Evening star., 1945-08-12
Humility in Victory

a numDle sense OF aWdreneSS or
the need for reflective self-examina-
tion rather than festive gayety. is
inspired by the events which have
brought the war with Japan close
to so abrupt an end.
1t is doubtful if there ever has
been anything like it in history. We
are about to end the war appalled,
by our own strength and the impli-
cations of its possession. 1t leaves
us filled with an awe which tran
scends, for the moment, mere pride.
President Truman was aptly
expressing the thoughts of millions
of his countrymen Thursday evening
when he appealed for divine guild
ance in the exercise of the RESPONSE
bility which the atomic bomb has
placed in our hands. There is
common recognition of that fear
some instrument as symbol, not
only of inconceivable destructive
force to which frail man has found
the key, but Of the combined forces
of enterprise, industry, organization,
wealth and faith which brought into
being something new under the sun
to cap the other astonishing achieve
ments of our people at war.
Thus this long and bitter struggle
is coming to an end on a uniquely
solemn note. 1t is proper that this
should be our attitude toward vic
tory. We find ourselves the most
powerful nation in the world-"the
most powerful nation, perhaps, in all
history" as the President put it. We
come out of the war stronger by
far than when we went in, feeling
still the upward surge of unspent
energy, rich in resources yet un-
tapped, confident in preparation for
great blows undelivered.
Whence came all this power and
strength? President Truman asked
us to remember "the new thing" we
have learned in this war: That
society of self-governing men is
more powerful, more enduring, more
creative than any other kind of
society, however disciplined, however
centralized" A good thing to re-
member, especially in the days to
come, when the trials of readjust-
ment to peace will strain the ties
of unity which have held us together
in the war and perhaps incline us
to dependence on things other than
ourselves.
But it is somehow inadequate as
an explanation of the marvels of
America at war. France was
society of self-governing men, but
she crumbled under the attack of
foe which owed his strength to
dictatorial RECOMMENDATION. Britain
is such a society, but her efforts
alone, however valiant, were not
enough. Russia, a great ally whose
weight turned the scales against
Germany, is not a society Of self
governing men, as we understand
elf-government, nor is another
ally, China. And our own weak
nesses in this war have been those
associated more with the free choice
of individuals than of authoritarian
control.
Our strength in this war came
from a God given combination OF
things. 1t came from our geograph-
ical location in the world, which
protected us when most we needed
protection. 1t came from our big
ness. 1t came from our soil. 1t
came from people whose pride in
themselves as free men gave them
unbounded confidence, ingenuity,
know-how and, with all other such
qualities, compassion for those who
suffered, as well as contempt for
those who practiced, oppression
through tyranny. 1t came from
faith in the tradition of America,
tradltlon Stlll young and as yet
unspoiled in world of old, dis
credited and outworn traditions
We now realize, as never before,
the enormous power that these
things have given us. And if this
realization fills us with awe, it should
make us more determined than
ever that this new-found strength
must never pass out of the hands
of the people. 1t is too great and
too dangerous a power ever to be
acknowledgement to any one
man, to any one group of men.
1t Is power that is safe only
so long as it is exercised by all the
people for the betterment of man
kind.