The Waterbury Democrat., 1945-07-24
Catholic Thought And Opinion
By REV. JAMES J. SULLIVAN

main with France in her hour of humiliation. He stood by France in her hour of triumph. But this is comparatively easy. It is a far greater test to stand by in the hour of need.
 We must remember that the Eng fish army was hot-footing 1t across the channel. England is not to be blamed for this. She was as thor oughly beaten as France. The French army had nowhere to go. It might have been valor to keep on fighting. But the battle was al- ready lost. And the continuation of the war would have meant na- tional suicide. France lost the flow CT of her manhood in the last war. Indeed it was this very loss that accounted for her condition in 1940. If she had continued to fight and lost another million or two million men, France would have been re- duced to the status of a minor power. Her recovery will be diff cult as it is. But she has not lost substantially in man-power. And here will be the secret of her re- vival. Here is her ultimate victory over Germany.
 For Germany's aim was to reduce France to complete helplessness. It would have been Hitler's delight to have the French continue the war in what would have been, literal- ly, a series of 'banzai battles. The only alternative to this slaughter was an armistice.
 The terms asked by Germany, indeed, were exorbitant. But half of France was unoccupied, and we were able to continue diplomatic relations with her. This certainly put us in an extremely advan- tageous position. Roosevelt thought the opening so valuable that he sent Admr. Leahy to serve as ann bassador to France. The actual value of the position we do not know. But it may well be beyond measure.
 It is to be hoped that Petain gets a fair trial. It Is to be hoped that he is given an opportunity to state his position, as justice requires. It would be blot more shameful than the defeat of June, 1940, if France, or any particular clique in France, were to punish him for the crimes and neglect of others.
 Ciano's Diary
 Probably the most sickening read- ing that has come out of the war is the diary of Count Ciano, Mus solini's son-in-law and foreign minister. It clearly portrays the iron-jawed, and jaunty dictator as weak and hesitant tool. Musso- lini's approach to war is appalling. To him it was nothing but a maneuver to be entered into, or not, depending on the effect it would have on his own power. There was apparently no thought in his mind as to overall effect of war on the Italian people. There were no moral considerations; no .meas- uring the cost to the people, whom he called sheep. War, for him, was a personal venture.
 The puzzle is to explain how
 the government of . people can
 ever fall into such unclean hands. This, 1t seems, is the great task
 before the United Nations; to
 insure the honor and dignity of
 all peoples against such betrayal.
 The task is great. But we are
 told 1t is not utopian. The Bish-
 ops Committee in April suggest
 ed an International Bill oi Rights.
 It asked that admission to the
 United Nations be conditioned
 by an acceptance of this bill. Such . bill alone will give ex- pression to the will to peace
 that lives at the doorstep of the
 common man, and not in the
 marble chancelleries of the dic- tators.