WOMEN AND PEACE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22402, 24 April 1936, Page 6 (Supplement)

WOMEN AND PEACE

THE ARMOUR OF THE SPIRIT The world was horrified two or three months ago at the revelations made by witnesses under cross-examination by the commissioners comprising the British Arms Inquiry in London. Thanks to these inquiries, we learned an aspect of war more terrible even than war's own essential ghastliness, for we saw it exposed as commercialised massacre, where dividends are won and paid literally in blood and tears, with callous carelessness as to whether those dividends are derived from the slaying even of one's own kith and kin. The peoples of the earth have been steadily aroused and consolidated into a bitter antagonism against any further war, or even the anticipation of such conflict among themselves. The case for an international convention limiting, reducing and controlling the armaments of all nations remains as impressively convincing as it was several years ago, when the Prime Ministers or Foreign Secretaries of all the nations paid eloquent testimony to the supremo urgency of this problem. Yet such is the international situation to-day, and so mad is tho race for armaments in Europe and elsewhere that now even Great Britain is to spend from £300,000,000 to £400,000,000 to put the kingdom in a position of air, land and sea safety. A military appropriation bill introduced into Congress at Washington allowed for a record appropriation of £114,000,000; and Australia is to spend £19,500,000 on defence. "We are, in fact, back to the international anarchy of the 'Great Illusion' —every nation the armed guardian of its receding security," says the Economist. Even tho pacifist must admit that in the appropriation of these millions upon millions lies our first safeguard against the incidence of conflict, remarks an Australian writer. Our first safeguard, certainly. But not the only one; not even the surest. There can be but one perfect way of avoiding war, and that is a rearmament of the women of the world against war; a rearmament of the forces of the spirit of humanity rather than of the spirit which "puts its trust in reeking tube and iron shard." A big task, the biggest in this present world; but for tho woman who has achieved motherhood there could be no greater task to achieve than that —none dearer to her heart than this new and insistent motherhood of peace. Thero are many women in England and elsewhere who are gallantly doing their part already in the cause of peace, and none more energetically than those who are working among young people. Ono headmistress of a largo girls' school is an ardent supporter of tho Junior League of Nations Union, which bases its activities on international friendship, world knowledge and active service of some kind, besides arranging for international holiday camps. "In our civics class the girls learn something of economic conditions in our own country and in other lands, and wo try to make them understand that in order 'to seek peace and ensue it' we must share our opportunities and our raw materials," says this headmistress. "So, though I am at the moment sad beyond words at the European crisis, I still have faith in tho League of Nations and I shall still continue to encourage everywhere the work of the League of Nations Union in the schools in creating public opinion in favour of peace and intciju&tioaal brotherhood*"