THE NAVY AND PEACE

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21456, 24 April 1935, Page 7

THE NAVY AND PEACE

TO TUB EDITOB OV THX PEBS3. Sir, —The letter of Mr A. A. M. Grundy in this morning's issue under the above caption is for the most part quite logical and in order, provided we admit its prior assumption, though obviously there can only be one result from the course he proposes, the social, economic and political destruction of both victors and vanquished in the next world war. This is so generally admitted, that there is no need to dwell upon it. The assumption referred to is that the old methods of violence are the only road to peace and prosperity; and doubtless this theory was in the past largely true. The Roman methods of force led to the establishment of the Roman Empire and to the Pax Romana; but conditions have so changed since those times, that these methods will no longer give the same results. We arc faced now, if we continue them, with a general holocaust of civilian and armed populations, revolutions in most countries, and probable chaos everywhere. Can we find no better method? The alternative is the way of collective security. True that at present it is inchoate, tremendously complex in its bearings, and can only be worked out in the midst of great risk. Still these perils are nobler adventures than the way of wholesale massacre. Which way are we to choose, the way of human slaughter or the more ideal road of human brotherhood, the Roman way with all its fiendish cruelties or the Christian path of goodwill. For nie there is only one answer.

Now a word as to the statement that the British Navy is a police force. This statement comes from the Hps of British admirals and their conscious or unconscious mouthpieces, but it will not bear any analysis. Let us try to get down to facts. If a man strikes me | over the head in the street, I have at least two courses open to me. I may retaliate and endeavour to strike him harder, or I may bring an action for assault against him. In the former case we shall be arrested and brought up before the magistrates for fighting in a public place, in the latter he will be brought before the court, and perhaps bound over to keep the peace. The participants in the affair are the criminal, the accuser, the policeman, and the judge or magistrate. Now take the alleged analogy. The essential object of a navy is to fight other navies. Fleet A, presumably acting under instructions from its government, attacks fleet B. A battle ensues in which fleet B is destroyed. Fleet A and the government under which it acts have thus become accusers, judges, and executioners in their own cause. In no way have they acted as the policeman who stops a quarrel and brings the accused to the bar of justice. There are indeed cases in which the navy acts as a policeman, but these are only incidental to its career, and not essential to its duty. On the other hand what the League of Nations is endeavouring to do is to enable the forces of the world to prevent the outbreak of war, and, should they unfortunately fail in this, to bring the culprit before a world court of justice. An excellent example is the policing of the Saar before the plebiscite by the forces of various neutral nations. True the league has failed in one or two conspicuous cases, though it has succeeded in quenching many sparks, that might otherwise have led to world-wide conflicts. If the league is not our hope, we must abandon hope; but it has failed at times, and will fail again, if not supported by men of goodwill. This brings me to my last point. Mr Grundy quoting Dean Inge, quite rightly tells us, "The causes of fear must be removed or they will at some future day bring about the same awful tragedy," and then strangely enough asks,« "Is this not tantamount to saying Britain should rearm"? But what are armaments but the expression of fear. The more we arm, the more other nations will arm, and the greater will be the fears all round. The last war was evidence enough of this. The increase in the German navy certainly alarmed the British. The proofs of this were manifest at the time, and need not be retailed. "There is not one nation in Europe that would sacrifice one iota of its interest for aonther," continues Mr Grundy. Quite so, but until we learn the Christian doctrine that we are all of one blood, and that the interest of each is the interest of all we shall not have security. Where are the churches? Yours, etc., ROBT. M. LAING.

—May I express my admiration for the unassailable letter of "Slightly Amused" on this subject. April 22, 1935. TO TUT, BDXTOB OF THE PEBSS. Sir, —That mother of contradictions, May Eddy, judging by the quotation supplied by A. A. M. Grundy the day before yesterday, would doubtless have applauded the maxim, "Trust in God, but keep your powder dry"; and I cannot help wondering, were she still alive in the United States, whether she would advocate the heavy armaments of bodyguards as being neces-

sary for preventing racketeering arid preserving peace among gangsters, Women, like some men, in the brotherly love racket, say and write the strangest of things. Annie Besant, uncrowned queen of the Theosophists, who are all for brotherhood, mixed peace and red-hot jingoism together right lustily. In her book, "War Articles and Notes," we glean the following:— . ' "But be an eternal, spiritual intelligence . . . then war, like all other happenings in a world 'that exists for the sake of the Self,' has under the rough husk of evil the sweet kernel of lasting good. . . . He dies for King and Country—a King he may never have seen, a country . . . of splendour and radiances and beauties of ideal might and loveliness that else he had not dreamed. . . . They suffer for the country's 'honour.' They die for the country's 'flag.'" "The war Germany has provoked, as her road to empire, shall crush her militarism, free her people, and usher in the reign of peace. "For ourselves, though not Christians, we have no mind to wax sarcastic over the gulf between Christ's peace and love and Christian practice. ... To us, war, waged in defence of the weak, of honour, and of plighted faith ... is a righteous thing. . . . But then we regard the Sermon on the Mount as being teaching for the Sorvnyasin only, and in no wise intended as a general rule. . "On all creatures who rejoice and suffer may happiness descend, may war pass into peace, may hatred melt into love.

"Great Britain's magnificent fleet is now her protection* and should be fully adequate for its task." It will be interesting to hear what Evangeline Booth may have to say on the subject should she come to Christchurch, and whether she will be able to help wipe out the stigma in the phrase, "argues like a woman." — Yours, etc.,

April 23, 1935.