Nelson Evening Mail SATURDAY, AUGUST 11, 1934 THE CAUSE OF PEACE

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXVI, 11 August 1934, Page 6

Nelson Evening Mail SATURDAY, AUGUST 11, 1934 THE CAUSE OF PEACE

DUIUNG his long and eventful life Mr Lloyd George lias played many parts. He has practised as a lawyer. He has been a politician, a Cabinet Minister, a Prime Minister. With Woodrow Wilson and Ciemenceau he formed the great triumvirate responsible for the Versailles Treaty and the formation of the League of Nations. He is in fact the last of the great statesmen who played so noble a part in defending Civilisation in the fateful years 1914-8. Therefore when Mr Lloyd George assumes the role of a prophet and foretells the future, the civilised world “sits up and takes notice.” The ex-Premier, who in his political experience is greater than all existing Premiers, declares that lie is “willing to guarantee that! the nations need not fear another major war for ten years,” and he went on to say that ihougn the psychological conditions necessary for a war are present, the “material facts must be taken into consideration” (that is to say, the enormous cost of modern war and the tremendous loss of life entailctl thereby), and he concluded with perfect truth by saying, “I know how such a war has been conducted.”

That, then, is this elder statesman’s forecast. In his opinion peace will prevail among the great nations for a decade. They have already been at .peace for sixteen years (excepting for a slight unpleasantness between China and Japan. Lloyd George has been called “the Welsh wizard.” He is now the Cymric prophet, an ancient prognosticator steeped in: experience, the foreteller of the future. Deductions may be drawn from conditions as they exist. Thus, in Europe, the Continent which is most restless and troubled, it is found that though armaments have been developed to the utii degree, peace prevails. The nations of Europe may be said to be grouped into three factors —the nations which adhere to the League of Nations’ Treaty, and Russia, and Germany, each of which is playing a lone hand. In an economic sense all of them have been ruined by the war, nevertheless all the greatest of them are fully armed. Great Britain is not included in that statement. France, suffering terribly ns she lid from the unprovoked invasion of the Germans, refuses absolutely to abandon her armed preparedness, and in the light of recent developments in Germany and iii spite of Heir Hitler’s peaceful protestations, who can blame her? Italy, long apprehensive of Jugoslavia, jeaious of France, and now distrustful of Germany, is armed almost to the limit of her resources. All the lesser Powers—Jugoslavia, Rumania, Bulgaria, Czeeho-Slavakia, Poland—follow suit. Russia has a vast army, the greater part of which is assembled in Eastern Siberia. Gei-many has created

large military and semi-military organisations and, in spite of "Herr Hitler’s recent protestations of peace, will doubtless retain them. As all the world knows, Great Britain lias an army of distinctly limited size, but lately has decided to develop her air service until it will be second to none in Europe. She has taken this step after having failed to persuade the other European nations to disarm, and because of the truculent and belligerent attitude of Germany, and she is likely to persist in it, unless Herr Plitler practises what he preaches, and disarms and disbands the huge military organisations which he has created, including an air service which is reported to be the greatest in Europe, r Turning from Europe to America, it is found tliaL the United States have decided to spend vast sums in bringing their navy to the full strength permitted by the Washington and London Treaties. This step is taken because of apprehension of aggression by Japan. It will have been noticed that President Roosevelt has recently returned from a holiday in Alaska, and it is to be remarked that that part of United States’ territory is supposed to have great interest for the Japanese, because it affords 'them the i easiest access to the North American Continent. Be that as it may, the American Government has plainly intimated its intention to protect its maritime interests and territories whether in the North Pacific Ocean or elsewhere, and jt is to be anticipated that Japan will take the hint. When the countries on the western side of the Pacific are considered —that is to say, Japan, China, and Eastern Siberia—they are found to be, in a state of considerable uncertainty. The Japanese are the chief sourco of apprehension. Just as they seized Korea some decades ago, so recently they occupied Manchuria, which undoubtedly was part of China, though tlie Government of that country did not seem to take much interest in it, or make use of it. At the same time there is distrust between Russia and Japan. They are old enemies. Japan ousted Russia from Manchuria, ostensibly in the interests of China who owned it, but to-day Japan has taken possession of that vast territory, and has in addition seized Jehol, which lies north of the Great Wall, and has handed them over to a puppet sovereign, who was once Emperor of China, and has thus control of a wide region which gives the Japanese access to China, on the one hand, and to Russian territory, including the important province and port of Vladivostok, on the other hand. However, all Asia seems tc he iR a more peaceful state than is usual, though, as in the east, so in the west of that Continent’s broad expanse: there are signs that Turkey is chafing under the restrictions put upon her at the end of the Great War by the Treaty of Lausanne. India under the guiding hand of Lord Wjllingdon. enjoys peace and quietness. The vast expanse of Africa, so much of whose territory is controlled by Great Britain on the one hand, and by France oil tile other, presents no features which are indicative of unrest, other than the usual inter-tribal feuds and petty wars. Even ‘tllie quarrelsome republics of Central and South America appear to have decided to be at peace, .at least for a period. This universal restfulness throughout the world is entirely in Accordance with the ideas and interests of Great 1 Britain. It will be seen that her Government’s policies, if they are examined closely, are framed to that end. If she possesses a powerful navy, it is not for purposes of aggression, but to maintain peace and security upon the higli-seas. If slie has . decided to develop her power in the air, , it is because she wishes to be safe against attack. As all the world knows, , her military forces are scarcely sufficient for her own defences, and quite inadequate for the purposes of making war on . another nation. So far as example and precept can prevent war and promote peace, Great Britain is doing all she can for the well-being of the world. All her efforts are directed towards the restoration of her industries and trade, which were so distorted and reduced by the Great War. Her object is to trade with all tlie world, but that is hardly possible if most of the countries of tlie world are moribund in an economic sense. Their condition is the after-effect of the almost universal strife of the years 1914-lb, and it is only through a continuance of peace that they will recover that sc-lf-confidence (and confidence in one

another) which necessarily must be precedent to prosperity. The British Empire is in the best possible position to renew its material well-being, and its outlook is by no means dai'k, seeing that Great Britain has done so much to restore her volume of trade to its pre-war standard. No doubt she will succeed in leading the countries of the Empire to better times, but there must be a continuance of peace. There must be no war. War and waste go hand-in-hand. Peace and industry are closely related. Great Britain preaches that gospel universally, and it looks as if the nations have given an attentive ear. Thus it will bo seen that Mr Lloyd George’s prediction appears to bo well-founded. If the great nations of Europe wish to become prosperous once more, they will have to make up their minds to live in peace. War has so impoverished them that it has almost forced them to be peaceful. That is the material side. All the really civilised nations look on war and its misery and suffering with the greatest horror. Each year of peace should be a year to strengthen the cause of peace. As we have said, Great Britain, while ensuring tlie safety of her shores and, her peoples, is doing her utmost to ensure peace among the nations. '