630
would join Franco and Salazar in this conference, he
stayed at home.
But if Hitler hopes to join hands with the Japanese,
he must have absolute control of the Mediterranean,
He must have Gibraltar and Suez. In furtherance of
that strategy, Spain would be needed at once, for the
offensive would have to be launched simultaneously
against Gibraltar, through Spanish Morocco against
French Morocco, and at Dakar to hold American help
at bay. The elevation of Laval to power would seem to
be in preparation for this move.
There will be no revolt in Spain if the German army
comes. Franco's generals admire Prussian militarism,
The Falangists would welcome the crowd which put
them on top. The people of Spain would oppose the
invasion, but not in the manner of David's and Velarde's
Race, Religion and Prejudice
A0AME CHIANG KAI-SHEK'S recent articles
M force us all to realize that one of the phases
of this war which we have to face is the
question of race discrimination.
We have had a definite policy toward the Chinese
and Japanese who wished to enter our country for
many years, and I doubt very much if after this war
is over we can differentiate among the peoples of
Europe, the Near East and the Far East.
Perhaps the simplest way of facing the problem in
the future is to say that we are fighting for freedom,
and that one of the freedoms we must establish is
freedom from discrimination among the peoples of
the world, either because of race, or of color, or of
religion.
The people of the world have suddenly begun to
stir and they seem to feel that in the future we should
look upon each other as fellow human beings, judged
by our acts, by our abilities, by our development, and
not by any less fundamental differences.
Here in our own country we have any number of
attitudes which have become habits and which consti-
tute our approach to the Jewish people, the Japanese
and Chinese people, the German people, the Italian
people, and above all, to the Negro people in our
midst.
Perhaps because the Negroes are our largest minor-
ity, our attitude towards them will have to be faced
first of all. I keep on repeating that the way to face this
situation is by being completely realistic. We cannot
force people to accept friends for whom they have no
liking, but living in a democracy it is entirely reason-
able to demand that every citizen of that democracy
enjoy the fundamental rights of a citizen.
Over and over again, I have stressed the rights of
every dtizen:
THE NEW REPUBLIC
revolt against the Napoleonic invader. In those days
of street fighting and barricades, one rifle was as good
as another. But such revolts today, with the tanks,
planes, mortars and machine guns all on the other
side, haven't a chance. The people of the Iberian Pe"'
insula must wait for the arrival of Allied troops on
peninsular soil. Until then, resistance can only be
under cover—in the form of sabotage. Organizations
for this purpose already exist, even within the ranks
of the Falange.
The people of the Iberian Peninsula—the Basques,
the Catalans, the Spanish Republicans—were the first
to fight the Axis. With help, they will fight again-
They are friends of democracy and want it in their own
countries, Euzkadi, Catalonia and Spain.
RAMON DE LA SOTA JR«
Equality before the law.
Equality of education,
Equality to hold a job according to his ability-
Equality of participation through the ballot in the
government.
These are inherent rights in a democracy, and I
not see how we can fight this war and deny these ng
to any citizen in our own land.
The other relationships will gradually settle them*
selves once these major things are part of our accepte
philosophy.
It seems trite to say to the Negro, you must have
patience, when he has had patience so long} you n^^^
not expect miracles overnight, when he can look back to
the years of slavery and say—how many nights! he ii^'
waited for justice. Nevertheless, that is what we mus
continue to say in the interests of our government as a
whole and of the Negro peoplej but that does not mean
that we must sit idle and do nothing. We must
moving forward steadily, removing restrictions whi
have no sense, and fighting prejudice. If we are wis
we shall do this where it is easiest to do at first, an ^
watch it spread gradually to places where the old prej
dices are slow to disappear. ,
There is now a great group of educated Negroes w
can become leaders among their people, who can teaa
them the value of things of the mind and who q
asthebestinanyfieldof endeavor. With these ^^
women it is impossible to think of any barriers or
feriority, but differences there are and always WiU j
and that is why on both sides there must be tact
patience and an effort at real understanding. AD
everything else, no action must be taken which
cause so much bitterness that the whole liberaliz
effort may be set back over a period of many years.
ELEANOR ROOS