NOTES AND COMMENTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23002, 1 April 1938, Page 8

NOTES AND COMMENTS

THE IDEAL AND THE REAL The wise man was lie who could combine qualities of both the realist and the idealist, said the Foreign Secretary, Lord Halifax, speaking in the House of Lords, llioso two attitudes were not by any means incompatible, and it would bo a great misfortune for human life if they were, because most of human' life for most of them consisted in a i of New Yeai* resolutions with Aow Year deeds. The whole of human life would stop unless it were possible for all, in their respective ways, to make some eflective reconciliation between realities, often ugly, and ideals which, as had been said, were the foundation on which all progress depended. INSULAR IMMUNITY ENDED

I The changed position of Britain in ; time of war is emphasised by the Dej fence League recently formed in Lon- ' don. Throughout the centuries, states : the league's manifesto, Britain's wars | have been fought on the territory of ; other countries without serious threat | to national existence. We have been I privileged to develop our commerce and I to enjoy our ideal of freedom and of ; democratic institutions without seri- ! ous disturbance. All that has changed. | The whole of our country is to-day ; within range —large parts within easy range—of hostile aircraft. Spain and China bear witness to what that means under modern conditions of warfare. Wo have ceased to possess the advantages of an island situation. Indeed our position is little different from that of a Continental country where the possibility of invasion is ever present to the civil population. Should wo be involved in war, every man, woman and child in this country will be in the firing line. No longer shall we be able to carry on our daily life in relative security while the war is fought out far from our shores. MERCHANT NAVY'S PART Emphasising the importance of the Merchant Navy in Britain's scheme of defence, Sir Thomas Inskip, Minister for the Co-ordination of Defence, said that he had received a copy of a publication in which ho was charged with thinking only in terms of men-of-war, aeroplanes, and Army corps as though they could save Britain from starvation. That was a misapprehension. He had sometimes seen the Merchant Navy described as their fourth line of defence. Others would describe it, and quite rightly from one point of view, as the first line of defence. But such allocations of priority were really no hel.f. Britain was a land which, for better or for worse, had become dependent to a very large extent upon seaborne supplies for its sustenance. No one could see any prospect of reaching a level of home production which would make them independent of these foreign supplies. It was, therefore, inconceivable that any Government should be in power in Britain that could be indifferent to the state of the Merchant Navy or that could refuse to go to the aid of any section of the industry when help was needed.

FITNESS AND HAPPINESS Supporting the activities of the National Fitness Council in a speech at the Guildhall, London, the King said: —"It is a cause of the first importance, for while we are striving to bring the fruits of education within the reach of all, to improve the conditions in which everyone may grow and live, and to keep before our eyes the spiritual basis and aims of human life, we must always remember that our bodies are the instruments with which we have to work. They, too, need education if we are to play our part in the life of our family and of our country. Wo have here a duty to ourselves and to our generation which will bring swift returns in human happiness, for nothing adds more to the pleasure of life and to the joy of work and play than physical fitness. We must remember, too, that in the end fitness depends on the efforts of each one of us. No one can develop our will except ourselves. This cause is very near my heart, and to youth in particular I would say: The future wilf be in your keeping. The present is your opportunity to fit yourselves for a full, an active and useful and therefore happy life. The decision is left to your free choice. It is for you to make the effort. There is much leeway to be made up—but., if wo all do our share, success is assured, and the greater wellbeing of our peoplo will be the supreme reward."

BRITISH FOREIGN POLICY

"The broad purpose of foreign policy of any Britain Government must bo to pursue that which was the greatest of all British interests—namely, peace, and if at any time 100 per cent success in that pursuit is impossible—and that is hot a matter that lies wholly in the hands of the British Government—it will still remain the object of the British Government to protect as much as possible the cause of peace," said tho Foreign Secretary, Viscount Halifax, speaking in the Houso of Lords. " We bolievo that the future of the world depends on its willingness to prefer the way of reason and of law in international affairs to the use of force. But inasfnuch as tho world never stands still we have to be on our guard to see that tho assertion of those principles is not distorted into an attempt to obstruct all cliango, which is one of tho primary laws of all human life. Nothing tho Marquess of Lothian said in this debate had greater force than his observations on that thought. I agree with him that not tho least of the problems confronting us to-day is to make provision for the security of peace which must not exclude peaceful revision and change where such may rightly bo required. .1 do not believe, and T have never believed, .in the imminence of war, and in more directions than oiio I believe time to be on tho side of peace. Greater progress would in my judgment bo made if we could rid our minds of the catastrophic conception of Europe on the brink of tho abyss—which I think is itsolf largely responsible for maintaining the background which makes the whole picture look so dark. As I see it, tho truth is that Europe is not so much dangerous as confused. For years since the war Europe sought, in appearance at least, to build its policy ifpon the League, and it is naturally disturbing when that basis is the object of direct and open challenge as it is to-day."