Milford chronicle., 1956-11-16
NO EASY SOLUTIONS

Since l945 when the Second World war
ended, the world has been shaken by crises.
The dream of peace in our time has not been
truly attained, and it is not likely to be. This
does not mean that there is necessarily going
70 be all-out war But the world will go on
living in what amounts to an uneasy arniS-
tice The irritations and passions aroused
by unresolved problems, will continue to find
expression, sometimes violent ones.
One of the basic reasons for this continu-
ing and tragic situation is the fact of stale
mate Problems like that of German disunity
and the division of Korea and Indo-C China,
for instance, are the result of stalemate
Neither the United States nor the Soviet
Union is powerful enough to impose will and
order on the world. The United States does
not wish to do this. But in the absence of
other forces, there remain the two great
powers. There cannot be trust between them.
This is emphatically so because Russia is
aggressive and totalitarian. We have reason
to believe that, if it could, it would destroy
u.s.
In this situation, ideals and ideas have
an effect over long run course of events,
but the long run is matter of decades, a
century or centuries. In immediate crises,
power and strength count. The essence of
civilization is the rule of reason and truth
over that of force. Progress towards this
ideal is slow.
a dilemma which certainly may be called
tragic. There are no easy solutions We must
adjust ourselves to living in such an age and
retain a strong, firm faith We cannot be
weak, and we cannot surrender to diSpalr,
cynicism or narrowness. We live in contin-
uing crisis which requires the best thoughts
and efforts of many men, and the determln-
ed patience to see it through and to work
steadily towards enlarging areas of freedom.
dSS8&s
AN EVER-CHANGING CUSTOM
1t is a pleasant myth that the American
people celebrate Thanksgiving Day in the
manner of the earliest settlers, though few
of today's citizens can trace their American
ancestry back so far. The truth is that few
festivals have changed so much and often,
even though the theme of thanksgiving has
been its continuing inspiration.
The earliest thanksgiving service was
conducted aboard ship off the coast of
Newfoundland, on May 27, 1878. The first
held ashore was in August, 1907. A few
years later Governor Bradford of Massa-
chusetts proclaimed a day of thanksgiving
on December 13 George Washington ap-
pointed day In December and another in
May for general thanksgiving" before he
established the present custom of giving
thanks during the month of November.
The diet of the day, as we'll as the date,
has changed with the years. Venison or
bears meat once held the place of honor now
occupied by the turkey. The days sports
and festivities have altered no less. Raffles,
wrestling and shooting matches were yester-
days equivalent of today's football games.
Until late in the last century clowning,
mumming and parades occupied the after
noon of Thanksgiving Day, though society
made it an occasion for formal calls on
friends and neighbors.
Yet the theme of thankfulneSS is the
golden thread which binds the present with
the past Other times knew different ways
and manners, but in all times and all places
men have known that at is good to give
thanks"