Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-04-22

to the Capital of the United States to
meet its new President and discuss
ways and mean to keep the world from
falling into chaos.
When Ramsay Macdonald, Edouard
Herriot and many others came here IL
years ago the paramount question which
weighed heavily on their minds was the
settlement of the debts they owed this
country after the World War. At the
time, that question seemed all important
because Europe already was on the verge
OF bankruptcy and the financial and
political questions were closely CORE
lated.
This time the situation is far more
tragic. No one even mentions the pay
ment of the billions we have advanced
our Allies in the last five years. This
matter has been taken care of through
lease-lend. But the very future of an old
and proven civilization hangs today on
mutual confidence and a real ulder-
standing among the three major nations
which have contributed the greatest
share of military and economic effort to
defeat the Axis.
Truman Scores Victory.
President Truman has stepped into
the most dramatic and difficult situa-
ton any political man in this country
has ever faced. Although he has been in
Office little more than week, he has
already achieved a spectacular diplo-
matte victory without going abroad
Premier Stain decided, as soon as he
received President Humans request, to
send Foreign Commissar Molotov to
Washington and San Francisco, al
though earlier he had not felt it neces-
sary to have his principal lieutenant
at San Francisco.
Persons close to our new President say
that because of the great problems fac
ing him, Mr.. Truman will not be able
to leave the United States for long
time and any vital exchanges of views
with foreign secretaries or heads of
state will have to take place in this
country.
British Foreign Secretary Eden is
already in America. Mr.. Molotov is ex-
pected shortly. Should conversations on
higher level" be necessary, such as
have taken place at Teheran and Yalta,
it will be up to the leaders of our Allies
to come to this country and talk mat
tiers over in an American atmosphere.
And time will prove that further con-
versations among the leaders of the
Allies will be essential even if the San
Francisco Conference proves to be as
great success as every one in this
country hopes for.
Expect Peace Soon.
The fighting on all fronts is still going
on, but the victory is irretrievably ours
The generals and the admirals have
discharged their responsibilities bril-
liantly. The Germans are already de-
feated- The Japs' turn is coming SOON
Outside of some totally unforeseen
circumstances the war against Japan
should be ended some time this year.
This, at least, is the consensus of the
top-ranking military men in Washing
ton whose judgment has proved correct
in the past. The leaders of the armed
forces are convinced that it won't be
long before they can hand over a COM
plete victory to the Nation which has
supported them so WELL From that mo-
ment on, it is up to the political men to
reap the fruits of the military victory
and to understand that the physical
defeat of the Axis by no means guaran-
tees a durable peace to the nations.
It is up to the political leaders of the
world TO translate the sacrifices of their
respective nations for a common vic
tory into definite peace. From the
day the cease-f1re signal sounds there
is nothing more the military can do
Today more than ever it is important
to understand that wars are not a policy
IN themselves but only an instrument
of policy when all other means of
reaching an understanding have failed
And from the moment the perturbers
of peace have been defeated it Is up to
the political men to make such decisions
and arrangements that the use of force
shall not be required for as long time
as is humanity possible.
Task Is Enormous.
The task of the American political
men is enormous. For the second time
in Is years we are confronted with the
problem of convincing the rest of the
world that the settlement of disputes
and arguments by other means than
force is preferable to fighting. Political
considerations, external and internal,
prevented America from joining the
family of nations as provided in Presi-
dent Wilson's brain-child, the League
of Nations.
The present World War has by far
exceeded in destruction of human lives,
property and wealth the expectations of
the most pessimistic statesmen. Under
these circumstances it would seem that
no one in the world should want a
repetition of the tragedy, and all ma
tions, big and small, should eagerly reach
for a chance to heal their wounds and
live in world at peace.
If there is any nation in the world
which should lead this lasting peace
movement it is the United States. This
country is not power minded politically
1t desires no territorial aggrandize-
ment from which it could derive eco
nomic advantages, and is anxious to
follow a policy which would permit
every country, regardless of size and
wealth, to enjoy its sovereign rights and
develop TRANQUILITY without interference
from any quarters. These generous prin-
ciples were embodied in the Atlantic
Charter which is the essence of Amer
ica's desire for justice since it provided
that even the enemy nations be given
a chance to join in the family Of ma