TRIBALISM CAUSES WAR.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 145, 21 June 1926, Page 10

TRIBALISM CAUSES WAR.

CHINESE PHILOSOPHY. THE ROTARIAN VIEW.

"All the political machinery of Europe is built up on tribalism." said Mr. E. R. Peacock, of Melbourne, in his address to-day to members of the Auckland Rotary Club. The speaker drew on very extensive travel experiences to entertain his fellow Rotarians and too emphasise the difficulties in the way of international peace. To understand European history, continued Mr. Peacock, it was necessary to go back to the times when the tribal chief declared he had been divinely appointed, and by the use of medicine men entrenched himself and gained a hold over the people. Then his tribe began killing the members of other tribes, thereby becoming relatively stronger, and so the foundations of nations were laid. Having made an extensive tour of Bosnia, Herzegovina. Serbia and Bulgaria, he could. Inform his hearers that to find the real cause of the assassination of the Archduke of Austria at Serajevo, which precipitated + he great war. one had to go back to 1450 when the Turks took Constantinople and conquered the Serbians. Since that time -the Serbians had been ground under the heels of the Turks and the desire for redress was handpd down from mother to child, one generation after another. Once when on a world trip Mr. Peacock went to Korea. It was before the RussoJapanese war and in Seoul, the capital of Korea,-tie talk was , of nothing but. war. -When in the train leaving Korea he met a fine old Chinaman with "whom he opened conversation, eventually broaching the subject of the probable waT. With great dignity and sincerity tbe old- Chinaman exclaimed: "father Almighty f. Mother Earth 1 All men are brethren, there should be no wax."

.After quoting from Edwin Arnold's "Light of Asia," in which the"'nold of Buddhism was analysed, Mr. Peacock said the great thing , was to treat other people as you would that they should treat you. The speaker concluded by stating that the principles of Rotary embraced some of the soundest philosophy of life. Its work was inspiring men to a higher realisation of their responsibilities. It would be a great day when it was realised that business could be carried on with jclean hands. This ideal could not be brought about by groups, however, but by individualeffort. The personality of man ■was the greatest agent in saving the world.