NEW-ZEALAND'S APPEAL

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 236, 6 October 1931, Page 11

NEW-ZEALAND'S APPEAL

FOR WORLD DISARMAMENT.

WELLINGTON MEETING

CONSEQUENCES 01? LAST WAR,

(By Telegrapli.T-Press Association.) . Monday. ' The'-, cause - of world disarmament was eloquently ' advocated at a larger and representative, gathering at the Wellington Town Hall this evening. The meetiug'hviis unusual in : ,that the leaders of all : the three political parties, the lit. Hon..'G. W. Forbes, the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coatcs, and Mr. H.; E. Holland appeared on the same platform ,in support of a. common cause. -■■■•'■

Speeches; were also made by Archbishop O'SJica and Canon Percival Janies, who moved and seconded the following resolution, which;/ was carried ■-unanimously.:—'That" this, meeting warmly welcomes the forthcoming disarmament conference, and. urges the Government to do all, in'.its-power to bring about a. real reduction in the armies, navies and air forces of the world."

\ '.',]'[ Support the League. t ■ The .Prime- Minister said it /was the duty of every citizen .to support the work being- carried put by the 'League of Nations. They had seen"the terrible effects of the Great "War, many. of which they were suffering from that day. The sentiment in support of the ideal of "no more war" was growing. They ..might feel that in far away Wellington the sentiment was of no account, but it-.was the sentiment built up by individuals that was represented in the sentiment of a nation.

The gathering that evening would show,. Great Britain that the desire for peace -was a strong force in Kew Zealand: Britain had set a fine example to other nations in disarming." Mr. Forbes was quite certain that when '■. the. Disarmament Conference was held next February a great deal would be accomplished. ■•Mr.. Coates remarked that those who took part in the late war could speak of its horrors and that with all others they desired to prevent future wars. It would be ho exaggeration to say that the Great War was in some measure responsible for the conditions that existed to-day. For financial reasons the world, almost on the edge of bankruptcy, "should-take note of the cost of war. There should be a complete reconsideration of the general ;world position in regard to armaments. It was a happy augury that most leaders of thought and men and women throughout the Svorld were giving consideration to the problem.

Greatest of All Conferences. The meeting. at the Albert Hall, London, in July last, was the greatest of its kind the world had over seen, said Mr, Holland, who added that the coming conference at Geneva would be the greatest of all conferences. The known dead in the Great War totalled 10,873,500, of which Great Britain lost 1,000,000. In addition there were 20,000,000 wounded. Those figures did hot include losses through pestilence and other causes due to the war. It would, bo a common-sense thing if all nations of the world were to wipe out their war debts. (Applause.) Britain was paying, £1,000,000 a day, or £600 every : minute of. the day, in war debts.

Mi\ Holland added: "The world to-day is war weary.. I have never believed that any war and the lives sacrificed in it has been worth while. War must be written out as a means of settling disputes • between nations or civilisation must face its-own destruction."