INTERNATIONAL SERVICE

Hawera Star, Volume L, 27 October 1930, Page 9

INTERNATIONAL SERVICE

SIXTH aim of rotary ADDRESS TO HAWERA CLUB -DISTRICT GOVERNOR’S VISIT. ■Urging a. constructive altitude toward.l? world problems in which fellowship would go hand in hand with honest business practices, and in .which understanding and fair .judgment would bo paramount, Rotarian 11. J. Guthrie, of Dunedin, District Governor of Rotary for New Zealand, addressed Hawera Rotarian,s at the weekly luncheon on Friday on the sixth .object cf their movement —international service. Rotarian W. F. Buist, the Hawera president, occupied the chair and formally welcomed the District Governor. Since the memorable occasion; when the sixth object, of Rotary was added to 'the programme, interest had been gropying in tho international phase and pos'sibLlitieis of Rotary until tho development of international.,understanding and goodwill had come to be looked upob as its ultimate aim, said Rotarian Guthrie. Rotary grew as it was interpreted. Thei sixth object was added at the Edinburgh Convention because Rotarians had grown to it, because of the thought, that had been given to it by multitudes of men an different countries. It was adopted' as the logical sequence of the first five objects, and only by applying and living those earlier objects could Rotarians attain it.

THE' MEANING 'OF FRIENDSHIP

What Rotary attempted to bring out in this sixth object was the full meaning of the word friendship and all of its implications, for only in this way could! the problems' of the world be solved. It had! to be borne in mind, however, that theirs was a. relatively new organisation, and that there were many international problems too complex for an immediate understanding. While some of Rotary’s observations might, seem rather general instead of concrete, many priceless opportunities had been given it of furthering so great and powerful an aim.

When tho individual came info Rotary andl found for himself an explanation. of the ideal of service, and even 1 when, he had applied this ideal to his vocation and to his community, he would soon realise that these were but narrow roads. He bad to move forward; and his world-wide relationships demanded merely a wider manifestation of the same ideal. International service as well as vocational' and community service depended upon the extent of Rotary; but international service was not in itself the extent oif Rotary, being merely an, emphasis of the sixth object.

OVERCOMING OLD FEARS. -Rotary was not the only organisation which aimed at international understanding. There were, indeed, more than 150 others .which, 'emphasised!, this very object. And why? Because men had suddenly come to realise that they were living in a different and' wider world, where, in, spite of science and commerce, they still cherished the old and narrow fears and jealousies. Economic 'conditions' played some part, but not all, in determining war or peace.

War .had come to be an economic Joss to the victors, as well .as to the vanquished. A nation was not prepared for war unless its people believed that war was desirable or necessary. In l a .democratic community the first step towards military prepared ness was the development of a state of mind. There must bo a potential enemy. Fear and suspicion of other nations was an essential stimulation to this state, of mind. And more, these feelings on. one side aroused the same on .the other, until the process was complete, and only the circumstance of war was awaited. Preparation for war was now a chief cause of war. Military .disarmament could; not be effective unless it was accompanied by disarmament ini thought and feeling, and this disarmament must be gradual and reciprocal. No single effort would suffice, for diplomatic and military cynicism would disbelieve and misinterpret. But sustained and consistent desire for peace, actively followed by practical steps, gradually would change the temper of nations. DISARMAMENT OF WAR MIN'D

Such a disarmament of the war mind was Rotgry’s ever increasing purpose, the application l to international affairs of the motto., “Service Above Self.” At Luxembourg, the nations of the world had' pledged themselves to peace; and -with this pledge and this common desire Riotary had fallen into line. Internationalism and universal peace were not topics without actuality. Writings in any of the daily papers, even by such nationalists- as Mussolini and the late Prime d© Rivera, commonly stressed the necessity of a broader outlook -on world affairs, and for the reconstruction of social ideas.

Besides Rotary international, there existed a vast number of associations, arbitrations agreeimnts, and treaties ai' .with the avo.we.dl object of knitting together the countries of the -world. The rLeaguc of Nations, however inadequate, wag merely .a public recognition of the fact that isolation was today an impossibility, that national questions were largely world questions, calling for world leadership, and the international mind among peoples. The churches were, with a few exceptions, fundamentally international, and so was -the air all nations' breathed, and the sea routes on- which all sailed. The value of the international mind must be obvious to all. All reasonable men would admit the urgency for great creative effort among nations toward'unity -of purpose. They agreed that -unless some common, control could be. imposed on the present headlong -race, the history of humanity must some 1 day culminate in a disaster compared with which the late world war was insignificant. But few had the courage to grapple with ®o great a problem, and to propose effective means for such a control.

.CAUSES' OF CONFLICT No- effect or permanent preventive of war -could be- devised which would notclash with present ingrained traditions and prejudices. This was apparent in an examination of the causes- of pastwars, same of which, would necessarily more terrible conflicts in the future. These causes .were,four: Racial, economic, religious, and domestic. The war producing power of the churches was n'ow practically extinct, while economic motives were now discredited, though not. abolished. NT either trades-

men nor States could l grow rich by killing their customers, and, the commercial; spirit, once the principal cause of war in Europe, was now its- strongest obstacle.

_ The constructive, not the negative, side of international service was the side that should be spread and explain, eel, and every Rotarian, every man. could do something to spread, and explain it. 1 •" ’ ■';

“We have not. gat to send! a representative off to some other country to supervise that country's affairs, and show them how to live,” said Rotarian Guthrie. "That is not international service. We want instruction or education 1 about the ether man l —education which begins at home, education, of the mind and heart, which makes world friendship possible. If we could just fix that in, our minds, amd> not judge the other fellow without first knowing him or hearing his- side of the question.”

STUDY AND UNDERSTANDING Ho was. not proposing l that Rotary should go into polities. What was demanded was that Rotarians in individual clubs round the world should not only study the peoples of other countries, but their own. peoples. Thus they could find out what were the different national characteristics, what the problems, and! what the possible points of friction.

Constructive, not critical, study would alone allay that friction. Mere fellowship was not enough to solve all world problemis, if it did. noit .go hand in hand with honest and fair business practices. Great wars had always been between neighbours, though they might have had the warmest fellowship. As long as there; was- economic injustice or racial injustice between peoples ml nations, men could cry “peace, peace, and fellowship,” and there would grill be discord and strife.

MA.JORITY GOODWILL. There 'were two agencies, necessary for abiding peace. One was the agency developed by Governments in- defining their rights and working out together the difficulties between them. Rotary had nothing to die with that; but it could develop the second agency, the majority goodwill that demanded peace.. The important question of international relations depended upon mutual- understanding, and that understanding it was the work of Rotary to cultivate.

Different methods -of advancing international goodwill and justice had been set out in the Rotary pamphlets, issued after great deliberation by -the leaders in the movement. The principal method for this year was international service at home and it was hoped that every club, .however small, would find something that it might do . for the general advancement. i “If we would -only just take the trouble to find- out a little about the other man’s problems, -we would not always be so ready to condemn him for what he does,” he concluded. “We might, do -a. lot by correspondence with clubs- in -other countries. We want programmes that will broaden- our vision, widen the horizon of all E-otarians, until we attain a better understanding and develop a: goodwill that enables us to work out together just proceedings between peoples and nations-.” In voicing the thanks of the club to the District 'Governor for his absorbing . address, R-otarian Buist said the choice of an international -subject —always -one holding great appeal—had been particularly appropriate for the club which .had recently been addressed on two -occasions by Mr J. C. -Findlater with reference to the effortsoi: tho Monroe •doetTine.