THAT PEACE CANNOT BE SECURED BY INTELLECTUAL AGREEMENT

Press, Volume LXX, Issue 21084, 8 February 1934, Page 6

THAT PEACE CANNOT BE SECURED BY INTELLECTUAL AGREEMENT

TO TUE IMTOtt OF THE PttBSS. Sir,—l read with very great interest the article by Dr. F. V. Bevan-Brown, "That Peace Cannot be Secured by Intellectual Agreement," and hope that all your readers will inward y digest a very valuable contribution to -our paper. Your contributor sets out his reasons and conclusion; X peace cannot be secured tn/ intellectual agreement in care Suv considered tanguaKc. and %tS%£ leaders' wise' enough to acnievc ,\" turhnlent sadistic pas>understand the ti ™ l ' 1 ° l " ~" orvu ugh sions of mankind, and strong " u "« { , to control and direct them wisely, an a ately your contributor tinn How are they to be put tnrou„n a crucible and pure.souls Produced? Only on the day of .judgment and it is then too late to benefit the living world if the fundamental cause of war is the primitive passions and inSfncts of man. Wars have not been started on any sound basis, ine ureai, War commenced through the ambition of an individual backed by the ambitions of other individuals to share in the glory which was to cover their country by dominating other countries of which they were jealous. The conflict was brought about by seizing on an incident that could have been dealt with in a law court, we have many Instances of the kind, even m Sis country, but. here it is called murder, and an individual, not a nation, is dealt with. Napoleon set out to conquer Europe. Again a case of personal ambition. Revolutions are the outcome of suppression and persecution by some ambitious person or persons who impose unbearable conditions on their fellows. The ambition of the individual leads him to mount a soap-box and endeavour to persuade people to put him in a position of control. We have samples here in this city who have succeeded, and they would deal with their opponents In a way so unjust that it might cause strife. Your contributor, I feel sure, has more knowledge of the human frame than I have, but I think he is in error in his opinion that war begins in the heart. It is more likely to be in the stomach. If that part of the body is properly catered for the individual would be more likely to elect persons to positions of control whose intellect would guide them in peaceful directions. A person whose body is in perfect condition is les3 likely to be looking for fight than one who has internal small wars going on, and consequently is educated up to battle on a larger scale from sheer bitterness of soul. My contention is supported by cookery books, which are often endorsed, "The Way to a man's heart is through his stomach."—Yours, etc SIMPLE SIMON. February 6, 1934.