Evening star., 1948-09-06
Paciists Useful Citizens

Some non-paciflsts are singularly eager to
denounce, deride and deplore the pacihst po-
sition without having devoted any appreciable
time to its study. Such attacks usually involve
errors either Of fact or common-sense reason
ing. Two such communications recently have
appeared in your columns.
veteran" desires to see American pacifists in
exile from their native land. But Is this
sensible, even from the point OF view of the
remaining majority? Pacifists include many
distinguished scientists, philosophers, econo-
mists. Pacif1st leadership in the struggle for
women's rights, prison reform, improvement of
mental institutions social service work abolition
OF slavery, the secret ballot and like causes has
resulted in great improvements In American
life for pacifists and nom -pacifists alike. Nom
pacifists themselves have pointed out that
pacifists have made greater contributions to
American life than any other group of similar
size in the country; at the very least they have
done their full snare toward improving con-
ditions in the United States
Is 1t wise, then, to suggest depriving America
Of their services? Purges of any minority
group, historically, have injured those who
carried them through. Spain never did recover
from the expulsion Of the Moors and Jews
France languished for generations after the
expulsion of the Huguenots America itself was
largely peopled by dissident groups from Eng
land: Pilgrims, Quakers, Catholics. The ex-
pulsion of conforming minorities generally
brings disadvantages to the home country, ad-
vantages to the receiving nations.
Veterans" remarkable observation that our
country gained and has retained its inde-
pendence by conscription' Is untrue in what
ever sense he may conceivably have meant it.
l.. K. Coles letter repeats several cliches ofs
wartime propaganda that are baseless. Paci-
fists had no appreciable influence on American
policy between the wars. Our armed forces,
far from being "cut to the bone" were larger
than ever before in our history, both abso-
lutely and relatively; 1t was, indeed, our big
naval program that consolidated the japanese
behind their military clique and our provocative
policy of interventionist threats that brought
about the Pearl Harbor disaster.
The irresponsible use of biblical quotations to
attack pacif1sts is regrettable Jesus has left
us in no doubt as to his attitude toward wealth;
His render unto Caesar" was repetition of
the principle that things so unimportant as
money may we'll be left to those who attach
Importance to them, as did Caesar, whose
figure was stamped thereon, but that his fol-
lowers should devote their energies to obtain
ing that which neither moth nor rust doth
corrupt
The render unto Caesar" passage supports
the pacifist position If it is relevant at all.
Likewise, to seek by a chain of implications
to discover an Endorsement of the soldiers
profession in the seventh chapter of Luke is
simply fantastic. If I praise a Buddhist's
serenity, does that mean 1 urge conversion to
Buddhism? Or because I praise a courtesan's
beauty, that I urge all women to adopt her
profession? The incident of the centurion's
servant surely has no bearing on Jesus at
titude toward military service.
RICHARD, LANGFORD.