TOPICS for WOMEN

Evening Post, Volume CXVII, Issue 18, 21 July 1934, Page 19

TOPICS for WOMEN

v-The,',Scheme.-of Things

By M.H.C.

v'A new slogan appears to have, been sent forth from Geneva, emanating from a meeting of Women's International Organisations which.met there in May last. This is "Take the Profits oiit of War." It is one , that needs serious thought and a great deal of investigation. What is asked- by this committee is that women in* all countries* shall ask their Governments to investigate the private manufacture of the ■ munitions of war. It is felt that the.exportation of arms to belligerent countries by private manufacturers is a thing that is to be utterly condemned. Eeports state that in America the "Take Away Profits" cry has spread far. and wide, that the public are deeply interested in the question, and that a great deal of investigation is going on there. Senator Borah spoke in no uncertain manner in the course of a remarkable, speech. He said: "Highwaymen' are not more heartless and blbodjthirsty than the man who builds np armaments in another nation for the purpose of sending his own people to the. front, that they may furnish the means by which to murder them."

..The.result of strong feeling was, apparently, the passage of a. measure in ,April of. this year providing for a cbmjreherisive investigation of tho munitions industry of the country. This inquiry includes an investigation ,of the war-fomenting activities of certain: munition manufacturers, and a committee of seven Senators has been appointed to proceed with it at an early date. "Very definite powers have been given to the committee, which can require -.the attendance •of such witnesses and.the. production, of such books, papers,' and. documents as it deems advisable^ The committee has been instructed^ (a) to investigate tho activities of individuals, firms, associations, aid corporations, etc., engaged in the manufacture, sale, distribution, import or export of arms, munitions, or other implements of war; (b) to investigate and report upon • the adequacy or inadequacy of existing legislation and: of the treaties to which the United States ia-'a. party. . .; (c)to recommend such specific legislation as may be deemed advisable;, and (d) to inquire into the desirability of creating a Government monopoly in respect to the manufacture of armament, etc.-

{ -The,;,women in, America first raised ■^hV' question of'profits on tho sale of munitions and-arms to piivate people, and .'seeiaed .to have gathered a de- ' finite'idea from, soutees not mentioned that some of .those, who were manufacturing munitions were employing means to'foment war. This was followed, up by : an" article entitled ''Arms and.the Men" in. a:. well-known commercial magazine,; "Fortune." However this may;be, there is a widespread feeling apparently, and a growing one, that all arms, and munitions should be made under tfie- Governments, and that private,enterprise, in. these should tie forbidden. It is hard for the ordinary human." being to grasp the idea that any human beings should so lost to the sense' of decency, as to foment war— with' all its unspeakable horror and misery—for the sake of personal gain dr^the piling up of wealth. It would seem to be an impossible thing for any-

lone to do; but it has to bo remembered that in this world there arc, nowadays, many abnormal and super-normal people, and it is quite possible that the minds of such people might turn to the acquisition of wealth, no matter how it might be obtained. It is one of tho interesting questions of the day— the peculiarity of minds. It is impossible to read at all widely without coming to the conclusion that either inbreeding, or the stress and over-exertion of life, or other modern causes, brings forth quite a number of people who appear perfectly sane, and aro so really, except on one point, and with these acquisitiveness may be that one point and they, may not have tho power to Control it, no matter what' considerations of humanity or decency or pity may arise. These embtions may be unknown in such persons, and, as they cannot be blamed for having been born without them, it looks as if it would be tho right and sensible thing for Governments to provide against them.

It is stated iii an article in an Australian paper that in that country there is practically a Government monopoly of the manufacture.-of small arms for us© in the Commonwealth, and that only what is required over and above such output is imported. It seems that the younger countries aro not accustomed to thinking in terms of warfare, as arc the older countries of the world, and it would be wise if investigation were made as to what traffic there is in arms and munitions between. this end of the world and the other. The fact that.there is profit, and apparently great profit, in these things makes it desirable that; the whole facts should be open and above board. It is not like airy other'kind of exchange and barter. It means the lives-of millions, and the preservation of what civilisation has attained, for war to'bo avoided, and the monetary profits of the materials of destruction seem to the average wellbalanced mind to be so. .trivial in comparison, as to be "almost ridiculous. The questions'of"international boundaries,, of wealth' in minerals, -■ oilj- etc., appear with more force of possibility—yet, according to persistent, rumours,' they aro not'as potent- as the mischief-! makers between nation- and nation who are out ■ for personal J. profit. It all sounds perfectly .'mad, but a' recent! lecturer rf>n psychology told a large audience that,it,is possible to change primary instinctive forces and that human behaviour is being continually | modified and ■ controlled. The instincts of pugnacity and aggression, he stated, must be developed and used, but not for destruction, only for construction. Another speaker said that disarmament would-never'Stop -war, but that what was necessary was to get down to the real Causes', high 'finance, economics, and politics. This was quoted^ from a Secretary of State- for."War, and seems to touch the question of profits most decidedly; It may be.that the American slogan which'reached Geneva, and was sent forth by women to other women1 in the world, was not** so far out of the picture-after all. Most women hate futility, although some of them are guilty of being futile, but to enter on to,a course of - wholesale destruction and misery. seems to,; warrant a harder term than futility, although it fits to a; largo estont.