Evening star., 1945-08-05
Tyranny Within Europe
Is Held Threat to Peace
Reign of Terror Declared Suppressing Rights of
Individual, With None Daring to
Raise Voice in Protest
Bp Constantine Br0aOn

Congress has approved in record time
with big majorities three important
international pacts: The San Francisco
Charter, the Breton Woods monetary
agreement and the agricultural and
food agreement.
BY voting Overwhelmingly in favor of
the International Peace Charter the
Senate has placed this country on
record as unhesitatingly approving the
idea of permanent peace and as being
ready to collaborate toward that goal.
This, however, is not the first time
since the end of the First World War
that the people of the United States
have endeavored to lead the way to
peace and disarmament. After the de-
feat of the League of Nations which,
the majority of the American people
believed, contained more seeds for war
than for peace the United States Gov
ernment initiated in 1920 and brought
to successful conclusion the Washing
ton naval limitations agreement.
At that conference we set the example
to the world by practicing what we
preached. In exchange for blueprints
destroyed by the other naval powers,
the United States scrapped battleships
which were near completion. Later, in
order to carry further the torch of
peace and disarmament, our Presidents
advocated the most stringent economy
for our armed forces. Congress author
lied limited sums for the increase of
our first line of defense, the Navy, but
appropriations followed slowly.
United States Takes Initiative.
The American Government took the
initiative or eagerly participated in all
arms limitations conferences at Geneva
and elswhere and enthusiastically in
dorsed all schemes which even vaguely
promised an extended era of peace.
There is little wonder, then, that the
Senate-which was smarting under the
frequent charge that had it not baked
at the League of Nations the Second
World War might never have been
fought-rushed to vote in favor of the
new Charter. There are, however, many
Senators, belonging to both parties, with
records of having supported the admin
isrations Intervention policies, who are
keeping their fingers crossed and hoping
for the best while fearing the worse
from the present muddled world situa-
ton.
One of the erudite Senators explained
in the Senate cloakroom Why he would
vote for the Charter without asking too
many questions. He told the story of
an incident which is said to have oc-
CURED two years ago in Portugal. The
country had been badly damaged by an
earthquake. A few days after the
disaster some peddlers appeared on the
shambled streets offering small pack
ages of pills to the passersby and for one
escudo a package. They told their
prospective purchasers that these pills,
when taken internally. might save them
from another earthquake. To the in
credulous individuals who questioned
their statement the peddlers answered
Have you anything better to suggest?"
Early Ratification Seen.
The San Francisco Charter unques-
tionably will be ratified by the govern
ments of the so signatories probably
before the end of the war. But the
mere ratification of an international
treaty means little unless the signatories