WORLD PEACE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVII, Issue 114, 15 May 1936, Page 8

WORLD PEACE.

N.Z.'S ATTITUDE. "MUST HAVE IDEALS." MR. SAVAGE'S STATEMENT. SANCTIONS BILL IN HOUSE. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. The necessity for collective action in international affairs in order to preserve the peace of the world was stressed by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage, in the House of Representatives this morning. Mr. Savage said he agreed with the Leader of the Opposition, the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, when he said that a nation must have ideals. That was not enough. However, he did not think that they could emphasise the ideal too much, but when tliey got a League of Nations made up of idealists with the ideal "peace upon earth," and who were ready to face up to that realisation, it appeared to him that tliey would be some distance on the way. Multitudes were swayed by the advocates of war, but he felt sure that greater multitudes were swayed by the advocates of peace.

There was more humbug talked on the subject of peacc and war than anything else, said Mr. Savage. One would be Fed to believe at times that the peoples of the nations were deliberately planning for war with each other. What had they to gain by it? The people knew little about war, but if propaganda could be destroyed, it seemed to him that there would be destroyed a good deal of the seeds of war. If there were a League of Nations made up of idealists prepared to go to the extent of outlawing the private manufacturer of munitions, the world would be a long way toward peace. There were some people who had much to lose, because their money was invested in munition firms, and there were great chains of newspapers fanning the flames of war.

Mr. Savage said he sometimes wondered whether we were in our right senses. He had read that bankers were in favour of war, but he could not see that, because it would mean the destruction <|? the monetary system as it was knowl. While he would welcome that, it wjmd have to be remembered that it would destroy millions of people, and he was not in "favour of doing that by Act of Parliament. He had been told that the present Government had done more to bring about progress than all the wars of modern times.' Mr. Forbes: Did he say that? Mr. Savage: Yes. And I believe him, too. Mr. W. J. Poison (National, Stratford) : You would! Progress Without War. Mr. Savage said that the New Zealand Government had taken steps to control the credit and currency, but that system was not in force when the Dominion had sacrificed 10,000 or 17,000 of the flower of its manhood. He did not think that anyone outside a mental, institution would argue in favour oi war for progress. Progress should be made without war, and in saying so he pleaded guilty to being an idealist. The bill on the Order Paper in regard to sanctions should he passed, said Mr. Savage. The whole question would come up for consideration at the League of Nations meeting on June 15, and it was necessary to confirm that by Act of Parliament in New Zealand before June 2, so that, unless the Dominion desired to allow the question to go by the board, it was necessary to pass the bill. The Prime Minister then enumerated the provisions of the sanctions legislation passed last year, and gave to the House statistical information concerning the number of nations who had subscribed to the League of Nations proposals and the number which had applied sanctions. He also gave trade statistics dealing with, trade between New Zealand and Italy before and after the sanctions legislation came into effect.

Action had been taken, continued the Prime Minister, with a view to preventing the breaking of agreements as far as oil sanctions were concerned. The Leader of the Opposition had said that there had come a break. No doubt that was because some of the nations stood to lose financially. The application of sanctions was either right or wrong, and he looked forward to the time when it would not be necessary for any financial consideration to be taken into account. It was not a question of the British Commonwealth against Italy. It was just a question of taking some collective action to maintain the agreements for the preservation of peace. They could not do anything else. People in a Quandary, AJI the peace-loving people were in a quandary as to what should be done next, he said. He agreed that there was a big work ahead, not only for an Imperial Conference, but also for all the nations of the earth. It appeared to him that all the nations should get together on common ground. Steps should be taken for collective action, not only to make agreements, but to enforce them. lie was optimistic as to the j future, a-nd when action was taken it j should not be to argue in respect of the size of the muzzle of guns. No one could tell him that people went to war because they liked it. It. was on account of economic causes. The nations of the world were producing more rapidly than they could consume, said Mr. Savage. The people of the British Commonwealth should be united for a common purpose, and he was hoping a.nd praying that when they met greater attention would be paid to the question of bringing about peace between the nations. He thought that the British Empire, scattered as it was over tlie greater part of the earth, would play a major part in the future in the direction of bringing about peace. There had been quite enough talk. People calling themselves statesmen had sa-id that peace talk was too much like idealism, and there was no place in the scheme of things for idealism. The New Zealand Government would do everything in its power to make war impossible in the future, he added. No expense or effort should be spared in that direction. He had still some confidence left in humanity.