IS PEACE POSSIBLE?

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21912, 22 September 1934, Page 15

IS PEACE POSSIBLE?

Sir, —Mr. L. Graham, of Kaikohe, asks, "Is peace possible?" I should say that the answer must be of the yes-no order. It is certainly not possible under present conditions, but it is possible, by a sufficiently wide, intensive and prolonged educational campaign to educate the people of the world up to the point of making an irresistible demand for the institution of conditions which would make war impossible. Whatever may have been the chief causes of war in past ages. I think it is generally agreed that the cause of war in these times is almost wholly economic. But if we concede this point it does not follow that we should have perpetual peace, for we shall have eliminated the major present cause of war, but left in existence other motives, such as the overmastering lust for power on the part of powerful and influential personalities, and we shall also have left intact the means to wage war. Nationally, disputants are not permitted to resort to physical violence and are not armed, but may bring their case before the courts for settlement, where the police, and the police alone, are armed, or have the right to resort to arms to enforce the law. Arm the litigants themselves, and what would happen? We must follow the national procedure out internationally, abolish the private (national) possession of arms, and rely on an international police force to keep international order. The New Commonwealth, with headquarters in Great Britain, whose members are - practically all persons of distinction in Great Britain and other countries (being cosmopolitan in eom» position), is established to further these aims. It is proposed that one country will assist in the supply of air forces for the international police, another with naval forces, and another with soldiers, yet another with munitions, a f"rther one with clothing, and so on. We can disregard details of development for the time being, but these alone are the broad lines along which peace is possible. Matamata. T. E. McMim.an.