WAR AGAINST NAZIS

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 2, 27 September 1939, Page 8

WAR AGAINST NAZIS

Views Of Methodists NO PRICE TOO GREAT “The triumph of Hitlerism would mean the triumph of the forces of evil ... to avert that triumph no sacrifice, however sore the price, is too great,” states the “Methodist Times,” in an article dealing with the present struggle in Europe. “The European war is rapidly getting into its stride, and is already quite sufficiently damnable,” statesthe article. “We shall sup enough of horrors before it is far through and war’s essential lawlessness and 'brutality are at this stage putting themselves in grim evidence. “The torpedoing of the Athenia with its 1200 passengers and its loss of 170 lives was altogether without excuse, and showed bow utterly ruthless the enemy propose to be. The savage bombing of open towns and villages in Poland that went on was in direct contravention of Hitler’s promise given in the Reichstag, and inflicted terrible misery on poor Polish women and children.” Pictures of desolation and suffering drawn by the cablegrams tore at the heart-strings, but war knew no mercy, and any measure was lawful* which tended to promote victory and destroy the enemy. In modern warfare all, even women and children, were combatants, and therefore were regarded as legitimate victims. Direct Aid Bar. ‘“lt looks, as we write, as though Poland is doomed, though she is presenting a valiant defence, and has fought most heroically. It seems a thousand pities that Britain and France could not have gone directly to her aid, but the difficulty was, of course, reaching her borders. Presumably, after crushing Poland, the Nazi armies will turn to the Western Front and concentrate their forces there, and then the real struggle will begin. “But there is every hope that the forces of brute tyranny and international arrogance will suffer defeat and that Europe will be delivered from the domination of Anti-Christ as represented by Adolf Hitler, even though the struggle may not be short.

“New Zealand, in common with the other units of the Empire, is loyally preparing to do her part and the Government is to be commended for the measures it is taking, galling though some of them may be. We must all brace ourselves to do our duty and to render* whatever national service lies in our power. We honestly believe that all that Jesus Christ our Lord lived a'nd died to secure for us is at stake in this conflict. “Meanwhile the praying hands, meanwhile the busy feet. And, in Mr. Chamberlain’s words, ‘May God defend the right.’ ”