OCR Text |
Show War Brings Difficult Psychological Problem To U. S., Speakers Tell m eee Young men of United States face a difficult psychological problem, prob-lem, Professor Meredith Wilson of the Brigham Young university told his audience at an inspiring Americanism Program Monday evening at Bingham high school auditorium. . "Reared in a generation that has been taught war is a positive posi-tive evil, contrary to all religious, moral and ethical codes. A-mericans A-mericans are finding it difficult to accept the fact that this war i necessary, that we must give lives and wealth to save our country," he laid. The first two years of the conflict United States' defense bill will be more than the entire cost of the World war. We have already al-ready spent approximately 55 billion in this conflict, Mr. Wilson said. In discussing the causes of this war, Mr- Wilson stated that the Peace of Paris, more commonly termed the Treaty of Versailles, was not as unfair as has been popularly supposed. There has never been as complete an effort to settle fairly a war in the history of the world. The failure lay in America's mistake in not supporting the League of Nations, which would provided the machinery to perfect the peace, he said. In reality the World war was fought to save democracy. Injustice Injus-tice of the peace that followed was in the humiliation and embar-rasment, embar-rasment, the bitterness and collapse that followed the nations' failure fail-ure to carry out completely the spirit of the Treaty of Versailles. "Americans are still exhibiting symptoms of disillusion from the World war. We hoped we could escape this war. Now that we are convinced that we must fight, we must dedicate our strength and national resources, give, nearly half our national income for a chance at victory. "Giving so much, we should make certain we buy something. some-thing. Nations which fight wars on a basis of hate and hate alone crush the spirit of democracy. It would be possible to gain a world and lose our souls. This war must be a war which we fight because we love democracy and not because we hate the '. Japs or Germans. We must believe and believe deeply that we are fighting because there is something in democracy that touches touch-es the soul of the common man and allow him to live a a ov- : ereign being. Democracy is the world's only hope," he concluded. The program was under direction of Warren G. Allsop, Junior chamber of commerce Americanism chairman. Several orchestra numbers were played by Billy Clough's orchestra before the meeting meet-ing was called to order. Copperton Boy Scouts presented the colors ! and the invocation was by Bishop George M. Nix. v Calling for less preaching and more action, for Americans to , unite and get back of her leaders, Dr. Paul S. Richards, a featured speaker, said "We've done it before, and we can do it again but when do we get started?" "If we don't unite, it will be things in our own midst our . lackadaisical attitude, smugness, complacency and lack of enthusiasm, en-thusiasm, nothing more than fifth column procedure which will destroy us. "We are facing a battle that will lake vears. And we are going to need all the endurance, faith and confidence thai any pioneers ever had. The way of American life is going to be on the road to sacrifice. We'll have a chance to prove if we are as great as we believe we are." ' The average American spends too little time reading and studying study-ing the inspiring documents handed down to us, Dr. Richards said. He advised all to reread the Mayflower compact, the Declaration of Independence, constitution and Bill of Rights, Washington's Farewell Fare-well address, Lincolns second inaugural address and Wilson's "The, Road Away From Revolution". "If we could learn to indoctrinate the principles of democracy into boys and girls as Hitlcrism has been taught German youth, we would have a nation so strong no power or powers could defeat us. "We have been led by the greatest inspiration the earth has -ever known. The ideals of our leaders must become our Ideals, their inspirations must awaken our souls. Our conclusion must be that if we cannot .have the American way of living we want no life at all," Dr. Richards said. A reading, "What America Means To Me", was given by Douglas Doug-las Goff. Violin duets, "Happy Days", by Strelezka and "The Rosary , by Ethelbert Nevin, were played by Mrs. C. A. Morley and Dale Johnston with Miss Margaret Ireland as piano accompanist. v Deno Kannes, son of Mr. and Mrs. Tom Kannes of Salt Lake City, gave three vocal selections, "We've Done It Before and We Can Do It Again", "The Red, White and Blue" and "God Bless America". Benediction was by Bishop David C. Lyon. |