CHILDREN'S PEACE LEAGUE.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17247, 10 September 1921, Page 2

CHILDREN'S PEACE LEAGUE.

addresses in schools. education board disappbqves

J At its monthly meeting, yesterday,' I the Canterbury Education Board was waited upon by a deputation from the National Peace Council, wlhich waa headed by Mr C. R. Mackie (secretary), Rnd which asked that, as a Childron'a Peace League was being formed in) Now Zealand, no unnecessary obstacles be placed in the way of addresses by the | Council being given and of branches of i the Peace League being formed in the schools. A hope was expressed, in a , letter setting out the object of the deputation. that the Council had the good- | will of the Board in approaching thej eclnool committees and seeking their active co-operation and their consent to the U9e of scliool buildings. Mr Mackie, who introduced the deputation, said it was desired to link up with the Children's Peace League movement throughout the world. Ho asked if permission would bo given, as it had been given to the Navy League, to put before the children both sides of the question of peace and war. The Peace) League sought to second the efforts of the League of Nations to secure peace and goodwill amongst the peoples of the world. The members of the N"ational Peace Council lhad been called a "peace-at-any-price" party, but they believed that the * principles of pcaoe should bo inculcated in the minds of children, just as the principles of war had been inculcated in Germany. Mr N. M. Hell read a statement in which he dealt with the futility of the belief that preparation for war was the best way to avoid war, and he submitted i that if the Navy League was given per- ] mission to eater the schools and ex- J pound their ideas, those who thought j differently ought to be given the same i facilities. 1 Mr E. H. Andrews, one of the mem- < bers of the Board, asked on wthafc j grounds the deputation accused the 1 Navy League of inculcating and en- t couraging war: the Navy League had assured the Board that such was not } the object in view. He suggested that \ the deputation did not understand the f real character of the Navy League's c

propaganda. Mr Bell said lie understood fhe Navy J Hague's teaching was that the way to avoid war was to get a big Nary, and keep it constantly prepared for war, and that a their lecturers would emphasise the idea that unless there was a great Navy there could, not be peace. The Peace League wanted to show that reliance on a big Navy got one. nowhere. Germany (had possessed the biggest army in the world, but it got her nowhere. Replying to Mr John Jamieson, Mr Bell explained that he had been a teacher .under the Board, but hod to resign, owing to his attitude over the war: he had been a teacher at the Boys' High School j and during the war he had been imprisoned for two years: he was now a private tutor. . Mr Jamieson said that he did not desire these particulars, but information -as to whether any of Mr Bell's 1 relatives went to the war, Mr Bell said that both hiß brothers went, and went aa volunteers. Mr A. Peverill said it was not correct that the Navy League lecturers could go into4>he schools as they wished ; they had to get the permission of the school committees. Mr' Bell, replying to further questions, said the teaoher ought not to implant doctrine in the children's minds, but "make "them come to • their own decisions. He would have both jsides placed before them; just' as in the case of prohibition and anti-pro-hibition. ' ' . .

After the deputation had withdrawn, the minute of the Board regarding the Navy League waa produced and read : it stated that the Navy League would be allowed tp visit the schools and form branches of" the League. Mr A. Peverill said he waa certain that the motion agreed to included the provision that the League was to obtain the approval of the school com-, mittees.

A search of the minutes did not disclose that this was the case. The chairman (Mr O. W. Armitage) moved, and Mr H. J. Bignell seconded : "That while the iJoard is mindful of the untold blessings that would result from a universal and stable peace, and is (earnestly desirous that toe endeavours of the League of Nations may bring such peace within measurable distance, it cannot regard with approval or even equanimity the propaganda of a body that, at the tune of imminent peril, merely took up an attitude of benevolent but nevertheless dangerous neutrality, which, had it been shared by the majority of tfee people, would have spelt disaster to the British Empire and deprived her citizens of that freedom which all unbiased persons recognise they enjoy under the present constitutional Government, and that, therefore, the Board cannot accede to the request preferred by the National Peace Council.'" . , « The chairman said he was not much impressed with the deputation's arguments, and he\alluded to the state of things in Victoria College, Wellington. As for these pacifists,/ he aaid, he would as goon have the "Red Feds" and the Bolshevists; with the "Red Feds" one knew where ofle was, If the Emnire had been left to people like the pacifists, the Lord only knew what they would have done. (Laughter.) He thought that the motion was not half strong enough. Mr Peverill thought the motion should be in stronger terms. If this clasj of people did -not like this ; . country, they should get out; let them go under the German flag, arid he warranted they would be only glad to come back under the British flag. Mr T. Hughes aaid the question was whether the Board should allow the Peaoe League to teach its principles in the schools. Mr W. A. Banks said,that every member of the Board was in favour of universal peace; at the same time they could not forget that Great Britain hod lost hundreds of men through her I unpreparedness. No nation would have attacked Germany, Because she was prepared to resist. The boy in school who could use his hands was usually left alone. They should see that the nation was prepared. by training the youth of the country jn the way it should go. All this peace business came from people who would not go to the war. Ho had never heard a more foolish set of argumente than that children should hear both sides of a question. The Navy League was not going to urge a big navy, T>ut intended trying to make the children understand what love of countnr meant, and what i was involved in defending one's coun The motion was unanimously agree*, to.