THE PEACE BALLOT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22149, 1 July 1935, Page 8

THE PEACE BALLOT

Sympathetic heed should be given to the result of "the peace ballot" organised in Britain by the League of Nations Union. That throughout the country there existed a large preponderance of feeling in favour of the plan of collective security and international co-operation sponsored by the League was long ago evident; to get a clear expression of this, especially just now, is calculated to encourage the Government to continue with renewed zeal its efforts in support of the League. The questions submitted were related, more or less closely, to the League's work : 1. Should Great Britain remain a member of the League of Nations? 2. Are you in favour of an all-round reduction of armaments by international agreement? 3. Are you in favour of the all-round abolition of national military and naval aircraft by international agreement? 4. Should the manufacture and sale of armaments for private profit bo prohibited by international agreement? 5. Do you consider that if a nation insists on attacking another the other nations should combine to compel it to stop by (a) economic and nonmilitary measures, (b) if necessary, military measures?

Answers "Yes'' or "No" were requested, with or without explanation or comment, and the union's scheme to collect these by house-to-house canvass, employing 250,000 voluntary workers and raising £IO,OOO for necessary expenses, was launched last November. It was then honed to elicit at least 10.000.000 votes; nearly 12,000,000 have been recorded. This endeavour to get a "national declaration" followed local schemes of the kind ; their questions, however, were not cast in quite the same way. For instance, one organised by a Hull newspaper asked "Should Great Britain continue her obligation to go to the help of France or Germany if either of those nations be attacked by the other V' and the answers were 7488 in favour and 515! against. Nevertheless, in such ballots, as in this, an overwhelming majority favoured continuance of League membership, general reduction of armaments and prohibition of their manufacture by private enterprise. The parliamentary electoral constituency in the British Isles is approximately 30.000.000, and the minimum age is 21, whereas thin ballot extended to those over 18; but in judging the total achieved by this complex ballot it should be remembered that the actual votes recorded in a parliamentary election seldom reach seven-tenths of the possible number, and that British folk are disinclined to make replies to questionnaires or to be regi mented. In the circumstances, the vote recorded in approval of League membership is impressive and gratifying. Apparently a division of opinion exists on subsidiary questions, and only a full analysis of the voting on these can adequately elucidate the ballot. In the meantime, peace and a measure of disarmament are manifestly favoured by a great body of British opinion.