RAILWAY CLASS

Evening Star, Issue 22735, 24 August 1937, Page 15

RAILWAY CLASS

At' the usual meeting of the above class the lecture, ‘ Recent Books on War and Peace/ proved to be a subject which opened up many questions of importance at the present time. Mr W. H. Stephens, a returned soldier, reviewed Air J, A. book, rrom Civilian to Soldier.’ Mr L. W. Turner also reviewed ‘ Coming Struggle tor Power/ by John Strachey. At the conelusion of these reviews Mr Brailsford, the lecturer, continued on with the subject. Mr Brailsford said; While war is raging in Spain and China, and all tno great Powers are building more deadly armaments at a faster pace than ever before, it may bo difficult to retain the faith that the pen is mightier than poison gas, including the poison gas ol war propaganda. But some of the bestknown writers in the world continue their efforts to pierce the armour of the War God. The three main lines of thought along which a solution of the war question is being sought is: (1) Collective security; (2) by removing the economic sources of war; (3) refuse_ to fight. The supporters of each view assume a positive building of a_ new world society., Norman Angell, pioneer of collective security, has now an array of supporters. Viscount Cecil and Lora Allen may be mentioned, but the general public knows better J. B. Priestley, Rebecca West, and Vera Brittain, novelists. Priestly is especially refreshing. Peace must have its pageantry. It must not be sour and negative. The peacemaker must honour sincere patriotism, while using the deadly weapon of ridicule against war. He appeals to individual responsibility in regard to which we have become too flabby m all our public life. He wants national disarmament and a strong international force, Norman Angell, however thinks national forces could be retained, though greatly reduced, with the pledge that they would be placed at the service or the international authority against on aggressor. “ The short answers ” in the last chapter of Angell’s ‘ Preface To Peace ’ are very pithy. For instance, defence demands that wo should be stronger than any probable enemy. Then what of his defence—is he to go without? General security by that method would only bo possible if each could be stronger than the other. It defies arithmetic. Lord Allen, who as Clifford Allen was a leader of English conscientious objectors and several times imprisoned, explains that there was no League to fight for in 1914. And. though Ue still believes in absolute pacifism as the best way, he contends that the next catastrophe is so nearly on us that it is bolter to accept the second best, in the hope that people will be aroused before it is too late, and unite for collective security. Perhaps the most notable development is the acceptance of absolute pacifiom by such notable men as Bertrand Russell, philosopher, mathematician, and social reformer; Aldous Huxley, novelist; General Crozier; and R. H. L. Sheppard, war padre.