Evening star., 1944-07-10
Observer Sees Wave
Of Moral Defeutism
Warns Spheres of influence
Means Recurrence of Wars
BY David laurence

Oy lava AOt0TGWCS
A wave Of moral defeatism seems to
have gotten started in various quarters
influential In world affairs.
The argument runs that the world
must resign itself to m era Of perennial
conflict and continuous rivalries and
that 1t behooves the strong nations to
dominate. or perhaps protect" the
weak by q series Of alliances or regional
systems.
The idea Is not original. Hitler at
one time or another has expounded 1t,
too. He was willing to leave this hemis-
phere to the United States to rule while
Germany dominated Europe, Russia
controlled her own sphere Of influence
and Japan controlled the Orient.
Then, IN another form, the suggestion
bobbed up in q magazine article about
q year or 80 ago purporting to be the
Rooseyelt-C Churchill blueprint of the
world" This also envisased four big
regional systems, but with Britain TAX
ing the place Of Germany In Europe
and China taking the place Of Japan in
the Far East Pan-America was to be
lett to the United States but with the
understanding that II Britain couldn't
Keep the peace In Europe, America
would naturally have to come to her
assistance.
Spheres Of Influence.
since that time many a proposal for
British American alliance has an.
peared, and Russia has Indicated that
she wanted federation Of her own In
Eastern Europe. Subsequently Marshal
omuts OF South Africa, in an indiscreet
though wholly candid speech in London.
urged that Britain create q sphere Of
nnuence IN Europe and perhaps In.
cluoe postwar Germany within 1t so as
10 onset Russia's alleged ambitions in
that direction.
Now the sponsors of this type of
approach who want to return to spheres
OF influence" balances of power and
alliances. have let loose their first
frontal attack against the idea of a
general international organization to
preserve peace. In order to divert at.
tention from their own guilt in ths
past the exponents of alliances and the
oalance-of-power school of thought are
mistakenly undertaking now to demolish
the woodrow Wilson concept of a world
organization Of sovereign nations,
6ut TO break down the Wilson idea
OF a universal organization, it will
doubtless become necessary for these
spokesmen OF moral defeatism also to
break down the concept of human
orotherhood and the basic principle OF
Christianity itself. For they are al
reaoy depreciating the moral fibre OF
the world and arguing that morality is
lar from attainable anyway.
This is the same old defeatisn which
mas been endeavoring through centuries
OF time to sabotage the application of
Cnrlstlan ethics In world affairs. It is
the same unsocial attitude which saws
Tor instance, that because ganasterisrn
has been prevalent in our big cities 1t
Is inevitable, and there is little use.
therefore, In inquiring into the socio-
logical conditions in our slums which
breed criminals. It Is the same intol-
Grant, self-centered, II not inhumane
ooctrlne which says the way to run
the world Is to kill OF or intimidate the
people you don't like or the people who
get in your way.
Scheme Fits Tory Desire.
Regionalism has its most fervent de.
lenders in Britain where the scheme
nts in with the Tory desire to preserve
British commercial imperialism with
the aid of American dollars and oc-
casionauy with the aid Of American
lives
But the American people, even under
any scheme Of regional isolation, would
not wish to be given the responsibility
for policing the Western Hemisphere
while at the same time being denied
the right to speak plainly and at all
times on the materialistic issues which
Keep European empires intact and the
irlctions OF potential war alive. To be
told that the American people must
sacrifice their youth every Is years.
while having nothing to say in the
interim about the evolution of mar
roW-visioned, selfish interests that bring
on wars in Europe when it Is too late
for our influence to be exerted efYec-
lively to stop them, is to misunder-
stand the great cause in which Amer
lean boys are lighting today
Regional systems with dominance BY
single power over each merely means
series of rival armament machines
and ultimately more war; The doctrine
OF moral responsibility by all nations on
basis of sovereign equality is still the
worlds IDEAL No matter how difficult
human brotherhood may be to achieve,
the urge Of mankind Is to keep on try
ing to accomplish it.
Men have never conceded defeat in
their battle against disease Of the body
and they need not concede defeat In
the battle against the disease of nations,
namely war. To restore the old system
wherein the mastery of certain nations
over other nations is conceded or sane
toned Is to turn the clock back to the
years of exploitation and materialism
and disregard of the human personality
which have brought on the very wars
that ravage civilization today.
Reproduction RIGHTS Reseryedl
The Sufferines Of France
Prom the Victoria colonist