IMPERIALISM AND WAR

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXX, 26 November 1936, Page 9

IMPERIALISM AND WAR

RECTIFICATION OF INJUSTICES

ASSEMBLY DISCUSSES RE-ARMAMENT

(Special to “The Mail”)

CHRISTCHURCH, 25th November. “Our modern civilisation is as Godless in practice as Communism is in theory,” said the Rev. James Baird introducing the report of the International Relations Committee to the Presbyterian Assembly in Christchurch yesterday. “Since the Great War,” states the report, “we have witnessed the spectacle of selfish purpose striving after national self-sufficiency with a conscienceless disregard for others. There has been endless activity at Geneva, but to a large extent it has been a case of nations using the League to serve their own interests. “International peace and well being can only rest on a basis of political and economic justice. The primary task of the League is to come to grips with the main cause of international friction —namely, economic equality. The great monopolistic nations, members of the League, possessing vast economic advantages, have shown as yet no disposition to share beyond a vague promise. The dissatisfied states, driven by economic necessity and undoubtedly also inspired by political and imperialistic mbtives, are engaged in converting their resources in preparation for fi war which, from their point of view, is inevitable. The monopolistic nations alarmed by the threat to their vested interests of those of their nationals in Africa or elsewhere, are hypnotically equipping themselves, as they say, more adequately towards the support of the collective peace system.

“It is ominous that, despite that recent efforts to operative collective security, the international situation has rapidly deteriorated. Theoretically collective security should lead to disarmament: in practice it is made the excuse for rearming. Really, Great Britain should be giving a lead to the real work of the League, which is surely the rectification of all the political and economic injustices which embitter nations.” The Assembly expressed appreciation of the New Zealand Government’s memorandum presented at Geneva. “By that act we put ourselves among those small nations which have exerted an influence for good over the League out of all proportion to their size,” said Rev. J. D. Smith. Conferences are no use in getting us peace. Some important state has to take the lead by a generous action. For example the British Government could voluntarily give its colonial possessions the status of League mandates administered solely for the good of their own inhabitants and the economic welfare of the world.” Rev. Morton Ryburn, an Indian educationist, said he found New Zealanders to be without any real international background. Its creation was the task of our schools. But to wake them up to their duty to teach from a more than national parochial point of view was the task of Christians.