POST-WAR WORLD

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 116, 19 May 1941, Page 5

POST-WAR WORLD

TASK FOR YOUTH

CREATING A NEW ORDER

ADDRESS BY DR. KOO

A picture of a post-war world with youth playing an important part in its development was drawn by Dr. T. Z. Koo, '.travelling secretary of the World Student. Christian Federation, in an address in the Wellington Town Hall yesterday afternoon. The meeting was held under the auspices of the Christian Youth Council, and the Town Hall was almost filled to capacity. "If abiding peace is to come after the war, it will be necessary to create a state of society in which the bogy of profit will be less prominent than the bogy of service," said Dr. Koo. "It is vital for the young people of the world to think seriously of the future before them." Dr. Koo said that some of the condi|Uons that would make world peace .(possible were the sharing of the natural resources, the building ■%ip of better social conditions, and the jcreating and maintaining of good fel-' plowship and trust among nations. Th§ movements of the world were itoday conscious of the fact that the r ;world was gripped in a crisis, and they were concerned with what lay beyond j ivthat crisis. In other words —after the what? "Why do not the countries raise that question?" he asked. has known danger and loss I and suffering,' and it is against that 'background of danger, loss, and suffering that they have raised the question :—after the war, what? Are we .going back to the same old political and economic order that produced this war?" ' ■ j Everywhere, continued the speaker, j sooner or later discussion touched this topic of the crisis. In Europe many youth organisations regarded it as the. beginning of a revolution, because they .realised that Europe would never go Iback to what it was before. They were thinking in terms of a new kind of i When they thought of the aprisis they thought of it, to use the [Chinese interpretation, as a dangerous i opportunity—a process not only of the up of old forces but a buildping up of new forces, a new life to icome for the people. FACING THE FUTURE. "What are the forces that mould the [world in which we live?" asked Dr. Koo. "This is a question of particular importance to the young people, because they are not only living now, tbut they will have to meet whatever Lcomes after the war. It is vital for [the young people to think seriously of ithe future before them. * When I spoke [to them just before the crisis the (Czecho-Slovakian people had no idea •that they would be wiped off the map iof Europe,-but even then their Foreign [Office was conferring with the German {Foreign Office regarding boundaries. I When the position became known the •people turned round and said that Iwhen they knew what was to be left [to them they would take hold of it land build it into a little natibn again." In many lands today there were jsnillions of people who still knew what jhunger and cold were. We should think of our various "isms," not in 'terms of philosophy but in terms of human need, not so much in motives of profit as in motives of service. ' * "Whether* sttie war is wbh or lost, $rou will see sweep over the world a wave of economic unrest," said Dr. Koo. "The youth of races that are still submerged as races are conscious of the urge to do something to put their countries on a basis of more equality with other races. You will find youth gripped with the vision of a new international order. "There has been a steady deterioration of the international situation until ■during the last few years nations, in dealing with one another, were faced with two alternatives—to use force or to submit to force. To use force meant jwar, to submit to force you pave the ■way to national slavery." ■ Dr. Koo said that the special message »he had'for New Zealand was that a jmore peaceful world order would never ~be brought about merely by thinking (■peace, but by a conscious effort towards faiaking peace. The .Salvation Army Band was in and Mr. Clement Howe (flayed the organ. The Rev. L. A. Itforth conducted 'the devotions.