DEMOCRACY AND DICTATORSHIP

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22251, 16 November 1937, Page 13

DEMOCRACY AND DICTATORSHIP

TO TBS EDITOB OF THE PRESS. Sir, —I presume that Brigadier-Gen-eral Andrew intended to infer in his letter that we are not here to study history but to make it, but his statement that the lack of preparedness in 1914 cost the Empire scores of thousands of precious lives, calls for comment.

I Hilaire Belloc gave as his reasoned opinion that the World War might have been ended during its first 15 or 20 months had British sea power been used by the politicians and their commercial supporters for the blockade of the enemy. He stated that everyone who lost son, brother, or husband in the latter period of the war owes that loss to the politicians, or rather to the rich man whom the politician obeys. Out of consideration I refrain from quoting Admiral Consett, but would like your correspondent to recall the speeches of Lord Courtney and Lord Lansdowne in a debate in the House of Lords in November, 1916, on the question of a break even or peace of right at that time. I think the influences operating at these two times are more pertinent in relation to human loss than unpreparedness was. The attempt to discredit social uplift is inopportune. The attainment of peace involves an equal society as its primary condition, and the way to deal with war is not to deal with the occasions out of which it comes, but.the deeper causes of which these occasions are merely the expression. Fascism is martial law based on primitive credulity. A directed society must be bellicose and poor. There are few supermen and no plan to find them. At any rate military strength and strategic placement are not everything, because we are in an era of the warfare of peoples rather than of armies or navies. Yet I agree that a combination of circumstances has drawn together combinations of powers. These circumstances should result in the three great nations with interests in the Pacific, Britain, Russia, and United States combining their influence .on behalf of peace. Empire defence is definitely linked in this direction, also the fundamental principles of our civilisation. —Yours, etc., WHITE WATERS. November 15, 1937.

| vTOViTfl* /BOnO* 0» TH» WESS.

?, Sir;— The last sentence in the letter •of "General Andrew in this morning's paper*.is sufficient to make any sensible person become'concentrated form it says,""Scrap all your good intentions, and get ready to kill." / Until munition works are under Government control and the soldiery kept in good bounds we shall never have peace. War, war, war is about the only news we get. One can easily' understand that, with the millions behind armament works, publicity becomes easy. No wonder we are advised to have large families. There will be more people to kill off. If people are not there to kill then poison gas Is not a paying proposition. —Yours, etc., ™,„«« PENSO. November 1V1037.