Verhovayak Lapja, 1945 (28. évfolyam, 1-52. szám)
1945 / Verhovay Journal
Page 6 Verhovay Journal January 31, 1945 TO BUY OR TO FIGHT? .V’ LESSON FROM HISTORY. BUT CAN’T WE LEARN? Ever since the beginnings of human history, war was considered the only sensible and effective measure for getting things. This bloody method of acquisition never went out of fashion but continued to develop during the ages until it became both a science and a technique of the highest order, practiced with the utmost efficiency. The history of mankind is the history of wars, blood-shed and destruction, during which the weaker party was knocked out by the stronger one and deprived of his possessions. 142 years ago the United States of America made history by applying a new method of territorial expansion. Instead of starting a war with the French for the possession of the Louisiana territory, it was purchased from them for 27 million dollars. No blood was shed, no towns j destroyed. i Having paid the price for the territory, Uncle Sam took possession of it peacefully and with dignity, and had never reason to regret the purchase. That purchase served proof to the world that the United States of America is a peace-loving nation which prefers buying to fighting. Our nation has been dragged against its will into a war that costs us hundred-times the price of Louisiana each and every month in cash, plus an ever increasing number of lives. Our nation has suffered 600,000 casualties up to-day, and the misery resulting from their misfortune will raise the cost of this war to a figure which defies estimation. Hitler, Tojo and Mussolini made an unholy alliance in order to secure by the use of force “Lebensraum”, territorial aggrandizement, and raw-materials. Even if they had won the war, they would have had paid million times the price of their gains. They thought war is a short-cut, a cheaper way to get possesions but history has proven beyond a shadow of doubt that war is bad business for the winner and total bankruptcy for the defeated. It is much cheaper to buy things than to take them, it is much cheaper to pay than to fight. It costs much less money, no blood at all and does not stop the advance of civilization as war does. But if history teaches such lesson, then why on earth don’t the nations and their leaders learn it and act accordingly? To answer this question satisfactorily is beyond us, excepting to say that history has taught us many other lessons but humanity seems to have an inherent reluctancy to learn them. Hitler thought the “Blitz” kind of war will be cheaper. He thought he can fool history and teach the future a new lesson. But there are no new lessons along these lines. The ancient Greeks and their philosophers, B’rton, Aristoteles and Socrates knew as much about them as the scientists of our age. There is no advancement in fundamentals, they ever remain the same, development is possible only in the various ways of their application. Even if leaders of nations seem to be singularly poor students of history, we should be able to learn its lessons and apply them to our lives for our own benefit. Buying is cheaper than fighting, we said, and this fundamental thesis is easily applied to family life as well as fraternal life. For in these social circles it becomes apparent that the idea of short-cutting our way towards some desired goal by the use of force besets not only warmongering “Führers” of certain nations. Cruelly extraordinary a person Hitler may be, nevertheless he is a TYPE that is repeated in thousands of variations amongst men, even among the insignificant. We find his type in families which he rules with a club and uses with cynicism. We find his type in organizations where he is known as the fellow who uses his fist, literally or figuratively, as his last and most effective argument. Repeating Hitler’s method he also goes Hitler’s way: he usually wins the first “Blitz” attacks, but invariably loses in the long run. And he pays dearly for his short-lived victories. He loses his popularity, people avoid him and even hate him for his incompatibility and he ends up finding himself in the wrong even if he is right, for no one can believe him anymore. In the family he loses the affection of his children and the love of his wife, the greatest assets any man can have. In the brotherhood of fraternal ists he loses every chance for recognition and advancement, and the fellowship of his co-members, that is, he loses all his social assets. His victories gone, he still continues to pay their exorbitant price to his dying day, proving that in all human relationships the lesson of history stands: paying for possessions is cheaper than taking them by force, for the way of force is a dead-end street. THE MEANING OF PAYING. Just as Louisiana was acquired by the United States of America by paying for it, so all possessions can be attained the same way. And that goes not only for material possessions but also for social or spiritual or emotional values. Public confidence cannot be gained by one who tries to coerce it with a gun in his hands. And the papa who believes in constant stick-swinging Will never earn the love and loyalty of his children. Confidence, love and loyalty shrink from force, the only way of gaining them is by EARNING them, that is, by PAYING for them with actions and attitudes that represent their price. When the Nazis occupied Holland, their first action was to dig up the endless flower-beds that decorated the soil of that land and planted cabbage on the place where tulips used to grow. That action is symbolic not only of Nazism, but of all dictatorial attitudes. The tulips of happy emotions are killed, and replaced by the cabbage of wanton purposiveness. Nothing of beauty is permitted to exist where such spirit prevails, only the drab things which are necessary for continued existence. Happy tulips are growing in the garden of fraternal life but they are killed and trampled upon by individuals who use plows where only scissors are permitted. The present teaches the strongest lesson humanity ever has heard as to the futility of force. We in fraternal circles should have our ears open for this lesson and learn to apply the gentle methods of kindness, under standing and cooperation. Sometimes they seem to be slow in leading to results, but they do lead to results to which there is no other short-cut. Force, and all of its weapons, insinuations, attacks with words or fists or guns, have been discredited by human history and only the fool will persist in their use. And he will get nothing but what he deserves: a defensive counterattack by his angered fellowmen that will annihilate him socially or entirely. He who shoots will be shot. And the fellow who walks through life handing out slaps left and right, will sooner or later meet up with a stronger one who will give him the beating of his life. Let fraternalists be different. Let us earn the cooperation of our fellow-members by readily serving them. Let us earn their confidence by honestly aiding their interests. Let us earn love by unselfishness. Let us earn their respect by kindness. Let us earn new friends by forgiving our enemies. Let us earn the interest of the people in our purpose by being interested in what they believe in. Let us PAY for these goods instead of demanding them. Let us pay the fair price of these social values instead of fighting for them against the people who deny them to us. A true fraternalist is a social artist. Forever he learns and practices with increasing success the art of getting along with people. A real fraternalist is one who can bring together- the extremists and as a connecting link join them together in a common purpose. It doesn’t take brains to criticize or to condemn others for the way they act, think or believe. The faults qf mankind are so obvious that only a fool can’t see them. Understanding people who are different or difficult is something that takes brains and a generous heart and to make them understand you and take your side for a common cause is the highest achievement of fraternal leadership. Such achievement has to be bought. It has to be paid for. He Who is unwilling to pay the price but, instead, demands it as some kind of birth-right, is a square peg in the round hole of fraternalism ... he will never fit in, unless he learns the basic lesson of social life: you can’t get what you want by fighting, only by paying for it. There are many who claim to be fighting for such and such a noble purpose. In truth, they are only masquerading, hiding the Ugly face of the crank behind a mask of seemingly idealistic enthusiasm. Their so-called “fight” is nothing but a Don Quixote’s (Continued on Page 7) They Gave Their Lives This issue of the Journal will carry the sadness of a great number of Verhovay families to the membership of the organization. The list published in this issue, is the longest yet to appear in the Journal. But still this list does not include the losses suffered by our armed forces in the German offensive in Belgium... , 106. Tn-Sgt. Valentine Hűlik Mrs. Mary Hűlik, of 186 W. 80th SI., New York, N. Y., received notice from the War Department that her husband, Technical Sergeant Valentine Hűlik was wounded in action on December 4th, 1944, in France and died on the same day in consequence of his injuries. He was a member of Branch 83, New York, N. Y., and is the 3rd heroic dead member of that Branch. He was born on July 29th, 1909. He married the former Mary Balso on March 17th, 1943, in El Paso, Texas. Their shortlived happiness was suddenly ended by his death that made her the 10th war-widow of the Verhovay F. I. A. Valentine Hűlik was the 35th Verhovay an to lose his life on the Western Front. 107. Sgt. Stephen A. Toth Director Richard Phillips, Manager of Branch 356, Detroit, Mich., writes the following report on the 107th fatal casualty of the Verhovay F. I. A. Sgt. Stephen A. Toth was a member of Br. 356, Detroit, and is the first member of this Branch to make the Supreme Sacrifice. It hardly seems conceivable that he should be among those no longer living, as it was only in March 1944 that he entered the Army, being first stationed in Texas. Upon completion of his basic training he was sent overseas in August and arrived in Paris, from which point he was put into active combat as part of the 32nd Infantry Division. According to reliable information, Sgt. Toth participated in a number of patrols into enemy territory in Belgium, and in November, as the result of such action, received shrapnel wounds in the back which caused his hospitalization for a short duration. For this he received the Purple Heart and was also advanced from the rank of PFC to the rank of Sergeant. However, he quickly recovered, was discharged from the Hospital and sent back into active duty once more. Word of his death in combat was received by his wife on December 27 th and the terse message from the War Department simply stated “killed in action in Luxembourg on December 1, 1944.” (Continued on Page 7)
