"FIDAC" FED UP.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 249, 20 October 1924, Page 9

"FIDAC" FED UP.

FIVE MILLION FIGHTERS. TO FORESTAIX THE T..0.N. (From Oar Own Correspondent.) LONDON", Septemilwr n. Fidao., which being interpreted means Federation liiLeralliec JJea Ancien* [ Combattants, is a body uf ex-service men of the allied nations comprising within it the liiiUsh Ijfgion. IU next j conference is to take plaep in Irfmdon on i Monday, and Uie occasion ha* been ' seized by General c-lr lan Hamilton to make in advance sit a British Legion meeting a stirring public appeal on behalf of the aims of I'idac. He calls on it:', five million members as "lighters to tight war," and would have them forestall Geneva in its funiblings after formulae. "There is no cause," said Sir lan. "as yet for Uβ to frisk about Westminster in the belief tha.t the. lamb will no longer be eaten by the lion. A beautiful resolution has been passed by the League of Nations. Will there 'be any 'resolution' behind it? "Xot until the hour of trial ehall we know whether the whole bright vision will not fade away and leave, no more trace upon history than a rainbow upon the weeping clouds. "I do not," ho continued, ''mako these remarks in any cynical depreciation of idealism. Idealism ia like the aeroplane which flies far ahead of the main body to bomb the entrenchments of the obscurantists a.nd bigots, but only the solid, mud-crushing infantry, Fidac, can. charge in and take the position. "Not the pacifists, bnt Uie fipht«rs are going to combine their forces ajrainst war. You are never quite sure of iite pacifist, because his pacifism is u-sually an inverted form of pugnacity. We of the British Legion, on the other hand, are perfectly sure of one another. We arc fed up with war. "Althoiirh Fidac includes ua already in a semi-military alliance, we do not want our statesmen to sign any fresh scraps ot paper. "Surely there is a Iwt.ler way out than one lot signing on to fight another lot ten years henco. "You cannot divide the Continent into two camps and expect a single-minded Europe." continued the General. "Wo hope Fidac may help us to solve these, problems. Fidac is coining here—five million figMors, a direct action crowd. At Geneva they are trying to tie up a homicidal maniar —Ly which 1 mean war—with pink ribbons. Fidac knows that something stronger than pink ribbons will be needed if we are to encounter and overcome 'hate and the violent personal exasperation which has been engendered during the past two years. "Bayonets won't do it. Nothing will avert the future conflict short of "bringing the peace-loving sections of the exene.my veterans into Fidac. "Aβ an old soldier 1 implore young soldiers for the honour of the profession of arms, and in the name of ancient chivalry, to forestall the League of Nations. "Don't for the Lord's sake let it be said that civilians are ahead of the soldiers where real practical peace proposals are at issue. Fidac is still streets ahead of the League in that it includes the TJ.S.A. While Geneva talks of holding out a hand to the ox-enemy let us shake. "We belong to the most powerful organisation on earth. Let us use that power to insist that America is one, and that America may not fight with American; that Europe is one and that European may not fight with European. The rest will follow."