ANTI-WAR

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 95, 18 October 1935, Page 4

ANTI-WAR

A PUBLIC MEETING

ITALY'S ACTION CONDEMNED

STKOXa CRITICISM

Some hard things were said about :! Signor Mussolini at the public meet--11 ing held in the Town Hall last night -I under the auspices of the "Hands off i Abyssinia" Committee to protest . against Italy's aggression in Abyssinia. : He was referred to as "the Franken- . stein of Europe," "this hideous menace," I "an antedeluvian," and "a strange . monstrosity/ There were, including the chairman, eight speakers. The • meeting, which was peaceful and strik--1 mgly orderly throughout in spite of ! the fervour of most of the speakers . approved by acclamation a resolution/ condemning Italy's action and support-- ' ing the League of Nations. • ■ The text of the resolution was as [ follows:— That this meeting of Wellington citizens condemns the armed aggression of Italian forces against Abysj Rinia in defiance of Italy's pledged [ word to the League of Nations ; Covenant and the Kellogg-Briand ; Pact and joins with the supporters . of peace elsewhere to urging the : League of Nations to take immediate , steps to restrain Italian, aggression and effect a peaceful settlement of the dispute which will maintain the independence and sovereignty of Abyssinia and preserve her territorial rights. Believing that a continuance of the Italo-Abyssinian conflict must inevitably lead to world war, we resolve to do all in our power for the preservation of world peace. Mr. P. J. O'Regan, who presided, said he felt assured that the. people of New Zealand were unanimous in condemning the uncalled-for active aggression on the part of the Italian tyranny. (Applause.) A FORUM. ■ "This crisis," continued Mr. O'Regan, "has exposed the League of Nations to considerable criticism, but at any fate the League of Nations has accomplished this much; it has afforded—l think for the first time in history—a forum through which the opinion of the world has been expressed, and as far as we can see the opinion of mankind is unanimous in the belief that the people of Abyssinia have as good a right to govern themselves and look after their own internal affairs as the people of any other country." (Hear, hear.) In the matter of natural rights there were no eldest 'sons of Divine Providence. Although the Italian dictator might destroy the integrity of Abyssinia he would not be surprised if in doing so he did not bring about the end of Mussolini tyranny. "I feel it is unnecessary for me to say," added Mr. O'Regan, "that whatever our opinion in this country we will say nothing or do anything that will give umbrage or embarrassment to the Italians who live in this "country." The Yen. Archdeacon Bullock said that Fascism was a form of Government he would not choose for himself. It was quite clear. that there had been on Italy's part a flagrant breach of faith,, but not only that: Italy was also guilty of an act of cruelty and oppression. Because Abyssinians might be a primitive, backward people, that gave Italy no right to use the means Italy was adopting. A very grave situation was being created for the whole world. He believed that the world was builti.on moral lines which meant in the., long run that those who did wrong would fare ill. The laws of right and wrong were written, on the tablets of eternity. It was because the world would have to pay if Italy was allowed to go on that he would like to protest as vigorously as possible. . WAR AN ANACHRONISM. Professor W. H. Gould said he was one of those who regarded ,war as an anachronism and as an enemy of all that was held good in civilisation, but he was not one who thought that mere abhorrence of war would be effective in preventing war. It seemed to him that to. desert the League would; in its hour of trial not only be cowardly but the utmost folly. The League's present action was almost admirable. He said almost admirable, because he could have hoped that it would have been.more prompt. He was quite sure the people of this country supported the League and would stand by it so long as it was an effective body to oust barbarism. A GREAT WEAPON. The Rev. Clyde Carr, M.P., said there were some who had little faith in the League and others had lost the faith they had, but his view was that the League was a great weapon forged by the great Powers, and it was the job of the ' common people of the world to compel their rulers to use the weapon they had forged, and if they would not use it elect people who would.. He regarded sanctions not as a punishment but as a deterrent. He sometimes thought that most people had an inferiority complex until someone trod on their, toes. In this instance there was a dictator obsessed with a superiority complex. "Let us hope,'? he concluded, "that he will have a revulsion of feelings and come to his senses." Mr. R. Nicholson (Australian Miners' Federation) said he thought he could say the working: class of Australia were against Italy's action. .At the moment the world stood on the brink of something that happened in 1914, but.it would be "somethingmore cruel and devastating. ' The world. should realise that it-was the League, and that war could only be fought, with the help of the people. If the present war went on, and the so-called "Frankenstein of Europe" had his way he would be more powerful than ever. A COMMUNIST SPEAKER. Mr. C. M. Brooks, who spoke on behalf of the Communist Party, said that as a returned soldier of five years' experience he was determined to do all in his power to avoid any future outbreak of war. The Communist Party was against the Italo-Abyssinian war for three fundamental reasons. The first was that it was a war of an imperial brigand for the seizure of an independent State. In the second place it was a war of Italian Fascism, not only against the people of Abyssinia but against the people of Italy themselves—the workers. There was great opposition to the war in Italy. There was revolt among Italian people against the campaign in Abyssinia, and other people could assist the people there in no better manner than by fagreeing to the application of sanctions to the full. Thirdly, the Communist Party was opposed to wars because they were conducted at the expense of the mass of the people and the working class in particular.

The Rev. James Richards said that with all his heart he protested against the bullying, unprovoked, and murderous attack of Italy upon Ethiopia. Mussolini was a Rip. Van Winkle. He was an antedeluvian; lie was a strange monstrosity—a contemporary ancestor That was not altogether Mussolini's fault but one of the results rather o£ the Great War, He trusted the application of peaceful sanctions would fulfil all their hopes and bring a speedy end to "this lop-sided conllict." He thought also that there should be re-

I pentance, because what Mussolini and ! Italy were doing, Great Britain had ; done in the past. (Hear, hear.) It j was a bad past in keeping with the i morality of that time, but people ■ nowadays were able to see clearer and I belter.