WAR AND PEACE

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 115, 16 May 1936, Page 10

WAR AND PEACE

ATTITUDE

£ DISCUSSION IN HOUSE

jWOEK OP THE LEAGUE

. The debate on New Zealand's attitude to international affairs was continued in the House of Representatives after "The Post" went to press yesterday afternoon, when the report of Sir James Parr (New Zealand's delegate rto the League of Nations) was further considered. >■ Mr. F. W. Schramm (Government, Auckland East) said that the only way to stop war was to take the profits out of it, and profits were mainly in armaments, which were internationally owned. ", Mr. K. J. Holyoak'e (National, Motueka) said he believed that much could be achieved by better education regarding the League of Nations and matters affecting it. He thought that the Education Department might very well, place such matters before • the "children in the schools. That was vital if New Zeatmd was to play her part and save disintegration of this great country. !• The Key. C. Carr (Government, Timaru) said that the decision lo - apply sanctions 'had been reached with wonderful celerity, but had they been applied? He held that they ..ad not, but that had been prevented by interested parties and vested interests, chiefly armament firms and their minions.' He believed that if a referendum were taken, the result would be not only for peace but for unilateral disarmament. At present, however, one nation could not disarm unless the .others'did, and he hoped that the British nation would lead the way. He disagreed that international trade was the '■■ cement of peace. He thought it was the seed of war. He believed that economic nationalism was a • cure for war;{the more nations became self.contained, the less would be the need ior war. - . "MUST HAVE FORCE." :-"- Mr. ■R... A. Wright (Independent, Wellington Suburbs) said that if the League of Nations were to become effective it must have force behind it. Sanctions as uset in the past had proved an utter failure, and it would be useless 'to continue them 'any further against a nation that ,->roke the Covenant unless they were imposed to the letter. •C'Mr. J. Thorn (Government, Thames) said the choice today was not between a perfect League and evil conditions of international relationship,- but between evil conditions of international relationships and a League that was inadequate; The need today was to accept the League with all its shortcomings, and work to build up public opinion in order to strengthen that organisation. He believed the situation of the League today was better than it was a month ago because of the new Government in France. CHANGING HUMAN NATURE. , The Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates (National, Kaipara) said that they must definitely support the idea that human nature could be so changed that at a conference in hich all races werev assembled, common sense and humanity could pervade the conclusions that were reached. The present discussion would do good if it brought New Zealand up against the fact that the Dominion was .not isolated but was concerned _ with international problems. The Dominion's safety lay in the fact'that it'could co-operate with other parts of the' British Empire. "■ "It comes back to this," said Mr. Coates, "just how far New - Zealanders are prepared to take part in the defence of their/own country. , That they should play it i:; beyond question. I doubt very much if there was ever a time in which the :young people of this country should be, told, not that they need to become soldiers or anything like that, but that . there is a responsibility on every able man should the ■ time arrive', and for vwhich he should not be ashamed but proud to take his part in protecting the institution and the freedom that "are his today. They may not be his if the country is invaded by a foreign race." He added, that whether the League would survive or not only the future would show. The principle and ideal were all right, and New Zealand must do all that was practicable to make it a success. But if the League were' to ■ succeed, it heeded something " more than words. ■ . : " ' HIGH MORAL PLANE. -•■ Mr. H. Atmore (Independent, .Nelson) did not believe that peace would come from violence, and he did not believe that they got peace by preparing for war. vVar would be banished from the earth when they approached their intercourse with nations on a high moral plane. -:Mr. B. Roberts (Government, Waira'rapa)' said that support for the League of Nations must come from enlightenment of public opinion, and it was the duty of each one of them to develop that public opinion. ••Mr. W. A' Bodkin (National, Otago Central) considered that the past activities of the League more than" justified its existence. The League had contributed largely to the peace of the .world in the last sixteen years. It had failed badly,on one of two occasions, 3>ut that was no reason for scrapping it. , • . 'o -Mr. W. G. ■ Denham (Government, Invercargill) said that the real cause of warfare was the ignorance of the .people: Nations would oppose war, but would not oppose expenditure on armaments. • Mr. W. J. Lyon (Government, Waiteihata) supported the League, and said "that it seemed to him that there was no overwhelming capacity among peoples of the world.to express their desire for peace. He thought that the League should apply some degree of io-operation not only to prevent war, but to try and understand each other's viewpoint. Mr. A. S. Richards (Government, Roskill) said that the League was only what the member States made it. In view of difficult times during which the League had been labouring it had doge remarkably well. Mr. C. M. Williams (Government, Kaiapoi) said he did not think that the •League had failed. No effort towards peace could ever be a failure, but the conditions ruling the world *oday made-it impossible for it to carry out the things it had set out to achieve. War was the result of the capitalist system. • Mr. S. G. Smith (National, New Plymouth) said he believed that the greatest factor for good and the greatest factor for peace was the British Empire. The paper was referred to the Government for favourable consideration.