Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1946-03-21
i Might Be
.Wrong--But
By
P. G. sTROMBERG

months after vi Day we are
facing one crisis after another.
Before rehabilitation is any
thing but a correct process
occupying our full attention the
boys already released are won
dering whether
One Crisis they will be
After called on don the
Another uniform again.
Before we have
had an opportunity of testing
the new era Of peace we are
warned of a new possibility of
war.
Throughout the long centuries
of the history of mankind wars
have been resorted to for settle
ment of disputes. And many
wars have been the means Of
completely changing the course
Of history. But war in ancient
ilnes was purely test Of the
Individual prowess of the SOL
der and the tactical superiority
of the generals. Today war in
wolves every individual on the
face of the globe. The world to-
day is but a small area as COM
pared with the area over which
julius Caesar led his armies. No
city, no hamlet and no farm lies
beyond the reach of modern
warfare. No country can be COM
pleteIy neutral Tin the sense of
being safe from the ravages of
war;.
We don't want to maintain a
huge armed force. 1t is against
all we have learned. The United
States has advanced to a position
of leadership
Wen Meet among nations
The Challenge through a pol
Again icy of peace. We
have never
pointed a gun when diplo-
matte effort could suffice. Yet
we have always been fortu-
nate enough to meet the drawn
gun. when pointed at US. Never
I'm our history nor in the history
of warfare has any nation been
as strong as was this country
when Japan capitulated. Never,
we hope, will we again be forced
to concentrate as much of our
manpower and productive effort
in military might. But any
nation bent on using force rather
than diplomacy will find that
this great democracy will again
meet the challenge at whatever
cost.
This is our first year Of world
peace since 1893. 1t is Americas
first year of peace since 1910.
We sacrificed much in the war to
secure immediate peace and a
chance to bargain for permanent
peace. With the United Nations
Charter adopted the peoples of
the world had every reason to
optimistic. The
y AppeaSement constant chal-
~ Is Not lenges of Russia
Our Policy we're interpreted
as a sign of sin
certify rather than obstruction.
On many points delegates at the
San Francisco Conference gave
way to Soviet demands. Since
then there has been a succession
of events which cannot help hut
discourage the most hopeful adj
vocates of peace. Russia is I'M
questionably a bully among
nations. Until she was able to
beat back" the German thrust
into her territory neither she
nor. the world knew whether mod
ern Russia was truly strong.
Since Stalingrad Stain has grad
ually become more and more
self-assertive and demanding.
Even during the days of the
Roosevelt Churchill Stain con-
(fences there always was the
z question of where Russia stood.
hope with all the ferveney
my soul that we will find a
way to deal with the Soviets.
put | don't hope that we will
everlastingly maintain appease-
ment as our policy. Back in 1913
wnen Hitler first began to feel
the pinch Of disaster and
screamed that America and
Great Britain should helm him
defeat Russia expression was
made in this column that a most