WELL BEING OF SOCIETY

Press, Volume XCI, Issue 27663, 20 May 1955, Page 11

WELL BEING OF SOCIETY

OPPORTUNITY SEEN FOR ADVANCEMENT (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, May 18. Never in history had there been such a potential for the abolition of poverty, ill health, starvation, and famine as was available today, the Leader of the Opposition (Mr* Nash) told the Labour Party’s conference in Wellington today. “If the manpower, the scientific knowledge, the actual physical material devoted to defence and potential war, or even a portion of it, were diverted to peace, I believe we would conquer food shortages within a decade,” he said. / “Every step toward the transfer from war to peace, from destruction to construction, from the killing of human beings to extending the period of life and improving health during our period of physical living, is, I believe, in accord with the Divine order. “If, therefore, we can find a reasonably safe way of limiting or abolishing the use of nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction, we are on the way to a new era of adventure, yes, of risk of life, but not to waste of life, as in the previous generation, nor to the hell which appears to be facing us now,” Mr Nash said.