Evening star., 1944-03-19
News sonDiplomaticF Front
Leaves Much UndisClOsed
Ultimate Victory in War Held Dependent
Upon Attaining Objectives of All Ma.
tons Involved in Opposing Nazis
Br Constantine Br0vn.


The people of the United States
have fair idea of the progress of
the war on the military fronts. Ger
tain news is being delayed or sup
pressed because of military exigen-
cies. But on the whole the picture is
quite clear: We expect a successful
military operation in Western Eu-
rope; the campaign in Italy has
been unsuccessful inasmuch as we
have not yet reached the principal
objective of Rome.
Actual losses suffered by all the
Allied troops which are participating
in the Italian offensive have not yet
been revealed because this would
mean giving valuable information to
the enemy. But eventually they will
be known.
In the Pacific We are doing better
than anywhere else and are about
three months ahead of schedule
When proper reinforcements of men
and planes are sent to Gen. Douglas
Macarthur, We may expect stepping
up of our offensive against the Japs
How great these reinforcements are
and when they will be sent depends
largely on political and military de-
velopments across the Atlantic.
But while news regarding the war
is fairly satisfactory. the same cam
not be said concerning the amount
of information impaired to the pub
lie about the diplomatic front. Yet
it is as important today to have a
clear conception of what is occur
ring behind the diplomatic scene as
it is to know what is happening on
the battle fronts. A military victory
may mean nothing if the purpose
for which we are fighting is not ac-
complished by such victory. War
is only an instrument Of policy. but
never a policy itself. Nations have
been bled in the past, and it is feared
that they will be bled in the future
because their political aims could be
accomplished in the eyes OF their
leaders only by the force Of arms
But in every case wars were the i'm
fermentation of a definite policy.
Other War Aims.
Germany went to war to attain
her objective of dominating Europe
or the world. Poland resisted be-
cause she was an Independent coun-
try and her policy demanded that
she maintain her sovereignty even at
the risk of destruction. In 1899 Fin
land, small nation with a popula-
ton of 3,500000, resisted Russia
which has a population SO times as
large, because her people also had
decided that subjugation was not in
line with the policies of civilized
nation.
Great Britain went to war to sup
port such policies and also to pre-
serve her role as one of the greatest
world powers. Russia associated
herself with the Axis in 1899 to ac-
complish her political goal of rein
stating Czarist Russia's old frontiers
The attack by the NaZis brought
Russia into our camp, but the So
Wet did not abandon even then the
political aims she had in 1899 set
forth to accomplish.
To many, Americas independence
appeared to be threatened in 1910
after the fall Of France, and We were
determined to go to war If necessary
to further our political aims.
But ever since this country asso-
ciated herself with the wars of Eu-
rope in 1917, the American people
desired to see world free of ag-
gressive threats. They hoped that a
status quo on the basis Of the settle
ment made in Europe after the
World War would be maintained
The liberal lease-lend aid given to
the European states fighting the
Axis was predicated, so far as the
general public was concerned, on the
belief that those small chronological
states which were created with our
assistance after that war should
survive. There were, of course, many
flaws in their construction; their
governments were not what we al
ways would have liked to have seen
But. on the whole they were con-
sidered in this country as the best
possible answer to Europe's peren-
nial wars
Charter Warmly Welcomed.
1t was for this reason that the
Atlantic Charter, the brain child OF
President Roosevelt and Prime Min
lister Churchill, got such a warm re-
ception from the overwhelming ma
jority of the American people and
! was considered by many political
observers as a step further than
President Wilson's IA points.
The Atlantic Charter is by nc
means perfect. But under the
circumstances it was about the best
instrument which intelligent states
men could devise and did emphasize
the principal purpose of the Ameri-
can people. If applied honestly, II
would offer the best solution, for q