March Through City On Hiroshima Anniversary

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30823, 7 August 1965, Page 14

March Through City On Hiroshima Anniversary

“Hiroshima Never Again,” “Ban All Bombs to End AU Tests,” “End All Tests By Banning All Bombs,” “The Present Situation Is Impossible Alike for the Victors and the Vanquished . . - There Cannot Be At the Present Time Any Question of Humanising War Albert Schweiter,” “Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation Fears Further Hiroshimas." These were some of the slogans from the 20 doublesided banners carried in the midday march organised by the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament to mark the twentieth anniversary of Hiroshima Day, in Christchurch yesterday. Members of the Youth Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, the Bertrand Russell Peace Foundation and the Joint Council on Vietnam took part in an orderly march from the university clock tower to Latimer square. Addresses Children marched with their parents and others joined them en route. About 100 people in all assembled in Latimer square to hear an address by the Very Rev. M. W. Wilson, vice-president of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and Mr L. C. J. Southon, a trade-unionist. Mr Wilson reminded his listeners that they had met to make a public protest against the storing of atomic weapons for war.

“We are regarded as fanatics. We have been called the lunatic fringe because we voice our protest, but the lunatics are the main body in the centre who do not protest,” said Mr Wilson. “What justification is there for producing these weapons? It is said that fear of using them will prevent people from going to war—this is lunacy. If you want peace

you must not prepare or war. If you prepare for war—war is inevitable,” he said. “A menacing cloud will hang over mankind until the nuclear weapons are destroyed. Mankind must succeed in abolishing war or war will abolish mankind. We arc on the side of sanity, truth and righteousness and I believe we shall triumph over insanity. “We shall live to see the day when atomic bombs will be turned into power stations and nuclear weapons will be the means of producing harvests.” Profit Mr Southon, who described himself as a representative of the working man, told the gathering that not everybody hated war. Some people profited from it, but it was not the working man. The bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima was just a toy compared with those that existed today, said Mr Southon. Already there were a number of nations armed with atomic warheads that could reach any part of the world. Every war was fought to end war—but the next war would finish mankind. The time had come for an adjustment in thinking, and there should be preparations for peace and not for war. The place to settle disputes was round the conference table. After that it was too late. Mr Southon commended a statement by a Government member, Mr L. F. Sloan, who said: “While our troops are already fighting in Vietnam, we are soft enough to sit around conference tables questioning the wisdom of our decision.”

Mr B. V. Creedon has been appointed a member of the Papanui Domain Board in place of Mr C. E. Clarkson.