The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1944-06-30
News ~;
BEHIND
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Released BY western Newspaper Union.
FOUR FREEDOMS
AND RADICAL TDEOLOGTES
BynUL MALLoN !.

conflict between the Four Freedoms
and radical ideologies which Is APP
parent behind the confusing politi-
cal news from abroad Is also con-
spicuous behind much domestic
news and Interpretation.
The Leftist journals are currently
campaigning for the Beverage pro-
posed way Of life" in Britain, with
the critical demand that it also be
pursued here. They think that is
what the Four Freedoms mean, as
sumption by the state of more COM
plete authority over the lives Of men
economically, fixing their wages,
their employment, their security
rather than encouraging the indi-
vidual to do 1t himself on his own
initiative. That is the kind Of peace
and postwar planning they want.
But we have campaigned this war
through to point near victory on
the basis Of bringing liberty and de-
mocracy for the individual both here
and abroad. Is their thinking now
not as confused and as far wrong as
It was few months ago when they
were campaigning for quart of
milk a day and labor-wage stand
ards to be fixed throughout the
world?
What Is liberty? What is democ-
racy? What is freedom of the indi-
vidual? If we do not first decide
that, how can there be anything
but confusion about postwar plan
ming?
TOO IDEALISTIC?
To me, an individual enslaved to
a state economically by taxation or
otherwise. Is no less a slave than If
controlled politically. In Dictator
ship, his life is no more free than
the conscience and ability Of the
man who happens to be running the
state at any given time.
If he has a democratic form, he
Is still no more free than by what
ever degree his president and con-
gress are free from domination by
minority class groups and interests.
In the religious sense, he is not
free if he is. dominated by any
class group either. Domination by
one religion or by atheism is equally
far from any democratic theology.
The radicals see this, but this
part of it only. How can they expect
anyone to believe domination brings
economic freedom when they see
so well it does not bring religious
freedom? They could not consider
the world politically free if it was
dominated by one world imperial
power, at least no one else would.
Oneness domination never yet has
achieved freedom or liberty or de-
mocracy in any way.
What we would like to have Is
complete freedom for all peoples in
all ways, economically, politically,
religiously. This always has proved
too idealistic a goal for the world
to achieve entirely, but by whatever
further progress we make in that
direction, the peace will be success
full. By whatever measure we COM
promise it, the peace will fail.
We were drawn deeper into !
what measure of collectivism we
already had before this war only
to meet failures. The ideal was
mot voluntarily .espOused as the
proper way Of life. 1t was not
what we wanted. It was what we
had to take. Entering the war,
we assumed the additional col
lectivism only for war.
Our course in that direction should
be pursued in the postwar peace
only to whatever extent it will bring
true justice to the individual. The
star Of individual freedom should
never be eclipsed one inch by col
lectivism as our ideal.
Our success in this war was not
due to collectivism but to voluntary
democratic cooperation by all
hands. To whatever extent labor
sacrificed its right to strike, it ex-
poets to get that right back, and
SO with all Of us.
DEMOCRATIC COOPERATION
internationally we did not win by
collectivisrn either, but by truly
democratic cooperation. One nation
did not dominate the military de-
cisions Of how to proceed with the
fighting. This democratic way is
working well against nation which
practiced collectivism and preached
subservience Of the individual to the
state.
These are rudiments Of SIM
pie common. sense for peace. II
we wish to dispel confusion and
plan our way, we must first de-
fine our words and understand
our goals. We must decide that,
internationally or domestically,
the star Of real liberty must be
maintained as indispensable.
We must abhor c0llectivism IS
an ideal, and compromise with IL
reluctantly and temporarily only
10 the extent truly necessary to
bring justice to the individual.
We must abhor oneness domino
ton, totalitarianism, dictatorship,
and remember always that an indi.