W.E.A.

Evening Star, Issue 22629, 22 April 1937, Page 8

W.E.A.

RAILWAY BRANCH The meeting of the Railway branch of the Workers’ Educational Association was again well attended- by members and visitors. The subject chosen for the meeting, ‘ Does Capitalism Cause War?’ took the form of a family debate between Mr A. Powell and his son, on one side, and Mr R,. Harrison and his son, on the other. Mr A. Powell, who opened for the affirmative, considered it remarkable that the cause of modern war could still be the subject of debate among intelligent men, and indicated the immense power which the dominant class possessed to impose its ideas necessary .for its wellbeing upon the whole of society. There was only one way to find out the real causes of war; that was to first outline the relevant facts and then find out the fundamental causes of these facts. Although the people of all nations were bitterly opposed to war it was being waged m Spain, China, India, and openly in many other parts of the world. At the same time armaments for the so-called defensive purposes were being rapidly increased, which proved that, the Government whose foreign policy produces war did not represent the will of the people. The reasons given by Mr Powell why the capitalistic system caused war were: (1) The class nature of society; (2) necessity for foreign markets to exploit; (3) demand f«r raw materials, such as oil, cotton, and timber The foreign policy of most nations was based on the last two reasons, and this auplied most to nations like Germany, Italy, and Japan, because their needs were greatest and their policy the least modified by popular resistance. , .. Mr R. Harrison, who opened lor the negative, defended Capitalism, as the finest system yet evolved to provide for human needs. Where was the man or woman who would not like to be economically secure? One could only be so by the command of wealth. War was essential to gat possession of required products. If (bey were going to exist they must fight. War was older, thousands of years older, than Capitalism. Human beings were always looking for excitement, which

was one of the causes of war. Mr Harrison referred to Russia as the most efficiently armed nation in the world, where approximately 11 million men were being trained for defence. Inherent in every country was the sentiment for the homeland; when it was threatened they would defend it. Mr W. Powell, for the affirmative, said that the mental attitiide of people was ono of tho causes of war. This mental make-up.was the reflex of their peculiar surroundings, including school training, which tended, to develop in the individual a capitalistic outlook. War was not essential to Capitalism, but seemed to be caused by its weaknesses. Capitalism must have expanding markets, and as markets were limited the endeavour to expand these markets often caused war. Mr J. H. Harrison, second speaker for the negative, challenged the statement that Capitalism caused way, and gave instances of what ho considered exceptions to this statement. He also stressed the fact that wars had taken place thousands of years before the capitalistic system. Mr R. Harrison and Mr A. Powell replied for their respective sides.