Soldier’s Plea for Peace

Dominion, Volume 29, Issue 220, 13 June 1936, Page 26

Soldier’s Plea for Peace

“From the beginning, man found it cruelly hard to live; the strong arm was law, and only the fittest won through to survival. Man fought man: then family fought family; families combined, for defence or aggression; tribes resulted from the association of the families, and held their own for a while against tribes similarly formed; till, eventually, tribes joined forces, and nations came into being. Nations now maintain internal peace and good order by means of their own organised police forces, who restrain personal and party brawling. But as yet there are no international police; and nations continue to make war on each other freely. To an unprejudiced and dispassionate observer (hero can be, however, no obvious reason why tiie rational procedure which lias resulted in the establishment of a happy social .state by the fusion in amity of once hostile tribes should not be extended to Hie creation of a wide comity of nations, nations independent yet interdependent; a world federation or fellowship. Wars have been usually waged—in olden days—for Hie spoils of victory; increase of territory; acquisition of wealth: even glory to Hie victor. That lust for expansion Is not yet quite dead; but the glory of conquest is departing. We cannot escape from the proximity of our neighbours, it is surely better to live with them as friends than as enemies.” —The late Viscount Allenby.