Proletarec. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1906-19??, 1944-02-23
POSTWAR
WORLD
BY E. D1xWELL CHASE
(WOrldoyer ProcS)
DECISIVE YEAR

The year 1914 may well turn out
to be a far more decisive one in the
course Of history than we imagine
even tho we are acutely conscious
Of some of the great decisions that
will have to be taken soon. AT
least this will be SO il Ely GILBERT
sons analysis of the probable shift
IN world power over the next
thirty years, contained in his new
book, Total Peace, is anywhere
near correct, and I am inclined to
believe that it is.
Mr.. Culbertson gives the u. S.
about 25 years in which to act as
the power-house and balance
wheel of world power politics.
After that he sees this country
dropping sharply behind both Rus
STA mad Asia, and losing it's dece-
sive voice an the shaping of world
affairs. He sees the immediate
postwar years as one Of those rare
moments in history when the sell
fish interests of the worlds most
powerful state are virtually iden-
teal with idealistic interests. This
happy conjunction will last only a
few years after the war, perhaps
as few as five. During that period
there will be q chance of realizing
a system of world organization
that would be able to replace DOW
er politics and recurrent vars. If
the chance is missed, the rhythm of
power politics will reassert itself
bringing further wars intellectually
(, more devastating than the present,
until n of the newer world pow
ers is able to impose a world state,
or the entire pattern is shattered
and after a chaotic period a new
pattern begins to take shape. In
either case there would be scant
hope that the United States would
be able to maintain its democracy
at home.
Mr.. Culbertson has brought for
ward his plan for a world police
force, based somewhat upon the
! old state militia scheme that pre-
vailed in the United States during
its earlier years. He believes that
if his plan, or a similar one, is
adopted, the need for power polit-
les would disappear and the shad-
oW of war would be lifted. With
the possibility of waging a success
full aggressive war removed from
the sovereign states, a start at least
could be made on bringing perma-
nent order out of international
anarchy.
What are the chances for the
adoption of any such program? To
be trouthful, they look less and
less good as the hourIof military
decision draws nearer. Despite the
Senate's action in endorsing AN
international organization to main
tain peace, neither Congressional
nor public minds are much occu-
pied with the question. If anything,
they are less SO than they were a
few months ago. Domestic prob
lens, details of postwar settle
ments within the old framework,
are increasingly obscuring our
view of the whole picture. 1t is the
old trees and woods situation.
| President Roosevelt's assertion is
not encouraging, for it shows that
the thinking at the top is still ir
terms of short range expedients of
power grouping.
But we may surprise ourselves.
Deep in our consciousness is a COM
polling belief that peace for a gem
Grafton will not do. Something
more permanent must be found.
But thus for nc one can with con
fidence say 1T will be found" Will
we be able to say it at the end OF
! the coming year?