PACIFISM

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 118, 21 May 1941, Page 13

PACIFISM

CHINESE VIEW

EXPLAINED BY DR. KOO

The Chinese attitude to pacifism was outlined last night by Dr. T. Z. Koo, travelJing secretary ol the World Student Christian Federation, at the tirst oi the 1941 •'round-table" meetings to be held by the Christian Youth Council.

A questioner sought information about the views of Christian pacifists ■in China. Dr. Koo replied that of the 420,000.000 people in China only 6,000,000 were Christians, comprising Catholics and Protestants. Even if they all though alike on the subject ngjjLpacifism their view would not represent the view of the majority of the Chinese people. There was a pacifist group composed of both Christians and non-Christians, but H was so small as to have no practical effect

Inherent in the culture of the Chinese people, said Dr. Koo. was the belief that ethically, socially, and economically, war was indefensible. The Chinese had had that, background for 2000 years, and from it had arisen the Chinese belief that the risk of war should be reduced to a minimum. The Chinese people did not want war, but recognised thai they might have it forced upoi; them, as it was being forced upon them at present. The Chinese aititude could not be described as pacifism, but as a desire to minimise the risk of war.

Conflicts should be settled not by fighting but by the impartial negotiation of i third party continued Dr. Koo. and he mentioned as an example of this the Chinese habit of settling disputes that might lead to blows by discussion with a mediator while 'drinking conversational tea." Because of this idea the Chinese nation took to the League of Nations like a duck. to water, and in spite of the fact that the League failed them badly over the Manchurian affair, they still believed that when the war "was over they could create some kind of third party arrangement for the peaceful settling of disputes.

Non-Christian pacifists in China, said Dr. Koo, were actuated largely by the Buddhist belief that to destroy life was a sin, and soldiers of that belief were absolved in advance by their priests from the consequence of killing in battle to save their own lives. EFFECT OF THE WAR. Before the war came to China, continued the speaker, the pacifist groups generally would not accept any kind of alternative military service. But now that the war had come each man questioned his own belief, and there still remained a very small body ol absolute pacifists. Other people were moderate pacifists who maintained some form of non-violent resistance to Japanese aggression, such as economic resistance, or silent non-co-operation with the Japanese in occupation. Others, who were still pacifists by belief, considered that they had the right to defend themselves by force when their country was invaded. Others would not take part in military affairs [but would not urge others to do likewise. Dr. Koo said he honoured any per- | son, Christian or non-Christian, who at the present time took an absolute stand against war, though he was not j saying that he agreed with such a 'person. But one respect in which pacifism was unconvincing was that it had no word to say about how one was to meet the wrong of aggression. When one was standing before aggression did one want peace at any price? | asked Dr. Koo. The problem was how to combine the exercise of love with the exercise of the moral sense against wrong. Dr. Koo's address dealt, with the challenge of religion to modern life, and in it he made several suggestions for future "round-table" discussions. Mr. H. A. Harris, vice-president of the Christian Youth Council, presided over the meeting, which reinaugurated the "round-table" gatherings held by the Youth Council for eight or nine years until the war caused their abandonment last year. This winter _ a full programme of addresses is to be ■gfWn for the benefit of young Christian people and Bible Class , members.