PEACE MEETING SPEAKERS

Press, Volume LXXXV, Issue 25734, 21 February 1949, Page 3

PEACE MEETING SPEAKERS

TWO MINISTERS AND COMMUNIST CHAIRMAN’S ATTACK ON VATICAN United States foreign policy had become the foreign policy of the Vatican, said Mr A. B. Grant, who presided at a peace rally in Latimer snuare yesterday afternoon. The cold war now being waged against the Soviet Union was a Counter-Reforma-tion being waged because of Roman Catholic Church dogma and principles “All we can do for the betterment of social and economic conditions will be abortive if we fail to halt the deliberate march towards a third world war,” Mr Grant said. Pacificism was true realism, said Archdeacon F. N. Taylor. The reason why pacifists had a clear vision was because they had faced the ugly fact that war was the enemy of mankind and social wellbeing. Those who called pacifists idealists were themselves idealists. In the Great War they had said they were waging a war to end wars, and in the last war the cry was"making the world safe for democracy.” They were silly, sentimental idealists and not the realists they thought they were. ■T found that if I was to help in social betterment I had to oppose war.” said Archdeacon Taylor. “I found also that that was the teaching Of my religion.” he said.

The Rev. Andrew Johnston said it was an amazing thing that people accepted war as a remedy. On its showing in history it had nothing in it “Christ has laid it down that peace can only be achieved by peaceful means, the Communists attack this but it is true.” added Mr Johnston “What is of primary importance' to us is that in the temporal world we have the right relationship to each other.” he continued. “Political and economic systems are important only in the relations they engender. Any totalitarian society is utterly useless if it rejects this. It is impossible to legislate people into happiness.” “No Difference in Ideals” Communists also believed in the brotherhood of man. said Mr lan Carruthers. “There is no difference between the ideals of Communists and of the Christian Church, but we say the first step is to get rid of the economic system causing war. Tn smuggling for peace, the Communists are struggling against a system in which i.wsr and economic depression is inevitable.” ' “Are you agents for the Soviet Government?” asked an elderly woman on the fringe of the crowd. “Are vou aware that the Soviet is arminr’ ts it not to fight us?” Mr Carruthers said the Communist Party in New Zealand was composed Smcipally of New Zealanders and d no direct contact with Moscow “The whole history of the Soviet Union since the war had been peaceful. Its struggle at United Nations had been for peace,” he added. “There is no doubt, however, that she is making munitions. The capitalist world is sraung and directing its propaganda against the U.S.S.R. and to arm for self defence is only logical and sensl-

“She collared Greece and 22 other countries and treated the men and women in a disgraceful manner.” said the woman.