The Wilmington morning star. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1909-1990, 1945-11-17
Eternal Vigilence


u1,en Prime Minister Chamberlain returned
TO London from Munich and told the British
people there would be peace in our time, "
he had lust completed his greatest act OF
appeasement, policy that had characterized
his administration since the Germans moved
into the Rhineland.
Some time later, when President Roosevelt
explained American consent to sales OF gaso-
line and scrap to Japan for use against the
Chinese in the Sine japanese war, ne TOO
offered an outstanding example OF appease-
ment by saying that il we did not give Japan
what she wanted to buy from us she would
20 into the southwest Pacific and seize both
forceably from the islanders there.
History is filled with records OF chiefs OF
government appeasiqg agsressors and in all
war clouds were settling low over Europe and
cases, including London and Washington while
the Orient, the efforts have led to disaster.
Premier Chamberlain, in the final analysis,
can be blamed no more severely for the long
conflict in Europe, than President Roosevelt
tense of both it is claimed that by their ac-
lions Britain on the one hand and the United
States on the other gained time to rearm so
that the enemy In the antipodal war zones
was utterly routed, and that is true to the
extent that industry on both sides OF the At
lantic was converted to war production, great
armed forces were indicted and trained and
h111f af
bination of powers could stand against them.
But what needs emphasizing is that British
European and the Oriental aggressors to pro-
coed with their war programs whereas, if
these powers had been prepared for war in
proportion to their potential strength, the ag-
gressors would not have dared rattle single
sabre.
With the terrible and tragic lessons of the
recent conflict, the cost in human lives and
the wastage of economic resources, it must
be apparent to the most casual observer that
the only sure path to peace and security
leads to perpetual and efficient preparedness.
The war to end all wars and this later world
conflict demonstrated that there is no sound
reason to think war can be successfully out
laWed. This is the more obvious now since the
atomic bomb has proved it can destroy whole
cities in the blinking Of an eyelash and rocket
propelled weapons have already been devel-
oped so highly that the buzz bombs which
the Germans loosed on England and which
reaped such a heavy toll Of victims seem no
more than toys.
With the major fighting in World War II
scarcely over it is apparent that the war
spirit, the willingness to fight, is still RAM
pant.
The minor wars now underway in far-sep-
arated areas of the world bear testimony all
too plainly that the world is not prepared for
early peace There is no foreseeing when they
or other outbreaks, may involve the great
powers Distrust and suspicion are abroad, as
capable of spreading the pestilence Of war as
is attributed to the Wandering Jew in spread
ing the plague.
II we are to escape another war it behooves
us to exercise the eternal violence recon-
mended by Washington and back oIr watch
fitness with sufficient military strength to dis
courage any other power from attacking us.
Especially must our vigilence include fully
organized scientific research, as warfare in
the future is certain to be based more and
more on science and be waged from the
laboratory even more than the munitions plant