NEWS
«e INTERPRETEI
OUR FRONT COVER
On our cover are shown four great na-
tional characters: Washington, Jefferson,
Roosevelt, and Lincoln, whose faces are
chiseled in the imperishable granite of
Mount Rushmore, South Dakota, the
monumental work of John Gutzon Borg-
lum. Washington and Lincoln were both
born in February. In the present struggle
America needs the patriotism of a Wash-
ington, the statesmanship of a Jefferson,
the sagacity of a Lincoln, and the deter-
mination of a Theodore Roosevelt. She
must have that divine direction so earn-
estly sought by Washington and Lincoln.
Let us emulate their example of fortitude,
perseverance, and patience, and also their
importunity in prayer. May God still con-
trol the destiny of a government dedicated
to the principles of civil and religious free-
dom, that government of the people, by the
people, and for the people shall not perish.
Not “At Alert”
Rg) HE expected has happened. America
' Ng 1s at war on two fronts. The man-
cad ner of our entry recalls an event of
thirty-seven years ago, still vivid in the
memories of those who have reached the
half century mark. In 1904, while the
Japanese Ambassador danced at the Tsar's
ball in brilliant St. Petersburg, the Japanese
navy was sinking the Russian fleet in the
Page EIGHT
¥ This part of the
British House of
Commons was hat
and badly damaged
during the great ar
raids in London
last year. The steel
girders seen are be-
tng removed to make
war munitions. The
men in the back-
ground are members
of the British Minas-
try of Works, watch-
ing the salvage op-
eration.
>> &K&
western ~~ Pacific.
With limited over-
land communica-
tions with its far
eastern territories,
the destruction of
its powerful Paci-
fic fleet from the
outset spelled de-
feat for the great
Russian bear.
Those who had
watched Japan en-
ter ~~ Manchuria,
and later Shang-
hai, without a dec-
laration of war
expected the very
thing that hap-
pened, the attack on the great Pearl
Harbor base. And this happened while
Japanese diplomats were engaged with
our Government in overtures for peace in
the Pacific.
Disquieting rumors reached Washington
of the massing of great numbers of Japan-
ese troops in French Indo-China. This led
to the sending of a message direct to Em-
peror Hirohito by the President, but days
before 1t was dispatched the Japanese had
matured plans to sweep the American
fleet from the Pacific, and destroy Pearl
Harbor in Honolulu as a naval repair base.
Despite protestations of friendliness for
the United States on the part of the Japan-
ese by their Ambassador Nomura and
special envoy Saburo Kurusu, the blow
fell with telling effect.
Sceretary of the Navy Knox reports that
when the Japanese struck at Hawaii on
Sunday morning, December 7, the navy
and the air force were not “at alert.” The
results were most distressing. Of course
Japan had not declared war, but many
expected an attack. The resultant loss of
life, ships, and planes was due to the fact
that adequate precautions for safety had
not been taken. The losses sustained by
our navy enabled the Japanese to strike
directly at Hong Kong and Singapore.
The loss of two capital ships by Britain
rendered the Malay Peninsula vulnerable
to attack. Perhaps no war-size attack
upon American territories is at present
contemplated, but this will not com-
pensate for the heavy loss of life at Pearl
Harbor. The United States Government
so reasoned when it removed three men
from major military responsibilities in the
Hawaiian Islands. It concludes that they
should have known of the possibility, even
the probability, of attack, hence they
stand the chance of being found criminally
neglectful by a military court.
Still there are such who can find excuse
for those whose neglect cost us so much
in life and treasure. They reason that these
military officers had confidence that the
State Department and the President would
be able to negotiate terms of peace, that
diplomacy would prevail, that anyway the
navy was too strong to be attacked, that
an ‘‘at alert” was unnecessary, and that it
was no use to bring unwarranted hardship
upon the fighting forces of the nation in
the mid-Pacific; hence they permitted
brave men to relax. Too late they realized
their mistake! Death and carnage rained
from the sky, and some of America’s brav-
est men died because the defending forces
were not ready for the apparently impos-
sible. The commanders had the ships, the
guns, the planes, and the men, but the men
were not ‘at alert.” Hong Kong may be
forced to surrender, Singapore may be
given up because of naval help counted
upon, but not now available, and the war
prolonged for years with untold suffering
and loss of life because men whose duty it
was to see the first approach of danger and
combat 1t failed, not being “at alert.”
For the church of God this experience
has a most impressive lesson. It has be-
held stupendous events. events of primal
magnitude, indicating that we are living in
an unpropitious age—an age when the na-
tions are angry. (Revelation 11: 18.) Their
anger 1s, to the church of God, a testimony
to the fact that we are living in the days
of the Lord's preparation. And because of
this the Lord has enjoined the church that
it should be ‘‘at alert.” Christ admon-
ished, “Therefore be ye also ready: for in
such an hour as ve think not the Son of
man cometh.” Matthew 24: 44.
“Be ye also ready.” “At alert.” Why?
Because there will be those in the church
of God who, despite manifold blessings,
will not share the concern of the faithful
for the future triumph of the church. Our
great Commander spoke of them most
definitely. They constitute the ‘fifth
column” of the church. They are those
who advise that there is nothing about
which to feel unduly concerned, that “all
things continue as they were from the be-
ginning of the creation.” 2 Peter 3:4.
But their “fifth column’ nature is evinced
by the fact that their expressions disclose
a willing ignorance of the true facts.
(Verse 5.)
The WATCHMAN MAGAZINE