The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.1945, Blaðsíða 4

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THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
June 1945
was a Moses who led his people out of the wilderness of isolationism. He
had visions which he put into action; his was an inspiration rather than a
cold reasoned judgment. The task was not easy. To lead a nation of one
hundred and thirty million freedom loving people required qualities of
mind given to very few mortals.
The successive steps pass before us—at times in radio addresses
in language so appealing yet forceful that all listened; at times in the
sudden announcement of policy and action so cleverly framed that not
even his worst enemies could assail them. We recall the “quarantine of
Japan,” “the hand that held the dagger,” the four freedoms, Ogdensburg,
the Atlantic Charter. And then the skilful ways in which assistance was
given to the Allies—as for instance the fifty destroyers given to Britain
in exchange for naval bases—all finally climaxed by the Lease-Lend
policy which provided almost unlimited aid to the Allies and left his
opponents defeated and totally disarmed.
Some say the few truly great in this world are great because they
can see crystal clear what has to be done. There is another way of inter-
preting the wisdom of the sage, the vision of the prophet. Is it a mere
mental process of one specially endowed or is it a power given to him from
beyond. Many centuries ago Plutarch quoted Heraclitus as saying: “Man’s
genius is a diety.” Those words acquire a fresh significance when we
think of Roosevelt—his vision, his achievements.
As we do so it is not difficult for us to understand that he is not
gone—just on the other side. Bruce Hutchinson has said so beautifully:
“And somewhere, unless the universe is without plan, a monstrous
mockery which creates its finest products only to destroy them—some-
where, we may be sure, the spirit which overcame the flesh in this life
is joyously at work again.”
Yes, joyously at work. And again we find it not difficult to go one
step further and feel that in his work he is reaching humans here on
earth, influencing them, perhaps directing them.
When, in the hour of discouragement, as our courage wanes and we
are uplifted by those immortal words of Lincoln: “It is rather for us to be
here dedicated to the great task remaining befor us” and when we so
vividly recall the exhortation of Roosevelt to his people that if they do not
rise against the tyrants “the storm will rage until every flower of culture
is trampled and all human beings levelled in a vast chaos,” are we remind-
ing ourselves of mere words on a printed page or are the spirits of these
great souls reaching to us. We prefer to think the latter. If so, then every
lover of humanity, throughout the ages, as he seeks inspiration in the
service he is rendering to humanity, will not only seek strength from God
above, but will recall Franklin Delano Roosevelt and say:
“When you knock at the door I hasten to open it.”
W. J. LINDAL