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Honor At Stake
A nation’s honor is its most precious possession. It is the basis upon which it builds world prestige, and upon which it may wield real world power.
Finland is a case in point; In its international relations we find the highest code of honor expressed both in the material and in the moral. At a time when Russia refuses to return some 600 U.S. vessels she was granted the use of under a loose lend-leaae agreement, little Finland is struggling to pay the debt of a. few millions, refusing to accept any monetary gift from the Uffited States. >
What makes one nation hon- orable and another dishonorable? Here we must go to the people Of a country for the answer. In Finland the people are free. In that freedom they exercise the virtue of honor in their dealings with each other. A Finn’s word is ad'" good as a written and documented contract. Thus the mass-honor communicates itself with- impact upon its national leaders in their inter-national dealings, and the worl.d terms Finland an honorable nation. .
In Russia the people are enslaved. Enslavement forces the individual to resort to certain ^expedients” of behavior not prescribed by codes of honor. Every act is'merely a means to an-end. Crime in Russia is en masse, with the top Russian national leadership leading the parade. The world today assesses Russia a dishonorable nation.
The United, States has' an impressive record of honor among nations of the world. From our early days as a struggling young nation we have inherited an historic background of honor, expressing the composite will of in-, dividuals in a free society where each citizen assumed full responsibility for his acts and actions.
But this precious heritage of honor is being seriously threatened today. Not so long ago 90 promising young men were discharged from our military academy for having broken the honor code of that institution. % This incident, which should have shocked the nation, caused instead ' a hue and cry against the West Point “system.” Everywhere people were heard saying: After all, those young men are merely reflecting the time and conditions under which we live. From the lowest to the highest offices in _ our. government we see codes of honor broken, so why punish a few young men because of infractions that seem to be the order of the. day? - <, ' "l ,
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