WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY MARCH 2, 1983, PAGE 19 Local writer shares views on nuclear disarmament By SAM HOLLINGSWORTH Ashbum Many thoughtful people are greatly concerned about the vast build-up of weaponry in North America, in Europe and indeed across the world. The fact that the decisions pertaining to dis- armament are In the hands of gov- ernments over which we have no control, makes the situation that much more threatening for us. Nuclear wea- pons are new, dif- ferent and terrible, but there are cer- tain rules of disarm- ament with whIch we are already fami- liar. It is said that those of us who fall our history will have the opportunity of repeating it. The Western democra- cles won a 4-year war (1914-18); but the peace (1918-39) was lost, because the grand alliance which won the war did not persist in winning the peace. The American Sen- ate, contrary to President Wilson's recommendations, rejected the Treaty of Versailles and the League of Na- tions; America be- came totally neu- tral. The British un- der Ramsay Mac- donald's Labour government were steered Into the mistaken path of unilateral disarma- ment and they set the worid a splen- did example of peace in action, strivIng to settle any threats to peace by peaceful means. France, deprived of meaningful sup- port in seeking to enforce too harsh a treaty by methods that were too mild, found herself in an untenable position. The 1918 victors were thus immo- bilized by straitjack- ets of their own making, no com- mon front was pos- sible, as they aill proceeded to falli their history. The depression of the "thirties" had a crippling effect on the worid. Along with unemployment and inflation, there was discourage- ment, pacifism and disillusionment, which caused the Oxford undergrads to state-that in the event of another war, they would not deem it theli duty to fight in defense of their country. It quite possibly did not dawn on them, that this action was a long sure step to- ward war. There were. also hints of aggresslon on the part of three unsatisfied nations: viz. Japan, Italy and Germany. Japan took a part of the rich Chinese pro- vince of Manchuria and she was not de- terred by the League of Nations. It was said in En- gland, "Manchuria is a long distance away." Germany under Hitler and the Nazi party now began the "Mein Kampf" projects. Germany learned from Japan and ltaly that she would probably en- counter littlè resis- tance from France and England. When Hitler mili- tarized the Rhine- land, we countered wlth: "The Rhine- land is really Ger- man territory you know." When Austria was an- nexed we said, "Weli, after aIl the Austrians are Ger- mans aren't they?" In the case of Cze- choslovakia's Su- detanland, Hitler said, "This is my last territorial de- mand in Europe." Mr. Chamberlain, the British Prime Minister, convened a conference in Mu- nich which trans- ferred the German sections of Czecho- slovakia to Germ- any. Even though this was appease- ment at its basest, it was halled by Mr. Chamberlain as a chance for "Peace in our Time." This wishful peace last- ed from October 1938 until March of 1939, at which time Hitler occupied the sad remnants of the proud little demo- cratic nation. Appeasement was final ly over and, too late, we re- alized that in pursu- ing the phantom peace, not only had we missed It entire- ly, but under the most dire circum- stances, we were now propelled full speed into a war with a Germany ar- méd to the teeth. This time the hs- tory course re- quired six years, not four; the war embraced the whole world, the weapons were more sophistIcated and fearsome, and mul- titudes of our best young people had to be sacrificed. The nuclear fact will not go away; until the western world is able to es- tablish a working agreement with the Soviet Union, our security will hinge at the very least on nuclera parity with Warsaw Pact na- tions. Perhaps we think that our govern- ment has an alter- native to coopera- tion with the United States. We., could follow the example of the Low Coun- tries who shortly before the outbreak of World War Il op- ted out of their treaty of defense with France, hoping thereby to avoid in- vasion by Germany. They were overrun and subjugated anyhow and the British and French found it doubly dif- ficult to brIng arm- les to their assis- tance. In our coopera- tion with our allies, we certainly have a right to urge Presi- dent Reagan to ne- gotiate wlth Mr. Andropov as soon as possible and as effectively as pos- sible. How heartening to see the Church involvlng herself in the armament situa- tionl The Church is s0 very welcome and so needed1 (Mr. Hollingsworth is a retired history teacher with a Master of Arts in history from the Univer- sity of Toronto. He re- sides in Ashburn.) [oodge Truckls