WORLD POLITICS.

Evening Star, Issue 17086, 3 July 1919, Page 7

WORLD POLITICS.

TO I If- PTiJTOK .Sir, —These are the times of the ]>eople, not merely in New Zealand, but everywhere. A world war has brought into being one fact—that reasonable comfort «nd decent livimr conditions should, be the right of all. To-day statesmen are busy settling the world's future, or. rather, trying to; but in .-ill schemes, treaties, and arrangements of nations we forget one thing—time is change. Five years can alter a nation's outlook economically, industrially, and internationally in times of peace—a* fact well known to all psychologist;;. Well, what about the v ar period, the clashing of the bridal, the ngly._ and inhuman? No ono can really visualise a nation's real perspective towards their neighbors. Actually and potentially, it eludes us, and our leading statesmen, although speaking supposedly the mind of tlio nation, miss many aspects; and why? The reaction of war has created # a feeling of unceitainty in the individual mind ; and,

although (having hope of a better future, there V misgiving. Are wo building on shadows or realities? It is a remarkable thing how a nation can change its aspirations, ideals, and tendencies. Germany is a case in point. Their leaders of etateseraft, within a period of half a century, created the State as a permanent, almost living, thing. All else was subservient. For a time it may have served its purpose, but the mechanism came to grief; and all this shows that, both In tho actual and potential of a country's social, political, iiid industrial evolu'tion, it may alter perspectives in matters international, notwithstanding treaties and cordial understandings. Writing in the collective settee, there ia ft change in outlook. Wo are dealing with tho human factor in the body politic; an element, too, of -uncertainty, perhaps unexplainable, but it is there all the same. A League of Nations has come into being as the resuflt of the Peace Conference, and all interested in national and international betterment will watch its progress with deep and studious interest. It is a great and grand scheme, that will prevent war, or at any rate minimise it. Yet in this we have the human factor ever pressing a viewpoint. It is put very finely by a writer in .tho 'Round Table,' running thus t "There is not yet in tV hearts of men that upon which any world government can be based. Despite lessons written in Mood, their loyalties- are still no wider than the several States to which they belong. In nono of these States could any preponderant proportion of the citizens be brought to recogni.se once for all the authority of a human law made by an international majority of votes as binding on the individual and superseding his national law."—l am, etc., Elliott Standfield. July 3.