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Show WHY MEN OF PEACE MUST FIGHT There are a number of people in the United States, and some of them in this viciinty, who do not want war. We are among them. The crisis that the nation faces today, however, how-ever, is not as simple as that. We must decide whether we wish to stand aloof, regardless of what happens in the world, and then maintain an army, navy and air force large enough to beat any possible combination of powers. The most formidable group, so far as our danger is concerned, includes Germany, Japan and Italy. They are on the loose, without regards to morality, the rights, or property of other peoples. The Axis alliance is a free-booting expedition expedi-tion of amazing power. It acquires its appeal solely from the distribution of booty, which is shared by soldiers and citizenry. Anybody with anything is given notice, by past events, that they can keep it if they are better warriors than the Axis pirates. If the United States should sit idle and permit this robber gang to triumph, the world in which we live would be an armed camp, with Americans armed to the teeth to repel the pirates. The freedoms that we admire would be surrendered, even if voluntarily, in order to be ready to meet a sudden challenge. Civilization cannot thrive in such a world. The United States will be no exception to the natural na-tural rule that men must fight for what they desire when brute strength becomes the final arbiter. Our natural preference for peace, our desire to develop a civilized race and to contribute contri-bute to the culture of all peoples count for nothing. |