Honolulu Record, September 15, 1951, vol. 4 no.7, p. 8
By Frank Marshall Davis
The Johnson Plan For Peace
"Communism cannot be stopped by military means . . . We can have an honorable peace with Russia, if we are willing to take the initiative. But it will mean revising many of our present policies and attitudes."
These are the opinions of Dr. Mordecai Johnson, president of Howard University, Washington, D.C. largest Negro university in America. Long noted as a keen student of domestic and international affairs, the renowned educator in a recent interview spelled out a plan for establishing a lasting peace between the U. S. and the Soviet Union—if we have the will for peace.
President Johnson said he believes peace with Russia and Communism is possible "in such a way as to preserve the institutions and practices of freedom which are the precious heritage and achievement of the western world, and in such a way as to enhance those institutions and practices of freedom."
Price for Peace Consistent With Our Honor
As for war:
"There are some forces in the world which cannot be stopped by military means. Communism is one of them. Communism is a powerful revolutionary movement in the realm of ideas and human organization.
"If peace is to be achieved with Russia and with the Communists it must be achieved in the field of ideas and in the field of human organization."
The U. S. must take the initiative in establishing such a peace and we are free to take this initiative now, said Dr. Johnson. But it will require a great price of us. Yet this price is within our power and consistent with our honor.
"If we do pay the price of peace, it will result in the functioning of our nation on a higher level than at any other time in its history, and could possibly win for us not only peace, but the esteem and affection of the entire human race," he pointed out.
Abolish Colonialism, Support Global Economic Reconstruction
There are two points to Dr. Johnson's program. One is the abolition of colonialism and the other is world-wide economic reconstruction which we should support to the tune of something like $25 billion annually.
"It requires the United States, first of all, to accept and to discharge the responsibility of bringing the Western powers, of whom she is the leader, to a deliberately planned and programmed liquidation of the remnants of colonial power in Asia, Africa and America, and to give up once and for all the imperialistic habits of political domination, economic exploitation and social humiliation of Asiatic and African peoples," the educator said.
"These habits are themselves the very essence of violence. They invite distrust and violence in return. It is not conceivable that the Western powers can win the confidence and goodwill of the peoples of Asia, and Africa as long as these habits persist in ever so reduced an area.
Overcome Animal-Like Struggle for Existence
. "It requires the United States, secondly, to accept the moral responsibility toward the whole human life which goes with our enormous scientific, technical, organizational and productive genius and to go into the United Nations with a program of economic reconstruction on a worldwide basis, designed to overcome the animal-like struggle for existence which up to this time has prevailed over the earth, and to bring about adequate subsistence in food, clothing, housing and health for every human family of every race, color, nationality and culture on the earth, within the generation now before us.
"As the proponent and leader of this program, it requires the United States to support it with , magnificent and responsible adequacy, in an amount which may be equal to one-tenth of our annual productive power—about $25 billion per year.
"It requires that we set this program before the world, not as an accessory to our military program, but as the main objective in relation to which our military program is only a protective fence-building operation.
Plan On Highest Level Of Statesmanship
"Now this is a plan on the highest level of statesmanship, designed to recognize and encourage to the. maximum the Russian and Com munist belief that a world-wide conquest of the struggle for existence is possible and to offer them a well-planned and magnificently supported way of working toward it by consultation and democratic cooperation on a world encompassing basis, as an alternative to the procedure of aggressive war and the violent and subversive establishment of totalitarian states which we so greatly fear."
There you have the Johnson plan for peace. What do you think of it? Your comments are invited.