Evening star., 1945-11-11
Armistice Day, 1945


Many Americans have no personal
memories of the end of the First
World War. They are possessed of
only the impressions of it which
they have acquired from their read
ing or from conversation with their
Seniors-men and women at least
forty years of age. And such sec
ond-hand experience, obviously, Is
not sufficiently dynamic in itself to
furnish reason or excuse for con-
tinued celebration of Armistice Day.
If November II is to be observed
annually throughout an unlimited
future, it must develop authentic
meaning to living generations and
not be dependent merely on tradi-
tion and custom.
In other language, Armistice Day
must be time for the reaffirmation
of the idealism OF the original occa-
sion. The Joy with which the people
of the whole earth hailed the news
of the surrender of the Germans in
1918 was an expression of something
more than qualification over we'll
earned triumph. It Sprang from a
spiritual aspiration of great force.
That is why it was possible for Presi-
dent Wilson to proclaim: Every
thing for which America fought has
been accomplished" Nobody chal-
lenged the sentiment thus an
nounced, because it universally was
believed that the objectives of the
Allied nations actually had been
achieved.
But neither was there any ques-
ton about the common responsible
ity for making the victory worth
winning. For the moment, America
accepted the obligation set forth by
Mr.. Wilson in the words: "It will
now be our fortunate duty to assist
by example, by sober, friendly coun-
sci and by material aid in the
establishment of just democracy
throughout the world" The ele-
mental conception of all humanity
as belonging to single fellowship
was credited as never before in writ
ten history. If partisan leaders dis
sented, they concealed their dis
agreement. The Star summarized
the feeling of a vast multitude when
it said editorially: Let us hope and
pray that the righteous and endur-
ing world peace which we are about
to conclude will mean also internal
peace for the nations agreeing not
to war against one another"
No critic then foresaw that inter-
necine diSsension and strife would
arise in the United States as well as
in other countries near and far to
create a second global conflict. 1t
was only gradually that antagonistic
groups in different lands came to
have power to bring about a vaster
and costlier contest. The danger
grew quietly more and more COM
pelling. BY the time when it was
recognized as an authentic peril to
all civilization it already was too
powerful to be controlled by any
force save that of superior military
might.
So it happened that the war that
was to terminate war had to be
fought again. The invention of the
atomic bomb now appears as a di-
rect consequence of the errors and
mistakes of ten and twenty years
ago. It marks the completion OF a
circle in human affairs. Once again
mankind stands where it stood in
1918. Armistice Day, 1945. therefore,
may be regarded as another oppor-
tunity to put into effect President
Wilson'S ideal of world cooperation.
Because of the lesson which has
been learned, and likewise because
facilities for world solidarity and
mutually are available, America
and the other nations OF the world
ought not to fail this new-probably
this final-chance to live together
amicably as an alternative to dying
together in one all-inclusive disaster.