Is War Inevitable?

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 34, 3 November 1933, Page 13

Is War Inevitable?

Sir, —May I reply to the letter of your correspondent, Mr. G. F. Moore, in today’s paper. In the first place if we had accepted the statement that many must have made in the past that disease was inevitable, liow could we in the West have overcome plague, cholera, and lenrosv. Is that no gain? It is a gain that could not possibly have been made if men had said, “Pestilence is Inevitable." It is fate, or human nature. To say it is human nature to fight presupposes that human nature does not change, whereas it is continually adjusting itself to changing con-' ditious. If human nature does not change —why is it that a Hungry out-of-work Wellingtonian does not club another and dish him up to appease his'appetite? If wc granted that human nature did not change, even then we should have to admit this, adjusting, Life is continually changing—but this relie of barbarismwarfare. is continually fostered by those who make money out of armaments. Surely nobody to-day believes that the Lord said: “Go forth and smite the Amorites, etc.” Doesn’t the whole pf the Old Testament show the gradual evolution of man and his growing knowledge, which reaches its height in the life of Jesus and His teaching—on which all Christianity is ,founded? For every test such as Mr. Moore quotes and similar ones, a directly opposite one ean be’ quoted. But the supreme tost is found in the life of Christ, and that. He was a pacifist is obvious because His country was occupied, not only by an alien, but also a pagau tyranny, and since He was acclaimed as the Messiah, there is little doubt that had He chosen His following would have been assured. But when He died—His name could never have changed the world. —I am, etc., M. E. STILES Wellington. November 1.

Sir, —Replying to Anti-scaremonger's” further letter I would point out that Mr, W. Nash states that the customs laws of New Zealand are so written that Japan-

ese do not think of coming to this country. I agree that we should endeavour to continue on friendly terms with Japan, so long as, I would add, she ;s prepared to act in a spirit, of co-operation, conciliation and fairness;.so.efficient a nation may be a very good.friend but a very terrible enemy. It is essential, however, that we should be able to state our own Empire position with firmness. It is for this reason that adequate defences should be maintained, not for the purposes of making war or enriching individuals, but as a buttress to peace and a wall against aggression. ■ . . I do not agree that the Australian Colonies were gained: .in ’ exactly the same manner as it is alleged the Japanese might conquer New- Zealand. When that great agent of world development, Captain Cook, R.N., charted and annexed New Zealand and Australia, be found those countries sparsely .inhabited by native races who had long.been in occupation but had effected nothing by way of developing the marvellously productive potentialities to the human race of those areas. In both cases, setting aside early abuses, the rights of the natives were safeguarded as never before in history. To-day New Zealand has nearly a century of intensive development by her present occupiers to her credit; Australia has longer, though owing to her vast area; far more remains to be done. The disproportionate population of the Northern Territory, 4860, out of a total of 6,630,600, indicates, however, a surprising lack of'initiative and intelligent adaption. The area is well watered, has fine rivers, and consists of savana, a class of country which has provided some of the richest agricultural. and pastoral \ land in Queensland and New South Wales. Health returns show that white children of the third resident generation are on the'average better developed than those> of New South Wales. This territory has suffered from the “tropics are no place for a white man” fallacy, when what is required is merely a modification of habits of diet, clothing and work in . order to maintain health. If this area is not populated in proportion to the rise in the other Australian States it cannot be held indefinitely as a white preserve: priority rights to settlement. however good, would be forfeited by such neglect and stupidity.—l am, etc.. PHAROS, Wellington, November 1.