The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1951-05-11

! the world under the rule OF peo-
pie themselves oppressed by the
tools of their dominance.
Peace is not always easy to main
tain: At the present moment its
maintenance is and will be for some
time extremely difficult. AS Cover
nor Dewey once said, eve must wage
peace"
Twice in our time we have seen
that total war land there is really
nc other kind possible) decides moth
ing, settles nothing, answers moth
ing, and leads to nothing. Winner and
loser, both are vanquished. Is there
single nation on earth that got,
oy any imaginable system of account
ing, net gain out of either of the
Two wars we have lived through?
War is not a natural thing. 1t is
the bankruptcy of leadership. 1t is
the final glaring proof that the gov
ernors of the world are not fit for
their positions. Hatred of foreign
and unknown country is a drummed-
up thing, and above all it is no es-
sential part of patriotism, any more
than hatred of your neighbors is an
essential part of family love.
Peace is the only possible base for
our civilization. 1t was built on peace
and without peace it will die. War
will ineluctably end the customs and
the outlook and the way of life, the
ideals and the national purposes
which we inherited from our fathers
to be held as a sacred trust for our
children.
The inevitable result of war will
be the complete destruction of every
thing that we value and the cutting
of the taproots of democracy in the
world. Manifestly with the effective
end of prosperous democracy in the
United States all freedom on earth
must inevitably perish.
Can we afford to antagonize all
other. countries which normally would
support US?
l have lived in totalitarian coun-
tries; have seen Independent ma
tons lose their strength. | suggest |
an illustration which may at first |
appear unimportant. When | was |
BOY l travelled great deal in Italy |
before the first war. | remember |
going to cafes in the summer, where !
he people sat around in groups up
% dozen at table, all talking free
y. [ don't suppose one conversation
n 20 had anything to do with poll
les. In 1888, l drove my son from
Naples to Vintimiglia. The people
till sat outside the cafes in summer,
tut they were at tables of two or
hree and their conversation was in
Whispers. Again, l believe that only
small proportion of these CONVEX
ations were political, but the habit
f fear controlled the minds of the :
eople. !
War will certainly destroy many !
orms of private property and of
rivate investment and will practical
7 annihilate all private business.
rom five to ten million at least of
ne best and most effective workers I,
ill be withdrawn from peaceful pro- >
uction. From fifteen to twenty more j.
ill be forced to devote their ener- =
les to the manufacture of articles q
war. This will come pretty near
} cutting our productive labor force
two. War priorities will reduce II
lie manufacture of automobiles, n
buses, electric goods, roads, schools, u
and everything else that n
e CONSUME to the lowest possible II
vel. o.
[ have lived in countries where a:
st this thing happened. l have gone -
rough cities which l remembered ~
prosperous and active and found
EN- like ghost towns with empty =;
ops, hungry people, no traffic and 80
owe all, no hope and no liberty. -
Another war with its crushing taxes %
IL certainly mark the end of CAPT. 90 %.
ism. Private capitalism depends on ~
waite investments and private in "
depend on the willingness -
people to forego present pleasures III
future security and income. When iiii
father forewent the expenditure