Evening star., 1945-02-14
American IdeuIism
Defeated at PurIey
Reich's Economic Extinction Il
Feared as Result by Writer
Bv David Laurence

ference as 1t was at Paris 26 years ago.
The late President Wilson, caught in a
cycle of expediency, made concession
after concession to European statesmen
who were grabbing territory and spoils
of war pinning his hopes on the League
OF Nations to correct the inequities Of
the Versailles Treaty. Then America
refused to enter the League.
Today all that President Roosevelt
can hope for is that the United Nations
organization someday may save some
thing out of the wreckage of American
ideals and hopes For America will
enter the new league.
The wreckage of ideals is confirmed
in the Crimean communique. On Au-
gust IA, 1941, and again in January,
1912, the Atlantic Charter was exhibited
to the world as solemn pledge that the
signatory countries seek no aggrandize-
ment, territorial or other"
Yet Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia
have apparently been annexed by Rus
sia since those dates and a Polish
puppet state under Russian domination
has been set up and now its title and
authority is confirmed.
Russia to Dominate Group.
Russia, moreover, is to dominate the
Preparations Commission which is to sit
time from Germany whatever labor,
raw materials or other compensation
can be extracted.
1t was the reparation demand to be
paid for ''in kind" that stripped Ger
many Of her coal and rolling stock in
the early 20s and prevented the Ger
man republic from recuperating and
forced her, instead, into bankruptcy in
1928, on the heels of which few years
later Hitler got his chance to whip up
his political strength among the unem-
ployed and distraught German people.
American idealism, which cried out in
the 20s against the kind of punitive
into the conquerors as well as the con-
quered, has been forced into silence
today by the louder cries of revenge.
AS the Pope so eloquently said in re-
cent months, peace based on revenge
gets nowhere For it means large stand
ing armies, compulsory military training
for our youth, huge burdens of taxation,
and recalcitrant spirit among the van
quished peoples. 1t means undergrounds,
sniping and reign of terror in Central
Europe And many millions of Amer
leans will have to stay in uniform to
enforce such a truce and prepare for a
third world war.
But the world doesn't learn Each age
apparently is swept by its own hysteria
and its own emotional slogans. And each
generation passes on to the next the task
| of paying in the blood of millions Of
unborn children for the sins and mis-
takes of its predecessor generation.
The mind of Josef Stain, who gives
no democracy or freedom of worship to
his own people, can realistically enough
throw crumb to Prime Minister
Churchill and President Roosevelt by
promising to assist in free elections in
the liberated areas and by lip service to
the Atlantic Charter, but any one fanil-
lar with continental elections in dis
puted areas knows what happens to
such so-called elections when military
controls are present.
Only government submissive to the
dictates of Moscow can live hereafter
in Poland, Yugoslavia or the other
satellite states. Russia now has her
sphere of influence, and America and
Britain find themselves compelled to
recognize it.
The same high-sounding phrases
have been given to the world again this
week as were issued at the Moscow and
Teheran conferences in November and
December of 1943. The same promises
of military coordination and of a de-
sire to work together in peace as well
| as war were promulgated then.
The same European Advisory Com
mission was pointed to in 1943 as .
| pious body to examine questions aris-
ing day by day out Of the liberated
countries, and joint action was pledged.
But that pledge was broken by Britain
| through her single-handed action In
| Greece and in Italy and by Russia in
her encouragement of and setting up
Of the Lublin government in Poland.
| German Gangsterism Feared.
Just as in the communicates from
Moscow and Teheran, so another vision
| of future world at peace has been
painted with dramatic words in the
Crimean communique. But behind
those words stands stark realism. In
the decision to destroy Germanys eco
| nomic life and make it impossible for
her for many years to come to live as
| peaceful partner in the European
| family, the Crimean conference has
condemned Germany to life of under
| ground gangsterism and outlawry.
The Nazis will certainly be able to
step up German resistance now and,
after organized resistance has finally
been crushed at high cost in human
life, the adherents to the underground
probably will be larger proportionately
than they were in France.
When Hitler tried to crush the spirit
OF the French people, he found him.
self checkmated. The decision at the
Crimean conference will arouse the
same desperate resentment and mar
tyrdom in Germany. The world might
as well prepare for perennial bloodshed
IN Europe and economic chaos.
1t Is sad day for civilization when
all that the three most powerful states
men OF the world apparently can do in
an international conference Is to con-
sign . whole people to economic ex-
tinction by system of punitive rep
arations that really condemns all of