The Wilmington morning star., 1946-01-05
The Mightiest Year
By ARTHUR KRoCK

BY ARTHUR KROCK
WASHINGTON, Jan. 4.-When the Ameri.
can past Is held up for the inspection Of the
future, however often and however soon the
survey is made, current judgment must be
that the year now closing will be marked as
the high point of achievement thus far in the
nations history and that of any people in the
annals Of the world. Perhaps there are con-
temporary historians with the skill and wis
dom to subdue the rushing events of 1915 long
enough to put them within the covers of a
book. But if such there are the assignment
would still be terrifying.
The American story of 1915 is thronged with
titanic shadows and lethal bursts of mearthly
light, too vast and too binding to be more
history:
The rise of great nation to a peak Of
military production not even before conceived
The global massing and activity of military
forces that destroyed every strategic concept.
The great discovery that shattered one Of the
last locked doors of science, but shattered
masses of mankind as well. The development
Of friendly peace-loving boys into grim, all
conquering armies, and of mere students of
the theory of war into commanders who do
not suffer by comparison with the greatest Of
their predecessors.
The Pacific spanned and its furthest shores
stormed by anphibious power, refuting the mil
itary maxim that the elephant can never turn
whale and the whale never turn elephant sue
cessively as war requires. The air transform
ed from an element filled with destruction for
ourselves to one black with destruction for our
enemies. The dramatic death of the nations
war President on the eve of victory and the
smooth succession of another without a halt
IN the huge war machine.
The creation Of new world order to make
ana maintain peace by cessions of political
and military power from Congress which, aft
er the rejection of the League of Nations was
not thought to be possible for hundred years.
And then, as the year Is ending, a new basis
for cooperation with reluctant and suspicious
Russia fragile as yet and somewhat inchoate,
but visible just the same.
The first important attempt, again led by the
United States, to establish stable world
economy In which restraint Of currency fuc-
tuations will be included. The progress of pub
lie education and mass experience in this coun-
try to stage where politicians, ambitious for
the Presidency, venture to discuss, and favor
ably, the loan to world government of sover-
eign powers embedded In the Constitution and
in the tradition Of our nationa1ism.
The first full acceptance by the United
States Of the role of world leadership, despite
the fact that this involves long terms of occu-
pationa1 service abroad for American troops
and civil servants and responsibility for the
Internal conditions of strange and distant ma
tons. The transfer Of the seat Of world un-
ion from Europe to this country, although It
was invested and expanded by those who came
here to exclude the quarrels and miseries of
The old civilizations from their daily lives.
These are but few of the huge and dynann-
C events Of which the United States was
The center in the closing year. And most Of
them have thrust the nation and the world
forward toward the light for which men have
onged since they began to realize the evil
Of unrestrained human nature
and the Wanting ambition Of races and ma
ions to become masters Of the planet.
There are shadows on the year - larger
and blacker In conformity to the rule of ma
ure which prescribes that the more intense
he light the deeper the darkness. And some
If these shadows project into the future. The
var machine built by the United States was
lot constructed without inequalities whose on
y yield was waste and needless loss Of life
and property. The great democratic armies
md fleets were not manned and managed
Without injustice, favoritism, vainglory, deceit
md the exercise of selfish ambition which
lenied the free-born rights Of some citizens
md destroyed the ideals Of others. And in the
conversion of these forces to the dimensions
# peace those evils still appear.
While millions of Americans were fighting
md dying, the sordid spirit of getting econom-
C advantage at home from the crisis they
we're dispelling appeared in many parts of
he nation, and the end Of the war has not
exercised it, for all the paeans of thanksgiving
or land and people delivered Of a great
,eril The shabbiest practices Of the trade of
politics have continued throughout the high era
# patriotic sacrifice, and no abatement has h
ollowed victory. And, catering to these de-
iciencies in the morals Of the people, men
n office have laid violent hands on the Ameri-
IAN system Of free enterprise, which is at the
oundation of our democracy. startling ex-
nipple Of this political, retrogression Is the sup
,ort Of the theory that the Government shall
init the profits Of able and enlightened man.
lgement by other means than taxation in the
interest Of the whole people and the prosecu-
ion Of offenses against labor, competitor and
consumer.
But in a year of such greatness, Illuminated
" events and achievements of nation for
which its history offers no parallel and the ]
Histories of no other nations do, the weight
m the scale Of pettiness, politics, incompe-
ence and selfishness is slight by any COM
oarion.-New York Times