The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1945-05-10
40 Million Casualties
And Nothing
Accomplished
By Chas. d. Rowe

worst war IN human history peace
has at last come to suffering Eu-
rope. And what is the dreadful
price that has been paid2
A radio commentator said this
week that the war was responsible
for 40 million casualties throughout
the world Much of Europe lies
practically in ruins. Billions of
dollars worth of property has been
destroyed. Women have been raw
ished, starved and murdered by the
thousands. Little children have
been wantonly starved, tortured
and killed. Unimaginable cruelty
and horror have stalked the earth.
And to what purpose?
Six years of misery and tragedy
such as the world has never be-
fore seen and nothing whatever &C
complished. Surely one must seri-
ously doubt mankind's claim to be-
ing civilized Surely one must see
the need for an international or
ganization such as is being consld-
cred at San Francisco.
- -.
We expect world leaders who
gather in international conference
to be of a larger caliber than the
ordinary run of individuals. But
sometimes we have our doubts.
Consider an incident at San
Francisco Reporters told last week
of various representatives at that
meeting insisting on speaking IN
their own languages. The Russian
Molotov would address the gather
ing only in his own language mas
much as Russian is the language
of Justice so he said (That might
cali for further elucidation.) The
French foreign minister spoke in
French and refused an Interpreter.
If you didn't understand French, 1t
was Just too bad for you and you
didn't know what he was saying.
He insisted that French IS the
language of diplomacy and should
be used without an interpreter.
BROAD minded manD English and
French have been designated the
official languages of the conference.
Those speaking other languages re-
quire an interpreter
Standing out boorishly for use
of ones own language in an inter-
national conference is petty stuff.
World leaders ought to be broader
minded. Now consider the man
from China.
When DR.. V. T. Soong, Chinese
foreign minister, was asked if he
would speak in his native tongue, he
replied that the Chinese delegation
would use English. The reporter
said that DR.. Soong is soft-spoken
and tactful Soong said that if he
spoke in Chinese, it would have to
be translated three times into
Russian, English and French Be
sides, he said, delegates had come
not to hear Chinese spoken but to
build a structure for enduring
peace. Those who were SO insistent
on the use of their own languages
should have felt cheapened when
faced by this cultured mans posi-
ton
DR.. Soong, one of the four presi-
dents, has made distinct impress
sion on the conference, it is said
He presides with much ability. He
is very diplomatic. When queried
China's stand on various
troublesome questions, he had tact
full answers ready.
DR.. Soong evidently grasps the
true significance of the conference
that the one purpose of the con-
ference is to build an organization
for enduring peace, not to squabble
over petty racial jealousies. He's
the sort of broad-minded men one
expects to see at an international
- -
Those who grippe about food ra-
tioning should read this, says the
OPA.