Evening star., 1950-07-30

LOT all, TO comprehend why VlCGOTS
on the battlefield, both in 1915
and in 1945, has resulted in defeat
at the peace table. He does not un-
derstand why backward people
throughout the world do not love
us sufficiently to want to establish
their own national states after the
democratic pattern as we see it
and then go about the business OF
creating "the better life" fol
themselves.
All around. the American people
are witnessing attacks-in many
cases successful attacks and in all
cases attacks that weaken-upon
the foundation of Western civillza-
ton. That trinity of pillars which
over the centuries has risen up to
constitute the foundation of West
ern civilization-namely, the cul-
tural pillar, which finds expression
in the philosophy of Christianity;
the. political pillar, which is Or
ganized in national states and
rooted IN democratic principals,
and the economic pillar, which has
been built (solidly, we hope) upon
the capitalistic SYSTEMS being
scornfully ridiculed and attacked
by ruthless and vicious men in the
Communist world who, since 1917,
have used every artif1ce known to
Machiavellism to capture the
minds of men throughout the
world so that they might impose
Communist universalism upon
mankind.
Statesmen BafHed
Not since the 15-16th centuries
has the Western world experienced
a struggle like the one presenting
itself today. From that time on
ward until the late war, conflicts
in the Western world were more
or less tribal wars which did not
extend to the theological sphere
Although great differences may
have prevailed among various
people regarding phases of ide-
ology, the basic philosophy AND
ethics of all nations in Western
christendom were essentially the
same. Consequently, the objectlves
in these wars were not the exter-
mination of the vanquished, as for
example, in the struggle between
ancient Rome and Carthage.
During the last war, leaders in
the Western world failed to
understand that while they were
fighting for the integrity and
preservation Of the ideal of the
nation as it evolved out of the
struggle between ideals of uni
varsalism and nationalism in the
15tn-16th centuries, Russia, al
though fighting to preserve the
territorial integrity of the mother
land which has been attacked by
a Western nation that had gone
berserk, was, over and beyond this.
fighting for the ideal Of universal
ism-universal communism with
its nebulous promise to mankind.
Only when the military victory
had been won, and Western lead
ers began to discuss the peace OF
the world with Russia, did it begin
to dawn on them that here was
something new. Russia's elusive
ness proved to be most battling fol
statesmen of the West, who ap-
peared not to recognize the strug-
gle as the beginning of this pres
ent conflict between universalisn
and nationalism in which we now
find ourselves.
Toynbee Quoted
In q learned masterpiece, "The
Study of History" DIR. Arnold j
Toynbee observes that:
when civilizations pass from
breakdown through disintegra-
ton into dissolution, they reg
ularly leave behind them a de-
posit of universal states and
universal churches and barbar-
ian war-bands. What are we
to make of these objects? Are
they mere. waste-products of
the disintegration process-a
tangle Of spoiled threads from a
piece Of tapestry which the
wearer, on an impulse of his
inscrutable caprice, has willed
to unpick before it has been half
completed? Or will these de-
briS prove, if we pick them up,
to be fresh masterpieces of the
wearer's art which he has
woven, by an unnoticed Sleight-
of-hand, on some more ethereal
instrument than the roaring
loom that has ostensibly been
occupying all his attention and
energies?"
After carefully studying this OBJ.
servation of DR.. Toynbee, VIZ
might ask ourselves whether Of
not this idea of universal commu-
niSm, which arose out of the
breakdown through disintegra-
ton into dissolution" of Russian
civilization in 1917, might not
indeed, be one of those 'fresl
masterpieces of the weaver's art
In short, will these debris, if We
pick them up" prove to be a fresh
pattern of world order. That is
is communism here to stay. anc
will it envelop us?
That the Communist ideal anc
idea have strong appeal to the
humble and the weak, as well as tt
many intellectuals, is all too OBJ.
vious. The promise of the Commu.
niSts are not, however, different
from those which have been made
by others who throughout the
centuries have, from time to time
advocated universalism. The Com.
munists say to mankind:
Sacrifice to us your human
personality and we shall divide
the wealth of the world with
you; sacrifice to us your free
dom. and we shall create an
empire which embraces the
whole world and in which Or
der and neqca shall ntarr3o lIv