Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1958-07-23


tect our oil and Israel, and not
to help the Lebanese remain
free.
&c.
Harry Nelson in his letter
reacts to the American Mid
east Move" by saying he
cannot buy the administra-
tons double-think policy
that 'risking war is in the in
terest Of peace" Well, IL
it is "double-think" to risk
war for the sake Of peace, we
may as well get peace" by
complete and abject SUBJ
mission. Even slaves who
merely acquiesce in their
slavery do not have peace:
they must also glorify and
sing the praises Of their
masters to get 1t. And then
. they get no peace until they
get to the graveyard.
The most unwarlike of
philosophers, Spinoza, said /:
Peace Is not the absence of
war but q virtue born from
strength Of soul" He was ex-
pressing the concept to be
found in the Hebrew word
for peace, "shalom." The
same root is used in words
which have the idea Of max
ing whole" or making COM
plete." Peace is not passive.
a reward for not lifting a
finger or for crinsing in your
hole, but active and dynamic,
q !difficult consummation of
q social whole. ''Rodef sha-
lom," the pursuer of peace
does not run from It but
towards 1t. The only way
to get peace Is to work to
solve problems. not evade
them.
The presence Of American
troops in the Middle East
does not bring peace, but
their withdrawal will not
bring peace either.
Sidney KOretz.
$50
The landing of American
troops in Lebanon and Brit
ish troops in Jordan is only q
stopgap. The United States
and the Western world must
evolve a long-range policy to
deal with the dynamism OF
Arab nationalism and Arab
unity. AS a matter Of fact
the people Of the Atlantic
community, which has the
greatest interests in the Mid
die East. cannot agree even
among themselves as to what
policy should be followed.
One tragic example of this
lack Of unified thinking was
the Suez situation of two
years ago. Here we found the
United States diametrically
opposed to the plans Of France
and Great Britain, and three
OF the greatest powers of the
free world were unable to act
IN unison against the threat
OF a common enemy. The
Iraqi revolt. the result of fur
Their vacillations with regard
to Lebanon, is but the latest
In the chain Of such avoid
able tragedies.
The Atlantic community has
some degree Of unity now in
NATO, but this is a purely
military league arrangement.
Even II NATO were to estab-
lish a political body within
the framework Of the league.
our problem Of Atlantic dis
union would still exist. A
league can only recommend
action and can give no guar
antee that the member ma
tons will abide by its recon-
mendations.
Current events and the
high degree Of interdepend-
ence between the peoples of
the Atlantic community now
make 1t mandatory that these
peoples form an Atlantic Un-
ion. Clarence STREET., the pres
ident Of Federal Union Inc.
and author Of Freedom
Against ITSELF" wrote in that
book that:
ut is most hopeful that the
existence Of the Atlantic
community is--at long last
recognized by the Atlanticans,
and that Atlantica has now
at least some degree Of polit-
ical organization. This makes
NATO a very welcome step
ahead. 1t would be much more
reassuring, however, II NATO
were officially put forward as
merely a first step toward a
truly democratic Atlantic
Federal Government"
I grant that the dangerous
situation In the Middle East
is but one Of the many rea-
sons for the urgency Of At
lantic Federal Union.
Richard M. Onr.