A POWER FOR PEACE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19510, 14 December 1926, Page 14

A POWER FOR PEACE.

THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS. GHASTLINESS OF WAR. GREATEST FOLLY OF] MAN. The importance of the League of Nations as a power for peace and the obligations of the people of New Zealand to support it in every way they can were matters stressed by the Rev. D:r. J. Gibb, in an address, "Can the League of Nations Prevent War?" under the auspices of the League of Nations Union last evening. The interest that already exists in Auckland in the League was evidenced by the large gathering in the Y.M.C.A. social hall.

Mr. E. C. Cutten, S.M., who presided, said there was no man in New Zealand who knew as much about the League and its work as did Dr. Gibb. He was responsible for the formation of the first New Zealand League of Nations Union at Wellington.

After referring to the events that led up to the formation of the League, Dr. Gibb said there was no organisation that demanded more sympathy and more support. While the valour of the* men who fought, in the war should .not bo forgotten they should fully realise the wickedness of the thing that tortured and slew them. The public should be constantly reminded of what war really meant-. Moral Loss Inflicted. . Dealing with the nioral loss inflicted by the war, the speaker said it was kt first thought that war would tighten the moral fibres of the public. They thought they would face a much needed rehabilitation of the Christian churches, but the result was a vast lowering of the moral tone of the world. Every minister could testify that the war had had a most evil effect and had proved a hindrance of the most potent kind to the advancement of the Kingdom of God. Here and there in New Zealand one could see a slim thread of light, but such things as the degredation of- women in beauty , contests, national antagonism, class hatred and the flaunting of wealth all had to be faced. "The evil waste of war is only equalled by war's futility," continued Dr. Gibb. "War is a colossal folly—the greatest folly of which man is capable." It was sheer folly to hold Germany solely responsible for the war. The causes of the war were to be. found in the jealousi and suspicious hatred with which the nations regarded each other. Dr. Gibb asked his audience to imagine a great mountain of dangerous explosives stretching from the earth right up into the sky. Who built the mountain? They all did. Germany might have held the torch ready to throw into it all. They were all responsible for the building of the mountain—Great Britain no less than Germany. j One Good Achievement. One good achievement of-the war was that it qad opened, their eyes to .the horror of conflict and to the ghastliness of another war. The speaker went on to deplore the fact that Great Britain had spent £117,000,000 during the present year in preparation for war. If they prepared for war they .would get war. _ "The League oi' Nations is a magnificent piece of machinery, but after all it ,is only a piece of machinery," Dr. Gibb said. "Unless it has the backing of the people and the churches it may cease to function successfully. Until we get a convinced public opinion against war it is unlikely that the League--powerful though it is—will prove a power for peace. There is no dream, no hope by which we can be more inspired than a dream of peace. The League is absolutely indispensable if the hatred of war is to find expression.

A Stalwart Infant. Dr. Gibb traversed the history of the League of Nations and what it had already done for the world. No one would be fo'olish enough to assert, the League was perfect, or had not made mistakes. It was still in its infancy, but was a promising and stalwart infant. The League was bringing people together by the chords of .brotherhood and understanding. Finally, Dr. Gibb urged the people of New Zealand to take an interest m the League. It was deplorable that the Government up until now had taken no notice of it. They leadership.. It iseemed to be that in New Zealand the lesson of the war had not been taken to heart. The days when the Britisher said "When we open ciur mouths let no dog bark" were past. Great Britain could do. 130 better service for peace Ithan to stand in the band of nations and support the League. It was their duty to God and to their fellowmen" to support the League. That day was coming when the title, "The League of Nations,'would be erased and the more noble designation, "The Kingdom of our God," put in its place. (Applause.) Dr. Gibb was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for his address.