I QUESTIONS OF THE WE

By Stanley It. 'lames
The New America THE shooting down ot American planes over Jugoslavia, together with Washington's stiff rejection of Russia's claim to control of the Dardanelles and the continuing conflict in China, in which America is so deeply involved, has presented the U.S. in a new light. We see, in fact, a bellicose nation facing up to its great protagonist and boldly accepting the possibility that its attitude may involve open conflict. Much water has flowed tinder the bridge since President Wilson made the famous declaration that Atuerica was " too motel to light." Forgotten as that statement soon was, it did express the mind of the U.S. at the time. There was then in America a common belief that the New World, dedicated to " the putsuits of peace," transcended the " squabbles " of the Old World. It was not seen that international idealism, unless it is prepared to suffer humiliation at the hands of the unregenerate, must be prepared to fight for its ideals. Still less was it imagined that science, that synonym for progress, would place in America's hands the most deadly weapon eser invented and thus conveniently provide the force required by a people not naturally militaristic. To build pacific hopes on its absorbing interest in commerce was another mistake. Like the ideal of universal brotherhood and belief in scientific progress, the desire for commercial supremacy. in the world of today, leads straight to war. And even reliance on " talking things over " as a means of settling disputes is fallacious. Has not St. James reminded us that the tongue, though a little member, has the power to kindle great conflagration?
It was not only idealistic and commercial America, however, which forgot these things. It was Hitler's mistake and Mussolini's to underestimate the lighting spirit of the capitalistic
Powers, and Stalin seems to have made the same mistake.
Suppressed Conscience BUT there is another America.
All observers in that country agree that it is not happy at the trend of affairs. It has an uneasy conscience about the atomic bomb and the policy which is bringing it, in an angry atmosphere, face to face with Russia. Nor is it only America which is suffering from a suppressed conscience. France, according to M. Mauriac, is painfully aware that it has " cornmitted the sin of war in our minds." Even the Nuremberg prisoners exhibit the same phenomenon. It would have been possible for them, at the trials now concluding. to have boldly stood
by their Nazi ideology. saying: Yes, I did it. I believed and believe that whatever seemed in the interests of Germany was morally permissible."
But they have not taken that line. Almost to a man, they have uied to
minimise their share in the horrors with which they are charged, thus admitting the authority of the standard of conduct supposed to govern the civilised world. Aud, if Russia believed that her code of conduct in international affairs was iooted in the eternal nature of things, would she be so suspicious
u
kind so trctilent? The man secretly ashamed of his inebriety will get drunk to forget it, and nations harbouring a suppressed conscience will often main. tam the suppression by increasing the offence. It is not too mute] to spy that the world's quarrelsome mood' to-day is largely due to this cause. it will not be cured till it joins in an international recitation of the Confileor.
India's Chance
THANKS to the wisdom and
patience shown by the Viceroy and his coadjutors, India now has a Government of its own; a nucleus of authority has been created from which order may return to its restless populations. That is the important fact, whatever the shortcomings of this untried body may be. on which Lord Wavell and, indeed, the whole Empire may be congratulated. The accomplished fact is a powerful argument which, it is possible, the hitherto intransigent Moslem minority may respect, determining. like other minorities, to make the hest a the situation lest worse befall. India has now had a taste of disorder. The pteKnee of explosive elements capable of wrecking all future hopes of peace and progress has been made apparent, and the: fact may have its effect in counselling moderation. If so, those who perished in the Calcutta massacres will
not have died in vain.
The world at large sadly needs a concrete example of the result which may be achieved by such statesmanship as brought this new Government into existence. A period of constructive calm in India would be an object lesson particularly valuable when so many other apparently intractable feuds have to be settled.
U.N.O. Time-Table THE attempt will be made, it seems, to conclude the proceedings of the Paris Confetence in time to allow the United Nations Association to meet, as arranged, on September 23. The alternative is to sandwich the meeting of the Assembly between this and a later session of the adjourned Conference. The prospects of the Conference concluding its business in time for the gathering in New York are poor and one news
paper correspondent declares that, pending some decision concerning Germany, no major Power is anxious to get the job done.
Even before the end of thc war, General Smuts anticipated that the final settlemein would be leached only by a long process of negotiation, and it seems as though his prophecy might be fulfilled. Urgent as is the need of deciding the issues at stale, hurried measures that merely patched up differences and would speedily require revision might have serious consequences. Is there no possibility of making tentative arrangements allowing for deeper consideration of the problems involved? As The Economist says, " a peace conference should be a leisurely proceeding." There arc few things which so fray nerves as having to cram a mass of intricate business into a short space of time. The tension thus created makes deliberate examination of the questions under discussion impossible. " Morc haste, less speed " is a just saying.
The Polish Elections IF the report that a letter from
Marshal Tito to the American Ambassador in Belgrade indicates " that the demands presented to the Jugoslav GovernMent by the United States Government have been complied with " proves correct, it constitutes an argument in favour of firmness against left
wing pressure. And that argument is reinforced by reference to the decreased political truculence elsewhere of the same elements. In Poland, living under the very shadow of Russian control, the problem is more difficult. The date. of the promised election is to be announced on August 31. The prospects for the present Government, it is stated. are worsening, and the knowledge of this fact has led to fresh and more conciliatory attempts to induce M. elikolajczjk, leader of the Polish Peasant Party, to join the Socialist Government. Negotiations with this ill view, however. have failed, and the Peasant Party stands resolutely outside the Woe. Socialists are afraid that a continuance of this attitude win mean a Russian dictatorship and base their arguments on this menace. The only way to prevent such a dictatorship, it is said. is to form a bloc of all working class parties and of the peasants' representatives. The coalition, unreal though it would be, is believed to be the only alternative. Commenting on this situation, Tribune makes the strange remark: " It is to be hoped that the British and American Governments will not obstruct such a solution by insistence on the letter of the pledges to hold real elections—and only elections held on party lines are real elections now." In other words, the AngloAmerican Powers are asked to connive at the breaking of the pledge which they themselves enforced, in order to prevent revolutionary action by Moscow. The question is, whether such surrender would not encourage the Soviet to go further than it has yet dared. M. Mikolajezik's stand may, on the other hand, lead to concessions.
Fountains Abbey THE Times' announcement of the possible purchase and restoration of the great Cistercian Abbey has awakened a good deal of public interest. Archaeologists have uttered their warnings as to the alleged threat the project offers to the beauty of the original structure, and Anglicans have deplored the fact that they were not the first in the field. As we stated last week, it is reported that the intention is to make the restored Abbey a memorial to the English-speaking Catholics who fell in the World War. It was added that the " Chapel of the Nine Altars" would have altars dedicated to the nine nations, including the U.S., in alliance with us. If this report is correct, there would seem to be some failure to appreciate the greatness of the opportunity which the purchase of this building would present. We may be permitted to ask whether such a dedication, excluding as it does the nurnetous Catholic victims in Germany and Italy, does not perpetuate into the distant future the passing an tagonisms of the present. Coming generations, living at a time when (as we hope and believe) the old wounds will be healed, will be inclined to sec in the Abbey a memorial to divisions that by then will have been forgiven and forgotten. Nor, we may suggest, is it seemly to carry into the next world the passions of this. Can we not avail ourselves of the opportunity for a gesture demonstrating the catholicity and charity of the Church by dedicating the restored Abbey to the dead of ell nations?