PEACE CELEBRATION

Evening Post, Issue 113, 10 November 1930, Page 4

PEACE CELEBRATION

SOGIETY OF KUENDS

Arpeace.-meeting eonycned rby the Society of in celebration of the Armistice; was held yesterday afternoon iv the Conference Hall of tho Dominion farmers' Institute.'' "Mr. W. B. Matheson, who occupied" the chair, explained the purpose; Of the- meeting. The Society of Friends;.-'.he .said; looked forward to the settlement- of: international difficulties by; other /'means tlian war, and the meetingwas, tile t outcome of friends feeling that the could best be celebrated by turning their thoughts towards peace. ' Mr..W.,P. Boilings spoke from the point of view of the younger group of men. At school they had learned to play the game. In'theiteam work of classroom and playground, ■ they, had been taught discipline j and. restraint. ■ They-were taught--to respect 'th-eir', opponents and to show them friendship. In war all that was changed. Truth was at a discount, aud they were asked to vanquish, and destroy. The last war was unique in history. Never before had men gone to war with the conviction —and- it was, no mere pious hope—that they were fighting to end war. It was realised now that their hope was an illusion, and that unless we worked for peace and secured it, WS would be disloyal to the men 'who'inad died. Good' intentions were not enoughi" and'an unthinking optimism was valueless. ■ Mies Bridgman recalled the sacrifices madevin' the. .waf.' ,The spirit of devotion and "loyalty which actuated men and women then were a challenge* to the youth of to-day to devote themselves to the task of securing peace. The body of people made up, that public opinion which, influenced national policy. She urged a' right attitude to these problems; the building up of a. body of knowledge about other nations, and the discovery of our. own possibilities. Mr. John Howell urged all to seek out the causes. of peace. The early Friends believed that peace was the outcome of lives lived in the power aud virtue of the spirit of peace. Erasmus, the first scholar and divine of his epoch, pleaded that the teaching of Christ meant brother-, ly love. The way of peace imposed great j obligations, and, declared Mr. Howell, it was not consistent. to claim that Christianity prevented war unless men and women were prepared to adjust their whole lives to the tremendous demands, personal, social, religious, economic, and political, that Christ's way made upon them. The following resolution was put to the meeting aud passed unanimously: '"That this meeting believes permanent world peace to be an immediate necessity, and urges individuals and groups to do their duty loyally as citizens, not ouly^ of thenown country, but of the world."