THE WORLD’S FUTURE

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12161, 11 June 1925, Page 6

THE WORLD’S FUTURE

For the pessimist the present confused state of the world offers an encouragement almost ideal. To the optimist the situation offers an opportunity of analysis keen enough to sweep pessimism out of existence. The Allied Note to Germany; the new development of the Security Pact question; the curious situation in China, in which military ambitions. Chinese hatred of foreigners, the tremors to be expected in Governments at their wits’ end for money and ideas all join as a hotch-potch most encouraging to the minor prophets, who vainly curry favour in our day—all these things make up a situation of the most formidable. From any one of these many centres between China and Peru, says the Man-in-the-Street, there may be at any moment an explosion fit to shatter the world. When that explosion does come it will find itself in company with all the fiends of the trade dislocation of the world. The reply to this pessimistic discharge is the commonsense analysis right to the hand of the optimist. Analysis shows, in the case of the Allied Note to Germany, a large margin of German admission of Versailles Treaty points evaded; in the case of the Security Pact, the emergence of the principle of even-handed justice, embracing both sides of the controversy instead of the one which has naturally precluded all possibility of settlement. . . The Chinese situation is a reminder that Chinese public opinion has many things in view, done under the old diplomatic system, forgotten by the European aggressor, but gall and wormwood to the Chinese victims. The Japanese remarks on the situation, ending with “Hands off China!” settle the matter beyond all possible doubt. In fact, they show that European and American bluff is out of date on the soil of China. The Bolshevik chuckle'of triumph is the claim of Soviet Russia to have raised the Chinese soul. But analysis shows that the Chinese soul can take care of itself. How much stronger with the help of Japan, which shows that the world has marched on since the Boxer days, when the world dictated to China, and how the repetition of the things done under the regime of “sphere of influence” is to-day impossible. Analysis of many situations is proving that the principles of justice stand for a good deal more to-day than when European and American Governments practised brigandage under cover of Christian principles. . . It proves that brigandage, having become impossible tnrough the disputes of brigands, Christian principles may get their chance presently.