Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-11-23
Red Rule in Hungary

llC Cl4S1o III 11u1led1y CO1l~
tinues in spite Of Russian eff
fort to divert attention from
1t by alternating peace talks
with the explosion of nuclear
weapons. 1t seems to me i'm
portant for us to do some hard
thinking about the relation of
force and law in world where
the only other great" power
does not accept the rule of law
at all.
AS an old supporter of the
League of Nations and now of
the United Nations, think
we ought not to tie our hands
completely, nor allow them to
seem to be tied. by our devo-
ton to the cause of law in the
settlement of international dis
putes. Russia must never be
assured of inaction on our part.
Just as a private citizen is
legally justified in killing, if
need be, in f-defenSe. or of
coming to the aid Of a fellow
citizen beset by armed bandits,
so we should make it very clear
to Russia that there might be
times when we, too, as a people,
would come to the defense of
a fellow nation bullied and
beaten by an unprincipled
neighbor. Nor would this mean
that we did not still back every
possible international action
looking toward world peace.
The Hungarian crisis has
shown the world not only the
hatred of subject peoples for
com m u nism, but also the
cruelty of their Communist
masters. I, myself, wish that
we might have come to the
rescue Immediately of the
Hungarian patriots, perhaps
with arms and volunteer
troops; but, surely. it is not yet
too late to parachute food and
clothing to them and so make
it possible for them to con-
tinue their general strike un-
til the Russian troops with
draw.
Furthermore. when is the
U. N. observation team going
into Hungary? Why not para
chute them in, too? Cannot
anything be done to stop the
deportations to Siberia to slave
labor camps? World opinion,
even when modified, must be
backed up by the will and the
resources of freedom-loving
people who are not afraid OF
Russian threats, or worse.
The Russians Should under
stand that we will not hesitate
to act in defense Of stricken
people wherever they are. BY
all means let us use the ma
chinery of the U. N. as we
build slowly toward the rule
Of international law. but let
as also use our ingenuity in
combating the enemy in every
way possible. and keep the
Russians guessing, too.
Edith Clark Lowry,
Teacher OF History and
international Relations,
Mount Vernon Seminary.
I read with interest. your
editorial, 1.-THE Spirit of Free
DOM"
I mention in connection with
1t, that passive resistance was
always a genuine Hungarian
form of resistance, when armed
defense was crushed.
Aldous Huxley writes in his
great work. Ends and Means"
that among the nonviolent
movements crowned by partial
or complete success We may
mention the long cam
paien of nonviolent resistance
and nonco-operation conducted
by the Hungarians under Deak
which was crowned by COM
plete success in 1857"
One Hungarian peasant
writer characterized the re-
sistance Of his village-as well
as Of the whole people-against
Communist oppression as fol-
lows:
1.-The immobility Of the peas
ants is a hellish force. It is
something horrible when not
a move Is made In any direc-
ton. This very old, more than
one thousand years old village
is Just standing still and let
ting history whiz over II again
and again"
However. modern technology
and the Mongolianlike bar
barism Of the Soyiets can
break even this kind Of re-
sistance. midas revolt cam
not be taken as an example.
There we're many hundred
millions Of Indians against
thousands Of British. But a
nation Of 10 million can be
destroyed by a modern Genghis
Khan.
The mass deportations Of
Hungarian youth. children and
women are already going on.