Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1946-05-31

OF the world, people were actually
asking one another if any common
wealth was benefited by keeping
part of its citizens in compulsory
degradation. In cases where they
were still doing so-as with the Ne
! groes in this country-they were
ashamed of it and made excuses for
1t. The march toward human free
dom seemed to be going along very
we'll. But then, certain persons,
more farsighted than their neigh
bors, looked ahead and saw what we
were headed for. The result was
long, long way ahead, so far ahead
that most of US never thought about
1t, but for those who did visualize
1t the very suggestion was so dam
gerous, such threat to all nations
and all established institutions, that
something simply had to be done to
stop the march, and quick"
Gosh, go on!" exclaimed Dick.
Whats that suggestion you're talk
ing about?"
Cant you see it? It's very log
ical-simply the suggestion that if
a country could be improved by re-
leasing the talents of it's people,
might not the world be improved by
releasing the talents of all it's peo-
pies? That's a terrible idea"
"Why?" Dick asked with ingenu-
GUS defiance.
Don't be so supplemented, Dickl
Why, that contradicts everything
we're used to. 1t takes away our
colonies. It drives us out Of places
where we've invested our hard
earned money. It means that the
coolies no longer have any respect
for their betters. 1t makes us ac-
knowledge we are no longer called
of God to NEEDLE with the private
lives of the heather. It turns us
upside down and fattens us out and
leaves us no better than anybody
else"
Dick considered this, slowly and
soberly. At length he said, II be-
lieve get it." He turned it over
in his mind again, then ventured, "It
means-'au men are created free
and equal, endowed by their Creator
with certain inalienable rights it
means all. Not just US. Every
body"
Most Of the important facts Of
life are very simple, once you make
up your mind to look for them, but
they're often very hard to accept.
Like that business of loving your
neighbor as yourself, for instance
it's very difficult to admit that he's
as much worth loving as yourself.
Most of us hate nothing so much as
an idea that threatens our good opin-
Ion of ourselves. We don't like own
ing up to it that if the earth belongs
to us, it also belongs to the Chinese
coolies"
Dick began to laugh suddenly,
then he sobered again. CHERRY said
once that Mr.. Wallace thought this
war was being fought for the COO
lies. We laughed when she said it.
1t sounded preposterous. But you
mean it really is?"
"Why yes, though not many of us
are willing to admit it. But that's
what we mean when we say we're
fighting for human freedom.
"This country is still uncertain"
said Kessler, because it has gone
into the war on the side of history.
The people know it's the right side,
they're fighting valiantly for victory,
but they're frightened at what VIC
tory will mean"
1T will mean-?" Dick stopped.
THAT Americans will have to 90
on, marching through more blood
and pain toward goal they are not
sure they can bear to reach. You
are fighting for the coolies, Dick,
not because you give a damn what
becomes of the coolies but because
you care great deal about what
becomes of yourself You don't dare
not to fight for them. They've come
so close to you that what happens
to them touches you already, and
will touch your children even more.
Don't stop to think of this now if it's
too much. know it's terrifying. Go
on and fight for your country. That's
what is being asked of you now"
Il want to think about it," said
Dick. But you don't think I'm a
dope because Im-Well, kind of
shocked, do your"
Kessler laughed little. "Of
course not. It's the most shocking
conception that has shaken the
minds of men and women since they
were asked to believe that on the
other side of the earth people were
walking upside down. If you said
you weren't shocked by it, I
shouldn't believe you"
Dick rambled among his own
thoughts for a moment. At length
he inquired, How did you come to
think of all this?"
81 was pretty badly hurt in the
last war;" Kessler answered frank
ly. "When mans life is so vio-
lently changed, he has to do lot
of thinking. At first thought in
terms of individuals, each learning
to manage his own problems. But