WORLD AS AN ARMED CAMP

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 14081, 8 June 1909, Page 6

WORLD AS AN ARMED CAMP

"The civilised world does not advance in a straight line, but eeenrs to take 'a zigzag course like that of a drunken man," said the Rev. T. H. Sprott, preaching at, St. Paul's Pro-Cathedral, Wellington. Humanity, he went on to say, had oscillated between the two poles of solidarity and socialism. At the present day, there were signs of another reaction. People were beginning to see that rampant individualism was intolerable; it really meant "every man for himself and the devil take the hindmost." This change was not as yet, so apparent as regards the Church, but the Christian ideal of mankind as one great family or brotherhood was again coming to the front. But did not the present aspect of the civilised world as an armed camp, and the enormous expenditure by rival nations on weapons of destruction, give the lie to this ideal? He had nothing to say against arming for defence. Ho believed the British race had its special contribution to make to the welfare of mankind, and its extinction would, therefore, be a serious loss to the world ; but the same thing applied to every other nation, for each had its contribution to make for the general good and, therefore, a wanton attack by one. nation upon another,, or a war of aggression, would be an unspeakable crime and a negation of Christianity. Political science admitted the evil of the present state of international affairs, but had so far failed to find a remedy. Was it not time that the Christian peoples made a serious and determined effort to put an end to the possibility of fratricidal strife, and unite the nations in one great brotherhood ■ : .i ..,-,•