WAR AND CAPITALISM.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 184, 6 August 1934, Page 3

WAR AND CAPITALISM.

LECTURER'S DENUNCIATION. COLLECTIVE ACTION' ADVOCATED. Declaring that he would rather be shot or hanged by his own. Government than shot in the field of war, Mr. H. D. Dickinson, lecturer at the University College, laid the blame for international conflict on capitalism, in the course of an address to a meeting' held last evening under the auspices of the Auckland Anti-War Council. "The only good thing that came out of the late war," added Mr. Dickinson, "was the Bolshevik revolution." (Applause.) The audience also applauded hie remark that he wan one of those ashamed to have served in the Great War.

"The forces which drive capitalism to war are the desire for profit, the export of capital, and the desire to secure political control of undeveloped terrtiory," Mr. Dickinson said. "These factors produco economic nationalism and its successor —imperialism." He went on to say that the only way in which war could be ended was by the abolition of capitalism; that was, by the building up of socialism. That might be a long and difficult process, and if war came in the meantime it was their duty to fight that particular war and to fight their own Government by every means in th.cir power. Governments would be less inclined to policies leading to war if they knew that a large proportion of their people would prefer prison or even the firing sqiuid to going forth to war. In addition to individual action there must be collective action. A declaration of war should involve a general strike of all transport services, and that might mean danger of prison. It would be a sacrifice that would really do some good, and not the useless sacrifice of the millions slain in the last war. Even the threat of such an organisation against war might be sufficient to make capitalistic governments mend their ways. "Evidence shows that Britain is just as determined as ever to carry out its policy of using military and naval strength to obtain power over other countries to safeguard the interests of British investors and financiers," continued Mr. Dickinson. "At the Disarmament Conference Britain was not among the Powers conspicuously anxious to make concessions in the matter of disarmament." The speaker also dealt with the British Governments reservations to the Kellogg Pact in regard to certain unnamed territories. A "Free Republic" in New Zealand.

The Eev. J. H. Chappie, in an address, denounced Imperialism and said that New Zealanders had a chance to bring up a free republic and get away from the Imperial curse of the northern hemisphere. He protested against holding tip ]Jr Dollfuss as a martyr, asserting <that lie had been responsible for ruthless cruelty to Socialist workers and their women and Mr T Stanley, representing the Communist party, warned his hearers not to take notice of an enemy that was pointed out to them overseas but to struggle against the enemy within the ea The holding up of any essential services which might enable war to be earned on was advocated by Mr. N. M Richmond. He admitted that that might lead to the use of force, but said he could see no other way. The meeting passed a resolution opposing the New Zealand Government in its continued support of war.