Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1945-08-19
Freedom From Fear

that President Roosevelt and Prime
Minister Churchill signed the joint
declaration which has become
known as the Atlantic Charter. It's
sixth point expressed the hope that
after final destruction of the Nazi
tyranny there would be established
peace which will afford to all
nations the means of dwelling in
safety within their own boundaries
and which will afford assurance
that all the men in all the lands
may live out their lives in freedom
from fear and want"
The Nazi tyranny has been de-
stroyed. The San Francisco Char
ter has at least outlined the design
of international machinery which,
wisely and capably maintained, may
furnish nations the means of dwell
ing in safety within their own
boundaries. But it remained for
Winston Churchill, in his speech to
the House of Commons on Thurs
day, to put into these moving words
the real meaning of that freedom
from fear" which, to so many people
in so many lands, remains only an
aspiration:
Our idea is government of the
people, by the people, for the peo-
ple-people being free to express by
secret ballot without intimidation
their deep-seated wish as to the
forms and conditions of government
under which they are to live.
"At present a family might be
gathered around the fireside enjoy
ing the fruits of their toll when
suddenly there is knock at the
door and heavily armed policemen
appear. 1t may be that the father,
son or friend sitting in the cottage
is called out, taken away into the
dark, and no one knows whether he
would ever come back again or what
is his fate.
All they know is that they had
better not inquire There are mil
lions of humble homes in Europe
Poland, Czechoslovakia and Yugo-
slavia-where this fear is the main
preoccupation of family life. Presi-
dent Roosevelt laid down four free
doms, and these are extant in the
Atlantic Charter, which we agreed
together. Freedom from fear-but
this has been interpreted as if it
were only freedom from fear of in
vasion by a foreign country. That
is the least of the fears of the COM
mon man. His patriotism arms him
to withstand invasion.
That is not the fear of ordinary
families in Europe tonight. Their
fear is of the policeman knocking
at the door. That is not fear for
country. All men can be united in
comradeship in defense of their
native soil. 1t is fear for the life
and liberty of the Individual for
the fundamental rights of men now
menaced and precarious in so many
lands where people tremble."
1t was that fear which made the
Nazi tyranny possible, and if we
have fought this war to remove
merely one source of fear, in order
that another may be substituted, we
will have fought-aside from assur-
ing our own safety-to large ex-
tent in vain. Mr.. Churchill recog-
nizes that authoritarian govern
ment in some countries is, in the
immediate aftermath of war, the
alternative to anarchy. The real
test will come later, in whether
authoritarianism can be put aside
by men whose love of individual
freedom is greater than their fear
of the policeman knocking at the
door.
In the meantime, as Mr.. Churchill
said, I'VE must know where we
stand, and we must make clear
where we stand in these affairs.
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