BUILDING THE PEACE MIND.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LV, Issue 230, 27 August 1935, Page 10

BUILDING THE PEACE MIND.

(By H. 1\ S. Matthews.) Speaking not long ago at the National Conference on the teaching ■ of International Affairs, Lord Halifax emphasised the tremendous importance of education in the work of peace. It was essential, he said, that we should build up, not merely the will to peace, but a determination to preserve the world from war.

This is the problem which is occupying tire International Committee on Intellectual Co-operation, which is meeting at the present time in Geneva, under the chairmanship of Professor Gilbert Murray.

Speaking at the same conference, Professor Murray said that what was necessary was that young people should come to regard international co-operation as tlie normal method of world government. The Geneva Committee is exploring ways and means of doing this One method which has boon followed by. the committee has been the arranging of exchanges of school children and students between different countries. There could l>c no finer way of stimulating international understanding. For we are all of us far too ready to generalise airily about countries of which we really know next to nothing. “The French,” we say, “have this characteristic, the Germans that.” And we generally pick on those characteristics which are most unflattering to the country in question. If, however, we know Germany or France, we are very much less apt to fall into this all too prevalent habit. For our opinion of “the French” or “the Germans” is coloured by memories of the friends with whom we have bathed or walked or played tennis, and our whole outlook becomes more reasonable and understanding.

Another example of the work of the committee was the International Studies Conference, which was held in London a few weeks ago, and was addressed. amongst others, by Sir Austen Chamberlain. The conference considered the question of “collective security.” Other work of the committee includes an enquiry into tile use of broadcasting in building up the “peace mind.” the provision of suitable text-hooks, and the distribution of information on the subject of education.