ARE WE READY?

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 8, 4 October 1919, Page 4

ARE WE READY?

PROBLEMS OP THE WAR.

In the course of a letter written from England, 11 r. John 1. Fox, formerly manager of tho Wellington Ketuvnecl Soldiers' Club, says:—"Uy the destruction of millions of valuable lives and property, thus curtailing the productive power of the world, we are face to face with problems of great magnitude. Kealities which have been overshadowed by warfare are coming, up to tho surface. Democracies which have bled for the last few years are restless and impulsive, Hemcdies are being advanced and. schemes propounded, whilst meanwhile living is very dear, and the whole life- of .the people lias become artificial. Pleasore-seeking has become the order of the day, with no real desire to repair the damage dune, or rebuild ttio Mattered structure which lies beneath our leet. That tins spirit of reaction should make itself manifest ono cannot wonder at. -Rome was not built in a day, as tho saying goes, but we must also remember that Home as a power did disappear in a much shorter period than it took her to establish an. J'mpiro. Is it conceivable or even possible that our.standard of civilisation can be lowered and we have to drift back into.those (lark ages of serfdom and savifsrv? Certainly the outlook is not top bright. Atyth 'the piliiy up.of huge national war debts which have got to be met sooner or later, with the desiro-ot producing less instead of more, with tho necessity of recouping our vast losses in • human' life, tho future is certainly fraught with perplexities. Purely the prima -who have fought and conquered will realise this stupendous task, and tho great responsibilities which no ahead. No doubt tho task of adjustment- is great, and requires tho co-operation of all, but it must be done, however it cannot be done in the spirit of partasanship- by pettifogging politicians, Bplslieviki, nationalisers, > freeholders,' live lovers, leaseholders, and so forth, ihe time for experiments is not here, i.ovtner for tho self-gratification oKdrcamers and cranks. When the time does arnvo when wo have built a New Jerusalem I lippo wo shall find avenues for all the beautiful dreams, and wander about m paths congenial to uur individual desires, hut the time has not arrived hence tho duty which lies nearest to our hands, the peoplo must be roused and imbued with, the spirit of unitv for combined cilort. National aims and a national character must bo the dominant factors of this generation. Men and women must sec themselves the task in bringing about this spirit, and create this uesire; and once having realised the immediate urgency of reconstruction the task will become easy. Tho best brains will havo to be selected to govern and administrate, and create legislation which will bo for tho advancement of the present and a heritage for those to iollow. Now is tho time to think, and to act, but 1 wonder, are we ready?