Children and World Peace.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20620, 19 July 1930, Page 4 (Supplement)

Children and World Peace.

DEAR BOYS AND GIRLS: When your fathers and mothers were littlo children, ib was always thought that tho proper way to begin a story was to say, Ones upon a time. So, onco upon a timo—in fact, many hundreds of years ago—people lived in caves and small huts, and all the clothes they had to keep out tho cold were the skins of animals. And they gathered in caves and huts, close together, so that they might all help to stop robbers and othor bad men from stealing their goods. But as their children grew up and mado homes for themselves, some of them tried to make better houses and better clothes; some tried to find better kinds of food; and some tried to make better bows and arrows, with which to drive away their enemies. . In this way nearly everything in tho world went on becoming better, and that is why we may now enjoy good things which tho people who first lived in caves knew nothing about. But all tho time, from the very beginning, peoplo who have wanted to make better houses and better clothes and food and bows and arrows and guns and ships, forgot one thing. They forgot to try and make tho world a happier place to live in by settling quarrels with people in other countries without going to war and killing one another, nation went to war with another because their kings had quarrelled. In other times ;' >v have gone to war becauso statesmen have quarrelled. And when kings or statesmen in different countries quarrelled, they gathered together largo armies of soldiers, and sent thorn to fight the armies of tho.se with whom thev had quarrelled. .111 But because the peoples of the world—who suffered most, because they had to do tho fighting—never stopped to think out some better way of settling quarrels, the wars went on, until the Great War, which was waged just before U In* 3 the Great War millions of men wore killed and injured—British and French and Germans and Austrians, and others—and at tho end of the war, when it was found that it could not be allowed to go on any longer, the nations met together and talked it over. You see, tho Great War, which was started for the purpose of settling a quarrel, did not settle it. So millions of men, who had not quarrelled, but who had to fight for their country, were killed, without any nation thoughtful peoplo in different countries began to seo how foolish it had been to fight and kill in order to settle a quarrel, which, aftei aH the millions been killed, had no. been settled. These wise men and women said that it would bo far better that peoplo In all countries should join together meet* each other, and talk over any quarrels that might arise in tho future. In that way the lives of millions would be saved, and the vast sums of money that a war would cost would bo saved for useful purposes. So each country sent a man to a place called Geneva, in Switzerland. When these men met together, they called themselves tho League of Nations. And they drew up rules. One of the rules they made was that in future there should "bo no wars, and that when statesmen quarrelled they must tell their quarrels to the League of Nations, and tho League would tell them how to make 11 Ü But^hcre n lro fl (TtUl S a ß lot of thoughtless peoplo in the world who do not understand what a great benefit it is to do away with war, and these people )ri ho talked to and taught that war is wrong. So some wise folk decided that they would band themselves together to teach all peoplo, old and young, that war is wrong. And when these vise folk banded (homselves together they called themselves the Leaguo of Nations Union. They formed branches of tho union all over the world. All tho peoplo in tho union are very anxious that all boys and girls should learn and remember that war is not tho right way to settle quarrels with other countries, and that the nroner way is to tell the Leaguo of Nations. . P So it is hoped you boys and girls will always remember that war is wrong, and that quarrels cannot bo settled by fighting, and must be settled by telling the I eft "tie of Nations. The world will then be a much happier place to live m, for Lea ue 0 jn batt ] o) nnc j t h o money which is spent on war will he used to give employment to everybody, and thero will be no little children in want of food and clothing. r-Your sincere friend,