The Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1931-1952, 1950-08-31
HistorY's Greatest
Challenge
CONTINUED from page a

It seems to me that the world
of our day dangerously tends to
lose sight of its most simple and,
at the same time, most imperative
virtue reverence for the human
being. It is because we have little
more regard for each other than
for animals, and in view of the
present state of human relations
throughout the world, this anology
may be unfair to the animal king
dom. The relations of groups of
peoples in local communities and
the relations among peoples organ
lied as nations in the international
sphere are widely characterized
by various fears, suspicious, pre-
JUDGES, bigotries, animosities, and
hatreds AS we know all too well
from past experiences of the most
disastrous nature, such attitudes
and emotions, if unchecked, inevi-
tably lead to dangerous conflicts
and to acts of violence. In local
communities such outbreaks take
the form of riots. In the Inter
national communities they become
wars. In either case they are need
less, stupid, and tremendously
costly. They can be avoided only
by the application in time of good
sense and good will.
The Red Cross serves humanity
in both peace and war. 1t deals
with every kind of disaster affect
ing mankind disasters resulting
from natures tumult,, and disas-
/ ters which man in his folly himself
contrives. Nature in its ineessant
war on mankind demonstrates
more than ample ingenuity in Gre
ating catastrophe. There is cer-
tainly no need for man himself
to supplant natures effort. Nature
alone can and does account for
enough human misery to keep the
Red Cross fully busy. But perhaps
even more important than what
the Red Cross does in the spir..
which motivates its efforts. Red
Cross missions are missions of
mercy. 1t attempts to alleviate
human suffering in peace as in
war. It is motivated always by a
high regard for mans effort. 1t
works to save lives, to save people.
This is the highest motive-the
human conscience at its highest
stage of development This is the
finest expression of mans regard
for man-of the spirit of brother
hood-of the recognition of the
essential kinship of man.
1t is in such expressions of mans
capacity for goodness that we find
the basis for hope that man S
equal to the task of saving himself.
In very real sense the Red Cross
and the United Nations have much
in common with regard to the eff
forts which they put forth on be-
half of humanity. The Red Cross
seeks to protect man from the
tragic effects of disaster. The
United Nations seeks to protect
man from the greatest disaster
of all time-economic warfare
a man-made disaster which in it's
destructiveness, needlessness and
madness would Guido any catas-
trophe yet visited upon us by
nature.
The task of the Red Cross has
never been easy. The United Ma
tons has had to exert herculean
efforts during the postwar years
to preserve even an uneasy peace.
Yet both tasks must be done and
they can be done. The victims of
disaster must be given succor
Wars at all cost must be averted
The United Nations as the Red
Cross, must depend for its success
upon the support and confidence
of the peoples of the world. 1t
reflects the longing for peace
that is in their hearts and minds.
1t must reach them and express
their aspirations. Indeed, both the
United Nations and the Red Cross
exist at all only because peoples
everywhere do have hearts and
minds and conseiences that can be
reached; because in the final anal
ysis there is more good than bad
in people, and because good sense
and good will can often be made
to prevail.
Peace and democracy are ways