The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1957-03-07
a Scared World

A Scared World
Within the past few weeks there
has seemed - and still seems "a
reasonably close prospect that our
foreign policies concerning the
problems with which we are con-
fronted in the Middle East and
elsewhere easily could bring us in
to the third-and most terrible of
all-wars. Almost without warning,
and certainly without desire, we
could be plunged into titanic
struggle for existence which will
leave those who survive living in
an utterly wrecked world This has
so often been stated that it no
longer seems as dreadful as at first
when the facts were presented.
Probably this is largely due to the
J fact that the warnings of ultimate
disaster were so often made and
so tremendously depicted that their
failure to materialize may have
made us impervious to the posi-
bilities-even when they have be-
come probabilities.
1 :: - 81
In brief, they go right up'to the
brink and then something somehow,
Someway, always occurs by which
the ultimate calamity is averted and
civilization in its feeble way some
how totters on. In some ways to-
day, this notion, nebulous as it is,
appears the most solid thing to
which we cling. True, there are
violent criticisms of our present
policies. They seem to come from
all directions and to be uttered
with great force and fluency. Never
theleSs, when one comes to ana
lyze the attacks they seem 10 leave
a number of important questions
unanSWcrcd-cvcn untouched. For
example, think of those who slim
uIatcd the last world War-wherc
they are now and how they came
out of it-Hitlcr, MussOlini, Japan,
Italy Gcrmany-all the aggrcssor
nations, all the aggrcSsor leaders.
Where are they now? To whom do
they matter now? 1t does seem that
the answer to these questions is
the surest insurance against war.
Yet, here are the two greatest of
all nations frantically building up
vast ornaments at almost incon-
ceivable expense to prepare for
war that may never come.
= = ::
Yet. what else is there to do? To
go unprepared is absurd; to be less
than fully prepared is to invite at
F., tack and. with our past experiences
OF what crazy men can do, no one
wants to invoke unnecessary risk.
So, considering all the circumstan-
ccS, it does appear that this ridicu-
lous situation of the two greatest
nations of the world preparing in
the most costly possible way for a
gigantic conflict which may never
happen must 90 on until some way
is found for two such different
idcOlogics to exist in world such
as ours, without violence, mass
murder or slavery.
:: :: s.
Considering all the facts, it docs
appear that in the past decade de-
vclopmcnts even among the most
maniacal indicate that there is no
real desire upon the part of any
nation or any individual to wreck
| the world because of vast differ
cnccS of opinions and ideals such
as this world has always known
and always will know. On the con-
trary, if there are such things as
reason, logic and enlightened self
interest" on this earth today, they
would be conferred not upon fight
ing it out" particularly when every
! body knows there is no profit along
that road, no possible way for any,
one to win, nothing but complete
disaster in the end. Thus, so far as
we are concerned. the one way in
which real hope lies in this vast.
complicated, confused, beWildcred
country seems simple enough.
.
1t is TO select as President of US
all a man whom an overwhelming
majority of the people trust, a man
who because he knows all about
war is the leading advocate of peace.
man Of wisdom. experience and
proven courage, man who has no
conceivable object save to serve his
country ard do his bcSt-and then
while the emergency exists, to sup.
Ridge, died last Tuesday evening
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