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Show GOP Wanted Mac's Return; Oh, Yes, They Surely Did By BAUKHAGE News Analyst and Commentator PHILADELPHIA. Gen. Douglas MacArthur, in regretfully regret-fully regretting his inability to accept the senate appropriation committee's invitation to come to Washington to testify on the Far Eastern situation, said he'd rather wait until after the national na-tional political conventions ; that he didn't want to get any political poli-tical implications mixed up with his visit. Regular Republicans solemnly accepted the general's response Just as If they hadn't moved heaven and earth to keep him from accepting. Sen. Styles Bridges of New Hampshire remarked gravely at the time that if anything should happen while MacArthur was away (from Japan), he (Senator Bridges) certainly wouldn't want the responsibility of having the general back here (Oh, dear no!). The enthusiastic political amateurs ama-teurs who urged that the general be invited finally were quieted down to the dismay of the Democrats who wept loudly into their beards when i : S i f : ' ; X h they heard the general would not come. But there was enough danger of ructions, ruc-tions, rows and revolt among contenders for the Republican nomination with-out with-out taking chances on a military applecart apple-cart upsetter. MacArthur in we shall waste those reserves for peace, and default to the forces that breed new wars." Wars can be prevented, said Bradley, just as surely as they can be provoked, and therefore "we who fail to prevent them must share in guilt for the dead." That thesis of General Bradley's that it requires positive peacetime action to stop wars is concurred in by Clarence Streit, president of Federal Union,- Incorporated, an organization working for the federalization feder-alization of the free countries of the world. Streit's argument, made before the house foreign affairs committee, did not get the publicity it should. Streit said that only through freedom free-dom can peace come. Specifically, if the free nations unite in a federation (by free nations, na-tions, he refers to nations which are not dominated by any foreign power and where at least the theory of democracy, as we understand it, obtains) these free nations can assure as-sure peace. He suggests as charter members of the federation the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Switzerland, Belgium, Luxemburg, Lux-emburg, The Netherlands, Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Eire, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Streit says further that power can be divided into four suits, like a deck of cards, and that these 15 democracies, if they federate, can hold every ace. He lists them: "The Ace of Clubs: Armed power. Not only would their soldiers, if united, number as many as Russia's Rus-sia's and be much more mobile and better-equipped, but this union would begin by having the bulk of the world's airpower; 90 per cent of its naval tonnage; advance bases everywhere on earth; 100 per cent atomic power. "The Ace of Spades: Productive power. Despite the tangle on tariffs tar-iffs and currencies, these democracies democ-racies outproduce the rest of the world. ' Think what they could do with a free flow of trade similar to that among our own states! "The Ace of Diamonds: Raw material ma-terial power. No need of separate stockpiling of essentials. These nations na-tions would produce 50 to 90 per cent of most of them. "The Ace of Hearts: Moral power. This union would unite all lands towards which the rest of humanity has looked for refuge from oppression oppres-sion and leadership toward liberty. Nothing can appeal to men so deeply deep-ly as can individual freedom and to back it up with every ace is to add irresistible authority to its appeal." I think that is a very concise and logical statement. Western Europe already is moving toward a union, slowly, out of necessity, because there is NO OTHER WAT! The peoples of the world do not want war; the free nations, having achieved freedom, have no cause for war except to defend that freedom. free-dom. The federation could maintain main-tain freedom without war, for no one would dare challenge it Convention Coverage Took Much Planning Convention hall in Philadelphia, as the Republican convention got under way, was no sight for the sore eyes of Harold McGrath and Bob Menaugh, superintendents respectively respec-tively of the senate and house radio galleries and Bill Henry, president of the Radio Correspondents Correspon-dents association. Since October, 1947, they've practically prac-tically been commuting from Washington Wash-ington to Philadelphia to Inspect the hall plan where broadcasts should originate, decide where network net-work and independent radio hews broadcasters of varying degrees of importance should be seated, confer with Republican and Democratic politicos, supervise hotel accommodations accom-modations and, most vital of all, hurt nobody's feelings in the process. pro-cess. Four hundred and 36 radio news-men were assigned to cover the Republican convention as compared to the 40 radiomen accredited ac-credited eight years ago and 160 In 1914. Forty-four organizations in addition addi-tion to the four major networkf, originated broadcasts from the convention; con-vention; 31 of these shows came from the hall itself. Others originated origin-ated in the 14 other facilities scattered scat-tered around the building, some on the stage of the hall, some in the basement and so on. the United States, marching under arches of triumph, enjoying the laying lay-ing on of leis, not to mention being cheered and perhaps even voted for by few starry-eyed elephant cubs, was no pleasant thought for the Republican regulars to contemplate. contem-plate. On the other hand this contingency con-tingency would fill the simple Democratic Dem-ocratic soul with joy beyond compare. com-pare. Wa observed the same sweet Innocence In-nocence as to the objectives of President Truman's recent little informal tour of the country. As Chairman Reece of the Republican Republi-can national committee remarked before he left: "It (the trip) will be as non-political as the Pendcr-gst Pendcr-gst machine," which Indicates the nature of the inter-party amenities which may be expected from now on. It is indeed a tragedy that this quadrennial sporting event a presidential presi-dential election in which we go through all the motions of tearing our adversaries to pieces, accusing them of all the crimes in the calendar calen-dar just as if we meant it, should have to take place while wars cold. If not hot, seem to be breaking out all over. It is probably a fine thing however, how-ever, that, as civilization progressed, we changed our methods of choosing choos-ing a leader. In the old days it was a very simple process. When the eldest son had reached that point of strength and wisdom where he felt It was relatively safe to argue with papa the two of them took up I their clubs, the ladies and younger children made a circle, and father . and son held an election. It didn't take long, and the best man won. The ladies buried the defeated candidate, and tribal life continued tranquilly until the first Tuesday after the first Monday of the month and year that junior thought auspicious. aus-picious. Nowadays, we stretch the affair out lor a whole year or more. The Russians have simplified elections by removing one candidate beforehand before-hand which eliminates much of the element of chance. With us the contest is highly absorbing and, just as the sabre tooth tiger often sneaked in and carried off some of the tribe while the others were watching the "election," so all sorts of things happen to us when we have our minds on the political race. This time there is some danger that a large fat bear may grab off a large chunk of oil-land while we are watching the events leading to the November finals. Union of Nations To Secure Peace Recently Gen. Omar Bradley, chief of staff of the army, made a masterful argument for an unselfish and positive effort for peace, along with an Idealistic appeal that we steer "by the stars, not by the light of each passing ship." "In our hatred and renunciation of war," said General Bradley, "we must not forget that the roots of conflict flourish in the faults and failures of those who seek peace, Just as surely as they take shape from the diseases and designs of aggressors. While the American people have within themselves the moral strength, the power and wisdom wis-dom to marshall their forces against aggression in whatever form It affects we cannot feign innocence through indifference or neglect of struggles that bring on wars. We have suffered enough in two world wars to know that non-lnvolvement non-lnvolvement in peace means certain Involvement in war. "Either we shall employ our strength, pewer and conscience, boldly and righteously In defense of human dignity and freedom, or |