The Dominion TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1929. THE FOURTH DECADE

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 82, 31 December 1929, Page 8

The Dominion TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1929. THE FOURTH DECADE

To-morrow the world enters upon the fourth decade of the Twentieth Century. The time is opportune for a review of the achievements of the third and a hazard of the possibilities of the fourth. The world ten years ago was in the throes. A great war had been ended, but the sword had only been half-sheathed. The dawn of the third decade revealed a new perspective. From the Allied point of view the war had been waged to make the world safe for democracy, and for the rights and P r ? tect minorities. The Allies were faced with the extraordinarily difficult ' problem of translating their war principles, into practicable propositions. As the years went on it became increasingly evident that the reconstruction of the nations must be based upon a unanimous recognition of the fact of the peace objective. Without sue recognition, a general reorientation of international attitudes wouk be impossible. , ' The Locarno Treaties represented the first practical steps in the direction of peace, for they bound the principal war-makers of Europe to seek arbitration rather than war for the settlement ot their differences* Then came the Kellogg Pact for the outlawry of war, to which practically every nation set its signature. At this hopeful stage in the progress toward the peace objective ends the third decade. But, in the coming Five-Power Conference, an agent has been appointed to carry on the good work. Even if tie result is not as complete as could be hoped, yet the closer and friendlier relations achieved between. America and Britain will be worth more to the world than anything else. ■ Apart from the amelioration of international relations, the. world has been very busy these last ten years getting a living. A the warring countries except the United States emerged from the war impoverished by the destruction of man-power and capita . Currencies had to be reorganised and economic systems mended, and both had to be remodelled in accord with changed conditions. . It has been touch-and-go sometimes, and there were insidious suggestions that the short way of revolution was a better remedy than work. The nations kept their heads, however, shunned the terrible example of Russia, and are now working their way out of the wood. Rationalisation is the new economic slogan. There seem to to be no limits to its application. And, after z all, it is only the application of the peace objective to economics. • An end to insane competition, to trade wars, to false antagonisms between employer and employed—an end to all these senseless antagonisms. Just as in international affairs, so in industry, the, leaders are saying to each other: '‘Come,. let us reason together.” For the new decade the set objective should be the rule of reason. Another and longtir name for it is rationalisation. It means peace, good-will, co-operation in international as well as industrial relationships. If the goal is reached, or even approached, then the next decade will- mark the greatest advance yet made in world affairs. So, beginning from to-morrow, may the world be guided by the Biblical injunction: “Come, let us reason together.”