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Show Armistice Day Like a ghost from the tomb of the past the anniversary of Armistice Day rises to remind us of the great good that might have come to all men if the expectations ex-pectations of that day had been fulfilled. It was on November 11, 1918, that men hailed the birth of a new era in human relationships an ejp in which the world would be "safe for democracy," Governments were to settle their differences by international arbitration ar-bitration instead of international anarchy; justice for all peoples both great and small was to be achieved through the League of Nations. A , , But the fervent hopes and joyous expectations that were born that day did not long live. They were suffocated in the atmosphere at-mosphere of intense national selfishness, jealousy and power PIn!1918 men thought or professed pro-fessed to think that lasting peace could be attained through holding conferences, making agreements, signing documents. These things were done, but permanent peace did not come. Why? Because the form of peace was there but not the spirit. Conferences without cooperation, coopera-tion, agreements without adherence adher-ence to them, signatures without sincerity all these led down the well-rutted, one-way road to a repetition of the holocaust of 1914-18. Armistice Day of 1945 finds us telling ourselves that "this time" the sacrifices of our boys will not have been in vain. They need not be, but their sacrifices alone cannot insure peace. Permanent Perm-anent peace must grow out of the day to day efforts of men of all nations to deal with each derstandingly. other tolerantly, patiently, un-If un-If this be done the haunting ghost of Armistice Day will vanish, van-ish, for the -great good which that day promised will be achieved. |