The midland journal., 1945-06-22
LOOKING
AHEAD
" GEORGE S. BENSON
1 presidenf--Harding Coiiege
SeaSfy. .Arkazsas
Gratitude

The average Americans most
vivid impression of the Orient was
acquired in less than an hour and
came to him free with a bowl of
chicken chow-mein. This is no dis
credit to the average American. He
can't help it if Asia is mysterious. 1t
is only an accident that we know a
great deal more about Europe. Our
ancestors came from that way, so
we heard about it.
1t is high time now, however, for
every soul in the United States, who
loves his happy home and peaceful
surroundings, to learn more of the
character of our straw-colored al
lies beyond the Pacific. We owe our
national safety to them. If it were
not for their native integrity we
would be held in a nut-cracker be-
tween Germany and Japan at this
hour, if we were yet able to fight
at all.
We Admire Britain
Americans are a tender-hearted
folk. We sympathize with other
peoples and halfway try to under
stand them, but we don't usually adj
mire them very much. We felt sor-
ry for the Poles when the Nazi took
them in Is days. Our hearts went
out to the Norwegians because they
didn't last three weeks. We wept
with our British relatives over Dun
kirk, but we did more. We ad-
mired the British.
Late in 1887 the city of Nanking,'
China, fell to the Japanese. Far
away over the sea strategists
thought that was about the end. If
China had folded up the next day
few people would have blamed her.
We Americans would have turned
the spigot in our sympathy tank
again and drawn out a generous
sprinkling of tears for dear old
China, and then tried to forget it.
But forgetting it would have been
impossible.
Must Admire China
If China had fallen in 1887, four
years before the Pearl Harbor raid,
any child can guess why we Amer
leans would still be remembering it.
But China did not fall. It would not
be amiss for devout people to give
thanks at the table three times
day that China did not fall. If China
had fallen Japan could have knitted
Russia on the unguarded side right
through Manchuria; surely would
have done so.
Back in those early months of the
present war when the Germans
were all but knocking at the doors
of Moscow, our big old globe, as now
arranged, was coming unglued. If
Japan could have drawn close
enough to attack Russia from be-
hind, the Germans would have
marched into Moscow. Then, with
no Russia to annoy him, Hitler
would have parched London to Gin
der.
Thanks to China
China stayed in and fought, so
London remains. China stood the
gaff, so aoe still have San Francisco.
China could take privation and pun
ishment; her share and ours too.
AS a consequence no bomb has
struck an American city. Moreover,
China's young men have made their
fight as nearly bare-fisted as any
army taking part in this war on
either side, large or small.
In recent weeks there have been
frequent criticisms of China; of
Chinese fortitude, of China's dis
unity, of Chang Kai-Shek's general
ship. Let me close with this ad-
monition: Criticism of China in
America today, true or false, has
one purpose and one only. It is to
break up unity among our allies. Our
enemies can hope to survive by no
other means. Don't listen to it.