
mutually to create. Yet they proceed
in the assumption that all the rest OF
the world supinely will accept these dis
honorable conditions and obey their
dictates, fondly entitled "law."
Are the power, prestige and tremen-
dous war sacrifices of the United States
to serve the unworthy purpose of
establishing world oligarchy? There is
only one achievement that can Justify
so dear price. 1t is an international
democracy, Federal Union responsible
to its citizens. Such a government i'm
poses no laws that have not the "con-
sent Of the governed 1t stands today
as the only alternative to the immorali-
ties Of power politics, alliances and
secret diplomacy.
The Nation which brought forth the
Federal Union system and stands as its
living proof would betray her own first
principles should she support world
oligarchy instead Of world democracy.
JANICE HOLLAND.