War From the Air

Manawatu Times, Volume LV, Issue 6788, 20 February 1932, Page 7

War From the Air

PROFESSOR'S WARNING. Europe can havo no security without disarmament, declared Professor Gilbert Murray, presiding ovor the AngloFrench Students' Conference on Disarmament and Tariffs, at the Students’ Movement House, Russell square, London. "Who is sccuro now I" ho asked. “Wo have moral guarantees, but no material guarantees against war from the air. You can destroy London, we can destroy Paris, but neither can dofond. Even the Germans with no military 'planes have enough commercial 'planes to destroy Paris with bombs, The first step to material security is the prohibition of military aviation, as in Germany, and the internationalisation of commercial aircraft companies.” The extension of Britain in the 19th. century, Professor Murray continued, had shown us that our prosperity depended upon that of other nations. Beginning with simple selfishness, this solicitude for the welfare of other nations had become habitual with us. France, on the contrary, had been selfsufficing and had not learned the impossibility of national isolation. “Here,” he pointed out to the French students, “you can perhaps learn from us, and then both together wo can begin to teach the Americans. We must build a system of international relations on a new basis. Disarmament is a necessity for economic life and for the existence of the society of nations.

“If the great nations genuinely insist on peace, peace will be safe. No war-maker will stand up against the united will of the League Council, plus America. Only if there is doubt and vacillation wall any coercion bo necessary. Let us aim at strengthening the common will;”

M. Armand Hoog, leader of the French group, said that France was in a very sick condition at the present time. He implored the English not to believe that France was entirely against disarmament. “France,” he explained, “is absolutely haunted by the idea of the cruelty of war, and is not feeling at all secure. How can nations como together if each has a pistol in its hand? Disarmament ought to be part of an international scheme.” Thirty-two British and an equal number of French students attended the conference, which was arranged Joy various British organisations at tho request of French students belonging to the Jeune Republique.