Salt Lake Telegram | 1935-04-18 | Page 4 | War or Peace?

War or Peace NEVER before in the United States has there i been such widespread and intense interest manifested in the promotion of a peace senti senti- ment American thought has been opposed to towar towar towar war historically although this country has had men under arms and in the field for a far greater portion portio of its n national life than is s or ordinarily ordinarily ordinarily or- or realized Americans want peace but except under the stress stress- of circumstances such as prevailed before our entry into the World war and of such circumstances as now v prevail in Europe we have rather blissfully looked upon it as something that would take care of itself War for the United States has been regarded pretty much as liquor was by the tipsy miner of bonanza days in Virginia City who v was f first credited with saying that he could take it or leave it alone Taking part in a war or leaving it alone i is by no means that simpler simple Our national economy our idea of national interest and our paternalistic attitude with re respect respect respect re- re to Latin America combine to expose us to the threat of war at any time The setup is perfect for sudden outbreak of conflict Our theory of tariffs our insistence upon the open door our program of foreign trade expansion our outposts at Panama in Alaska and andin andin andin in the Pacific our traditional policy toward American capital invested in foreign lands our position with respect to the freedom of the seas in peace and in war these war these and many other b basic sic policies ar are are loaded with potentialities in int inthe t the tle e direction of international discord that might easily lead to war I There seems to be a well-founded well belief that the United States may put on or put off nationalism or internationalism at will like a ar r cloak with one side for fair weather and the other for foul It is a naive naive- guileless arid dangerous notion To use a current figure of speech we cannot go on sticking out ourn our n neck ck as nationalist one time and as internationalist internationalist at another without having something happen to it I Now last week at several American colleges riots in favor of peace were staged At others gatherings were calm enough to suit the occa occa- sion The idea at each demonstration was the same that the United States sho should ld go in for pace To put it more exactly the idea was that w we should be against war that youth should r refuse use to fight The vital and fundamental thing was overlooked that overlooked that a national sentiment for p peace ace or for war is a superstructure and that ir l each case a wholly different t type 1 e of ti n must underlie it The gesture for peace is made with a thorny horny olive branch which Colon Colo- Colo nol n l Theodore Roosevelt I would have called a colossal piece of nature faking I What will have to be determined then is w at price we will be willing to pay for peace W Wie must pay the price or go without it This thought is commended to the Associated Peace Clubs of ot Utah which announces a meeting to tob tobe tobi b bi be held in this city the week of May ay 12 1218 will be numerous meetings Four hundred members will conduct antiwar demonstrations and Md programs There will be an oratorical con- con test for high school students and representatives tives of organizations federated with the associated associated associated asso asso- peace clubs Speeches and orations abhorring war telling of at bleeding youth on battlefields condemning those who become millionaires as dwelling upon the grief of bereaved mothers awl and all t th the verbal yerbal stage setting usual at peace dj meetings will not ad advance nce the cause of in the least Unless it is erect erected d upon a foundation foundation foundation tion of national policy that will carry the load any peace structure is no rio more stable than a ahouse house built upon sand There can be little question ques- ques tion but that as a people Americans devoutly want unbroken peace Jt It can b be had at t a price It would be a great mistake to believe that th the price w would have hav to be paid only by Jy y big business business business busi busi- ness and big fi finance ance Down to the humblest humbles wage earner carner we would all have t to toay pay It is a abig abig abig big problem for big minds