Evening star., 1959-11-22

for every man and for every
nation there can be no peace
On his recent visit to our
country the Communist spokes-
man took every opportunity to
compare unfavorably, capital
ism with communism in their
economic aspects. This is not
the basic issue. The choice
that men and nations must
make today is between freedom
and coercion.
Such words as democracy D
republic, ""peace" and friend
ship" are words to which the
Western world is long accus-
toned. These words have been
taken into their current vo-
cabulary by the proponents of
communism. But while we may
use the same words we are
not speaking the same language.
BY peace" the Communist
means submission to his pro-
gram. BY friendship" he
means the acceptance on the
part of others of his formula
for coexistence.
Freedom is not the product
Of any political or social sys-
tenn; it is mans natural birth
right, and, in the words of
Pope Leo XIII, THE highest
of mans natural endowments." "
This freedom under God per-
mits man to use his faculties
for his own Just benefit and
for the service of his fellow
man in accordance with the
law Of God. Furthermore, to
protect the freedom and rights
of its citizens. each nation has
the right TO be free.
Freedom-the American Ideal
Our country was conceived
IN liberty and dedicated to the
proposition that all men are
created equal" This recogni-
ton of the dignity Of every
citizen, endowed with inalien-
able rights that are God-given
is indelibly woven into the orr
gin and history Of the American
republic.
Ours is a tradition Of free
dom under God with justice
and charity for all. 1t seems
opportune to emphasize the i'm
portance of this heritage Of
freedom. In it lies the moral
strength that makes the con-
tribution Of America to the
worlds rebuilding unique and
distinctive.
Above and beyond the ma
terial aid that we distribute
so generously around the globe
to those in need. we should be
equally concerned in sharing
our ideals Of liberty and justice
Proper standards of living and
material prosperity are not
enough. These are but means
10 an end and not in them
selves the goal we would attain.
If world peace is, as it should
be, the aim of all our efforts.
The Foundations Of Peace
Peace, as demonstrated by
our Nations experience, rests
on disciplined freedom with
its attendant virtues. True
peace for nations as we'll as
for individuals comes from JUS
tice, from charity, from the
faithful observance of the moral
law. The might of arms can
do no more for peace than to
discourage aggreSsors that are
belligerent. Pacts and treaties
can bring at best an uneasy
truce, restraining an open hos
tility without achieving friend
ship or understanding. Not
even international organiza-
tionS and international law, es-
Sential as they are for order
in the world, can bring about
world peace. Fundamentally
that peace depends on the ac-
ceptance by men and nations
of a fixed, Interchangeable, uni
versal moral law.
There is no need to retell
the noble efforts that have been
made in behalf of peace since
the dawn of the present CEN
tury. Nor is there need to
retell the. disappointments that
have laid low the hopes of men,
The two most destructive wars
in history have left their in
dellble mark on the first halt
OF our century. Now, well into
the second half, men live under
the threat of third world war
that would be immeasurably
more destructive.
Present Obstacles to Freedom
We would recognize that the
chief obstacles to peace are the
obstacles to real freedom. First
among the main obstacles To
peace and freedom in our pres
ent world is obviously world
communism. Communists do in
deed preach peace and tree
dom and preach it incessantly,
their actions, however, belle
their word. They stir up hatred
and miStruSt. They reopen the
old wounds Of people who hac
real grievances in the days
when they were subject to alipr
rule. While they themselves en-.
slave whole nations over whom
they nave no shadow Of claim
they seize wherever possible
upon economic and racial in.
justice to incite class warfare
and violent revolution.
Thus the Communist worlc
poses a twofold threat to peace,
first, that of military aggres.
sion of which the more recent
instances continue to exemplify
both ruthlessness and perftdy
secondly, the widespread sowine
OF the seed of hatred within ma.
tons and among nations. Tt
meet this constant threat tt
peace is the free worlds great.
est problem.