The Ypsilanti daily press., 1944-02-09
Observations
Dream of Having
WarleSs World
Not Fantastic
B. Helen Essary

the Japanese treatment ot Amel l.
can prisoners beastly?'
Nor say, Weren't you sickeued
By the Niciousness of the Japs?
Didn't it nh you with despair and
horror TO think that young men
you and kno our sons, your
. sons, may AT this very second be
enduring torture worse than
DEATH
II isn't enough to say, We shall
wEeak a bitter vengeance on those
demons, We shall fight and muir
der and slay Uutil the last yellow
devil is eNtarminated, 20
p None of those quiyers OF lOath-
inS is enough II We want to stop
such ,ayagery. we must so far
dcevcr Ito our emotions than this
suGdcr ,abomiuatidn and this vow
for revenge, carry US. We've got
10 undertake solemnly. working
with heads and hearts, 10 do some
thing 10 stop wars
Don't say That's an old story.
People have tried ever since man
pulled himself up ont Of the prime
"a -Vamps 10 stop wars. lou
can't stop wars Not ever Wars
are fcLtiug Human beings al
ways viii hsht. You cant change
human nature.
Rut you can change human ma.
ture Al least you can protect it
from the Illnesses and insanit.es to
which tits subject. You can. if you
want TO.
Nheueversl've written on this
iheme. I've been laughed at by
many people. They have said
Just a crazy woman's 5 idea. Why
its impossible. Wars have got to
90 on and on and on. II is law
that the httest shall survive Now
don't 20 romantic on me and hope
for peace for more than 20 years
at time"
am not going romantic. I'm be-
ing practical, when | say nobody
has ever really tried to stop war.
No individual. no nation has ever
undertaken earnestly to educate
and organize against war.
The peace m vements have been
milk toas, parlor meetings. But
the war fever has bounded along.
roaring and laundering with
thrills and beauty. with strength
and heroism. Camouflaging its
degradation OF human beings 10
levels lower than jungle animals.
,-s-ANSly isvit romantic, childish 10
hope that some day soon, somebo-
dy powerful in wisdom and re-
sources will lead a movement 10 or
gani2e Systematically for peace!
WY shouldn't peace be made a
business? Beautiful and exciting
business? Why shouldn't children
from nursery school age on be
taught that peace is entertaining
and brave? Science educators, in
dustry labor should put their heads
together and work out a scheme
10 make peace something more
than a kind OF dull apathy.
Peace sholld be made profitable
with rewards in wealth, happiness
and progress.
Just dream, you say again? But,
why? You'll never know whether
II j. cam or not. For such an
ef Drt 10 stop wars has never been
s-~iously made. I'll change that
sentence and say the effort TO
make peace attractive has never
been tried All education OF the
young has been toward war. There
have been huzzas and laurel
wreaths and medals and decora-
tions for killing. But no reward
for having the courage and the wit
TO plan for peace.
Nobel did give prize for peace.
But II wasn't very red hot prize.
Il was negative sort OF thing.
That's the trouble with peace. It
is negative. And II will remain
negative and fall into the ash can
when war swoops around unless
something Is done now to eXalt II
far above the drama OF battle.
1t is all very well to make post.
war plans. | approve OF them-if
they include some active scheme
for making peace popular. For
selling II TO the world.
OF course. we shall be the vic
tors in this war Therefore. we
should have n in our power to
educate the children OF conquer.
ed countries 20 know that war is
waste and a stupidity War
brings no satisfaction TO anybody
victor or yanquished. The vic
tors have the wracking chore OF
setting straight the world they
promised TO save. Theirs is
sharper. more challenging task
than falls 10 the vanquished
As the story OF the Death March
on Bataan" is told the public our
repugnance will grow until the
story becomes a sort OF nine-day
sensation. But those men who
suffered and died hat we might
keep on with our little lives. our
little dinners. and our little home
jobs and home complaints-they
will not be repaid by nine-day
sensation,
Those men and all the brave fel-
lows who offered or gave their