Evening star., 1947-10-15
Steps Short of Peace

4kCPl CoCutdG1fC 0UhSC1 VI 41ll1lOto Ildo
drawn an apt comparison between, the
early 194os, when we were going to cope
with the threat of Nazi-Fascist aggres-
sion by steps short of war;" and the con-
fused situation in this country today, when
We are trying to check an aggressive and
expanding communism with steps short
Of peace"
was directly due to the unwillingness of
our people to face the implications of the
steps rt-okwar doctrine. After the
summer of 1910 this was never a tenable
doctrine. For with the collapse of France
it was virtual Certainty that the price
of American abstention from war was a
German conquest Of Europe, and that was
a price which we could\not afford to pay.
It would have been better If that had been
clearly recognized in 1910. And it would
have been better still If 1t had been under
St stood in the 1ssos-Defore war in Europe
In that period, roughly from> 1887 to
1899, there was a chance that we might
have successfully avoided war by steps
short of war. But much the same thing
occurred then that is occurring now. The
weaknesses inherent in our political sys-
tenn came into play, and our national
leaders who clearly understood the danger
dared not carry the message home to the
people. The people wanted peace, and too
many of them failed to realize that want
ing peace and achieving peace are not
necessarily the same thing. So the oppor-
tunity slipped away. The day when this
country might have prevented war by pre-
pairing adequately and resolutely for war
was carried by the little figures in public
life who would only tell the people what
they thought the people wanted to hear
and by the small but articulate special
interest groups who succeeded in thor
oughly confusing the public mind
Today the situation is not greatly differ
ent. 1t may be that there Is not an i'm
minent threat Of war in the literal sense,
but there certainly is imminent danger
that the opportunity to achieve a decent
peace will be lost.
In fact, this opportunity is being lost
now It is being lost In the confusion which
has grown up around the need for calling
special session OF Congress. It is being
lost in the confusion which is being arti-
fcially created about the need for a pro-
gram of the dimensions of the Marshall
plan. It is being lost every time some pub
lie official prefers to think in terms of the
next election instead of what is essential
for the country. And 1t is being lost every
time an American citizen governs his indi-
vidual course of action on grounds Of what
he conceives to be self-interest rather than
national interest.
Perhaps all Of these things are inevitable
in free society. Perhaps we must always
90 through this process Of incredible
muddling until disaster stares us in the
face. But If this Is 30 we should at least
face up to the prospect that the peace will
be lost. Mr.. Dirksen is not exaggerating
when he says that the conquest Of Europe
by what he calls Red fascism will be fol-
lowed by the forced adoption in this coun-
try of a regimented economy and the loss
of all the objectives for which World War
II was fought. And it is very probable
that this, in turn, would be followed by
war;
II we try to prevent this by fumbling,
tardy and half-hearted measures, the effort
will fail. We can hope to prevent it only
by action along the line Of the Marshall
plan, and that action must be timely
enough and comprehensive enough to be
decisive. We lost one chance for peace in
the late 1930s. II We lose another in the
late 1s4os We will have only ourselves to
blame.