THE WELFARE LEAGUE AND DISARMAMENT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 1 April 1936, Page 3

THE WELFARE LEAGUE AND DISARMAMENT

♦ —- (To the Editor) Si r _lt W as John A. Hobson who, in one of liis books said, “Ihe most important lesson, of modern warfare is the fact that a kind of men—financiers profiteers, and poßticans —can capture the mind of a nation, arouse its passion and in the name of patriotism impose a policy of slavery.” in addition to the above, it is supremely important that we should not overlook certain agencies organised for the dissemination of propaganda conducive to that hateful egotism of race, arrogance of nation, and that subtle prejudice called patriotism. The New Zealand Welfare League for example, who have again invaded your columns with the usual empty oratdry of, 0, My Country! Shedding crocodile tears in extolmeut of tiie noble part played by Great Britain in the matter of reducing armaments. Yet what do the indisputable figures show '! The League of Nations Statistical Year Book of the trade in arms and munitions, 1934, shows that in five years, 1928-32, Great Britain played the predominant part in the world . armament trade, being responsible for an average of one-third of world exports. Another reliable source of information that plays havoc with the nicely, adapted legends of the Welfare League are the statistics of the American Foreign Relations Committee, showing that not France or Germany, Japan, or Italy, but U.S.A.. till'd Great Britain respectively have spent more money on armaments during the whole post-war period than any other of the nations they have so gravely lectured oil the necessity of disarmament. In this epoch of increasing enlightenment, when the causes and futility of war are so obvious to the rtiiik and file of the people, the policies of Imperialism and Capitalism whether voiced by the Welfare League or other agencies equally insincere, cannot with impunity continue the wholesale infusion of hypocrisy, then like Pilate, wash its hands. Whilst in the past, Capitalism lias assumed the right of death over the people, there is no

guarantee that history in this respect will repeat itself. The day may not be far distant when the people ..may assuiiie the right of death over Capitalism. Sir, let us hope that by the ever deepening spirit of humanism and in-

teriiatioiiuHsm the inevitable changes in the social and economic system may be achieved by none other than constitutional methods.—l am etc. ANTI-LEAGUE. Auckland, 2Stli March,