Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1946-02-12
Letters to The Star
Suggests a Conference to Write
a Universal Greed

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| To the Editor of The Star:
1t Is becoming more and more appar.
ent that our school curriculum ought te
contain some kind of moral or ethica
training. Heretofore, even those who
most clearly see the need of such educa-
ton have been discouraged by the diff
f1culty of presenting it without offend
ing some religious or "nonreligious'
group.
But the war surely has shown us how
alike all people are in their beliefs
When you look beyond the form, the
detail of worship, into the very heart
of the matter, there is only one religion
Christians, Hebrews, Mohammedans
Buddhists. pagans, all really have the
same belief in power greater than
their own. They may call it God, Ma
ture, cosmic law, or fetish-but back
OF 1t Is the idea of some Good that con-
trolls the universe and the necessity OF
mankind to live in accordance with the
laws of this Good.
Are we not still shuddering at the
awful example of what happens when
men try to live and act contrary to
those laws? Does 1t not seem that,
whatever else We teach our children,
we ought to teach them that?
But, how to do it? Well, could not a
conference be called of men and women
representing all ethical thought, to
frame creed broad enough to include
all belief?
1t would not be impossible to form
such creed. Benjamin Franklin made
one when he was young man. I give
it, not recommending it, for it is prob
ably not broad enough, but as a sample
and starting point:
That there is one God, who made all
things.
THAT he governs the world by his
providence.
That he ought to be worshiped by
alteration, prayer and thanksgiving.
But that the most acceptable service
OF God Is doing good to man.
THAT the soul is immortal.
And that God will certainly reward
virtue and punish vice either here or
hereafter"
When some such creed has been
agreed upon, text or texts might be
written, based upon it. And 1 don't see
why its use need be confined to schools.
1t might be used universally, particular
ly In those countries where moral re-
education is a crying need. And if this
creed, simple and brief as it must be,
fp oil
preamble, I'm this all men believe"
would we not be much nearer common
denominator for the peoples of the
world? BMF
One View of Slav Boundaries
To the Editor of The Star:
A reconstructed map of Europe in the
year 300 AID, based on writings of the
late DR.. ]. B. Bury, world-renowned
historian, would show the whole eastern
half Of the European continent, from
the Danish Peninsula to the Peloppon-
nesus, solid group of Slavonic king
doms. From the mouth of the Elbe to
the Ionian Sea there lived continuous
line OF Slavic people. The whole
ILyrlan peninsula and westward beyond
Venice was inhabited by Slovenes. (See
chapter IL, "A History of the Eastern
Roman Empire')
map Of Europe in the year 100
AID. would portray early German
aggression, as the western empire of
the Germans had extended its power
far beyond the Elbe, while the eastern
empire of the Greeks crushed the Bull
garian power. The Hungarians have
inserted themselves like wedge be-
tween the Slavs of the north and the
Slavs Of the south.
A map of Europe after the close of
World War I would show the Germans
intrenched beyond the Elbe, with
Austria and Hungary forming wedge
between the Slavs of the north and the
Slavs Of the south. Italy drove a spear
head into the Illyrian Peninsula by
annexing Trieste, Gorica and Istria.
If World War II was fought to end
aggression, then the aggressors should
not be rewarded by retaining any of
their spoils obtained by conquest in
prior wars. Representatives of the
United States erred badly when they
proposed to the Big Four at London a
plan for the new boundary between
Yugoslavia and Italy, according to
which Istria would be sliced in half, so
that its eastern part would go to Yugo-
slavia, while the western half with
Trieste and the rest of the Slovene lands
with Gorica would fall to Italy. BY this
plan the representatives of the United
States would approve the latest agrees
sion begun against the Yugoslavs at
Versailles