The Chronicle-star combined with the Moss Point advertiser., 1945-12-21

1t has been many years now since the
Christmas season dawned upon a world alto
pether at peace. This year 1t comes to us IN
1 period of mixed emotions, when IN the
midst of our thankfulness at having con-
Guided a military victory over the Axis
powers, we are at the same time deeply con-
cerned at the unresolved conflicts that are
still going on in both a military and poll
/ al level in many parts of the world. The
Chinese armies of the Chang Kai-Shek gov
e. nment and of the Communist provinces
are sniping across the lines, and while there
seems to be less actual warfare than our
newspaper headlines of a month ago lndi-
Gated, there is still the danger of a great
conflict growing out Of this situation. That
SIT lation is what General Marshall has gone
to prevent if possible by our diplomatic per-
suasion. in an effort to get some sort of CO.
alltion government agreement working for
all China. In the islands OF Java and Suma-
ira, the Indonesians have revolted from the
Dutch colonial system, just as Is American
colonies ~revolted from the British $50 years
ago, and are making a strong effort to set
UP a Republic. But Great Britain knows that
when the Dutch colonial system is threaten
ed, her own system is threatened, and she
has sent British troops in to pull the Dutch
chestnuts out of the fire, very probably with
American equipment. It is not altogether a
pleasant thought when we remember that we
had to fight to establish our Republic
against British troops.
In Iran too. there is unrest. with Rus
STA playing power politics against Brit
ish power politics. and in other parts of
Europe the same situation is going on
under the surface-with the British la
Dor party apparently committed to the
balance of power" theory Just as firm
lY as the Conservative coalition of
Churchill.
The British are a brave and wonderful
people; but as politicians they are masters,
and nave been able to guide the course of
Europe, and apparently they mean to keep
it that way. The Russians and the French
are PLAYING their own hand in the big poker
game for their own stakes, and, as a great
ladi6fcommentator pointed out this week,
we are apparently playing one of the strong
css hands in the game. We have committed
OF rselves to an nternationalist course of
h story, sending General Marshall to straight
EN- out the Chinese, and making ready to be-
come the nome of the United Nations Coun-
ell, and also working IN many ways to in
1.uence European situations In our favor.
It would be nice to live in a world
where we could cut ourselves free from
the others and live alone. But we tried
that once. after the first World War. and
it brought disaster. Now apparently the
vast majority OF our nation mas decloed
that we must have our say in the worlds
affairs. The reasoning is. that since we
must inevitably be involved in fighting
any war that breaks out on 4 world scale.
we ought to have our say in trying to
prevent war from happening.
And yet our beginnings are slow, and
stumbling, and sometimes in our discourage
ment we doubt that any progress is being
made at all. Christmas dawns upon us as a
nation profoundly thankful to have its sold
iers out of immediate danger, and yet wor-
ried that we have not yet learned the secret
of peace. And always in the back of our
thought is the terrible destructive reality Of
the atom bomb, and the knowledge that
very soon, if not already. every great nation