“BLOT ON CIVILISATION”

Manawatu Times, Volume 62, Issue 132, 5 June 1937, Page 6

“BLOT ON CIVILISATION”

Citizens Protest Against Almeria Tragedy MAJORITY DECISION TO INFORM GERMAN CONSUL An unusual development took place at a public meeting called last night under the auspices of the Palmerston North branch of the League of Nations Union to protest against the shelling of Almeria this week by German naval vessels in reprisal for bombing of the Deutschland. On a majority decision, a carefully prepared motion of protest, moved from the chair, was abandoned in favour of a more strongly wordel resolution which will be forwarded to the German Consul in Wellington. The attendance was not a large one, but it was apparent that most of those present were concerned over the Spanish situation. Rev. J. Hubbard, M.A., 8.D., chairman of the League of Nations Union in Palmerston North, occupied the chair. He said the meeting had been called to afford citizens an opportunity of expressing sympathy, first of all with Germany in the loss of her nationals on the Deutschland, and with Spain in the death of so many people in Almeria. It was an opportunity, too, for protesting against the inhumane method adopted of killing so many people, although it was not desired to anger any- Germans in New Zealand. The attack was indeed a blot on civilisation; it had been unworthy and unethical, but just because it had been savage he did not wish any wild talk to go out from the meeting to the rest of New Zealand. He thought the meeting should exercise calm restraint in its protest. Mr. Hubbard then moved:— “That this meeting of citizens of Palmerston North, while expressing deep sympathy with the relatives of German sailors killed in the Deutschland, and with the Spanish Government and people in the reprisals involving the loss of many peaceful citizens and the destruction of a section of a beautiful town, condemns the attack on Almeria, and urges all citizens in the Dominion actively to unite with the League of Nations Union as a way of promoting public opinion in favour of settlements by arbitration as opposed to reprisals by killing innocent people.” This was seconded by Cr. W. J 3. Tennent, who said he agreed with the chairman that nothing should bo done at the meeting which might antagonise any other country. The political issues of the war should be left alone and the humanitarian aspects only considered by the meeting. There had been conflicting reports of the incident, and it appeared the Government 'planes had made a mistake, but there was no doubt the dastardly action taken against Almeria had aroused horror all over the world. The code of an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth had nothing to justify it to-day; international affairs should be regulated by higher ethical principles. The incident was a severe setback to ideals of international harmony such as the League supported, and unless the nations protested the realisation of those ideals would become more remote. lie felt like a voice crying in the wilderness, and rose to speak with diffi dence, said Cr. J. J. Stevenson. He was not a student of international history, but whatever the international law regarding the carrying out of reprisals, he felt that tho method adopted was atrocious. Eeprisal could have been effected in a more humane way, such as the demanding of an indemnity. It had to be remembered reprisals had been carried out by other powers in quite recent times, and it was to be hoped such episodes would not recur. “This Defeatist Attitude.”

“My soul has been sorely troubled in recent mouths at the world’s indifference to what is on, and it is sorely troubled to-night as I have felt the restrictive lines laid down in this meeting by the chair and the speakers,” declared Dr. W. M. Smith, M.A., Ph.D., who was the next speaker. There had never been, he declared, greater need lor outspoken and fearless criticism from those citizens who knew their duty. He had no wish to drop u bomb in the meeting as the Germans had dropped their shells in Almeria, but the attitude adopted in the meeting reminded him of the defeatist attitude which appeared to be leading the world to destruction. Perhaps it was because of the incessant propaganda dealt out m the last war, but men were becoming apathetic because they felt they could never get at the truth in the worlJ to-daj-. The world had been brought to the verge of moral bankruptcy because of its own lying and insincerity. Even before the cruel war in Spain was launched—as cruel for the undecided middle classes as for any, for they had found butchery instead of salvation—there had been ample evidence' of deterioration of the standard of international conduct.

“This war is, I believe, the complete destruction of any semblance of international law,” declared Dr. Smith. Great Britain as well as other Powers had violated the neutrality laws, for instance iu letting recruits for the Spanish rebels Jeuvo British ports on tiiree occasions. There had been u marked difference between the aid of the British Navy rushed early in the war to a vessel stopped by the loyalist forces and the attitude of the British Government more recently at Bilbao, when food ships had entered the port despite the pretended rebel blockade. “The shelling of Almeria was an out rage of the kind to be expected from the Government now unfortunately in power in Madrid,” said Dr. Smith. “I will be told I should keep an open mind, but 1 will never let my mouth become a mero cave of tho wind's. There is most urgent need to-day for those who think and feel as humans to stand firmly together against the injustices and inhumanities iu the world to-day. I stand here to-night because I can do no other.’ ’ Must Condemn Murder. Mr. b. J. Bennett said he was of two

minds. He had been counselled not to say anything that would offend, yet felt he could not but condemn murder for what it wa«. If a man was murdered in Auckland and his brother came to Palmerston North to seek reprisal, people would not remain calm and rational. Almeria was 800 miles away from where the Deutschland lay when bombed; Valencia, the seat of the {Spanish Government, was much nearer but was untouched. Instead the German Navy shelled a minor town of 200,000 people, crowded with refugees who had crawled there from Malaga and now were again driven into tho lields, after receiving hospitality in Almeria such as Palmerston North accorded the Napier earthquako refugees. The shelling of Almeria was not only a dastardly, atrocious attack, a brutal form of reprisal, it was direct intervention by Germany in the Spanish struggle, for the Government front line was not far distant and resistance must have been weakened by the attack. Mr. Bennett predicted an attack on .the town similar to that made ou Malaga. The {Spanish conflict had this lesson lor us, that Hitler and Mussolini were continually bluffing the democratic governments, and now they had bluffed again and their bluff was uncalled. It was largely because of refusal to act against such deeds of murder that the League was so weak at present. Germany had undertaken a definite campaign of lying, and there was no need for fear iu telling the truth about that. It had called the Government forces of {Spain criminals and Bolsheviks. Jir. Bennett said it was because the hundreds of deaths taking place in {Spain and more particularly in Germany that it was high time the diplomats spoke definitely instead of evasively. It was useless to be silent; silence condoned the offence. Of 15,000 adults in Palmerston North, 40 had attended the meeting. Were those who counselled: “Sit calm, wait for the next,” mentally adult? For there would certainly be a next incident; we could expect further action by the dictator Government in the near future. If we were thoughtful, the German action should have serious repercussions. If the Germans came back into the nonintervention framework, could we trust their word in what they undertook? We were too quiet and docile over the terrible things going on in Spain, said Mr F. J. Lewin, who thanked the League of Nations Union for calling public attention to the gravity of the situation. Mr Hubbard said ho was still anxious that nothing provocative should go out from the meeting to the rest of the country. He stood by the resolution he had moved, although he himself had not drawn it up. Mr G. Brown moved an amendment: That this meeting records its emphatic protest against the brutal reprisals of the German Government in the shelling of Almeria, and that a copy of this resolution be sent to the German Consul in Wellington. Mr F. J. Lewin seconded the amendment. Mr C. J. Mandeno spoke in favour of the amendment, declaring that at present there was no international law, it was a question of who got in first with brute force. Rev. A. B. Blakemore thought that it was wrong to describe the chairman’s motion as innocuous. All lamented the bombing of the German battleship, and more than lamented the Almeria tragedy, but if, instead of the motion of protest and of confidence in arbitration, one of more harsh terms were adopted, the logical consequence seemed tc be an advocacy of using all the resources of the Empire to prevent repetition of such violence as this week’s incident. He favoured the original motion. Replying, Mr Brown, who is a member of the executive of the League of Nations in Palmerston North, said they were urged to use Parliamentary language, but the joke was there was no parliament for international violations. It was because of soft pedalling in such crises that the League was powerless. The suggestion that expression should be guarded for fear of injuring New Zealand trade with Germany was most disappointing; he hoped in future to get better guidance from the chairman on League of Nations affairs.

“If I may say a few words on what I call ‘pussy-footing it,’ I never saw people so afraid of saying just what they think and thinking just what they say, as in New Zealand,” said Dr. Smith. The action in Almeria was not isolated; it had to be thought of in conjunction with German armed intervention in Spain, and for this reason he thought a strongly-worded protest was justified. The chairman said he would not like to see tho amendment go out from the meeting, but it was a public meeting, and if passed the amendment could be sent to the German Consul. The amendment was carried on a show of hands. Of the dissentients, Air Hubbard and Crs. Tennent and Stevenson asked to have their opinions recorded.