The Northern Advocate “NORTHLAND FIRST.” Registered for transmission through the post as a Newspaper. TUESDAY, JUNE 29, 1943. Post-War Problems

Northern Advocate, 29 June 1943, Page 2

The Northern Advocate “NORTHLAND FIRST.” Registered for transmission through the post as a Newspaper. TUESDAY, JUNE 29, 1943. Post-War Problems

THE genesis of the struggle in which the whole' world is involved today is to be found in the failure, or refusal, of past generations to look into the future and weigh the possibilities for good or ill wrapped up in their attitude towards material and spiritual fundamentals. Today there is a clarion call to those who influence public opinion to do what in them lies to avoid the mistakes of the past and guide the nations to a determination that the second Spring it is hoped is to be granted to civilisation shall be devoted to a wise sowing which will produce the flowers of peace rather than the weeds of hate and strife that disfigure the world today. How is this to be done ? That is a question to which thinkers must concentrate their powers. The problem would seem to be insoluble unless the nations are prepared to relinquish many of the habits of thought and action that have shaped their conduct in the past. They will not be able to bring themselves to that attitude of mind unless they recognise that they are but stewards of the Almighty Father who has made of one blood all nations of men. Lip service to that doctrine is easy on the part of individual and nation; to put it into practice is a test from which the average man recoils. He realises, when confronted with such a test, to what extent he is in sympathy with the rich young ruler, who, when asked to put himself on a level with the poor, went away sorrowing. The nations which will have great possessions when the war is ended will face a gigantic problem. They will be forced to recognise, from their experience of history, that unless their possessions are shared fairly, these will lose their value and the world be plunged, sooner or later, into another blood bath. Will the victorious nations put into practice the principles of the Atlantic Charter? If they do not do so, the problem with which the world is faced will become increasingly intricate. Will these nations be able, to apply the principles of the Charter, when the stress of war is passed, with the enthusiasm engendered by the peril existing when the Charter was written ? These are questions which must be faced now, in order that the way may be made smoother for those who will be called upon to shape a new order for the world. It is therefore timely that there should have been printed yesterday statements from different sources emphasising the magnitude of the problems which must be tackled now in order that there may exist a better chance of their solution when the war is over. The joint declaration made by the Anglican and Roman Catholic Bishops of Sydney is one which must arrest attention of the people of all denominations of the Christian church. It re-echoes the declarations to the same effect made at convocations of religious denominations in New Zealand, which are agreed that “Christians are in duty bound to plan and work for the reconstruction of society on a Christian basis, so as to obtain the right order for the nation and co-operation among all men.” In a literal sense, this comprehends the obligations of the ’Sermon on. the Mount and the acceptance of the Beatitudes in their entirety. In'a world in which some great nations will be angry and distressed and revengeful, while others are filled with pride and a sense of their own superiority in war, how will the Sermon on the Mount and the Beatitudes be translated into international conduct ? Yet, if that be not the dominant principle of world government there will be a poor outlook for future generations of New Zealanders and Australians, to look no further than the Pacific Ocean. It is probable that the declaration of the churches’ leaders will not prove as thought-provoking as the reminder given to sparsely populated Australia and New Zealand that they are within hailing distance of a thousand million Asiatics, who, increasing at a high rate, while the white population in the Pacific is almost stationary, must inevitably look longingly at lands which would provide them with needed room to live and have their being. If these myriads were admitted freely to the more fortunate lands, what would be the effect upon the life standards of Australians and New Zealanders, who have lived in the lap of luxury, compared with the crowded and poverty-stricken masses of Asia? These are material questions which must be faced and answered before any new' order calculated to bring lasting peace can be ushered in. They can only be answered if approached from the realm of the spiritual. Will the investigators of postwar problems take that ground?