PASSING NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26227, 10 August 1946, Page 5

PASSING NOTES

*’ And of their vain contest appeared no end.”—Milton.

Following hard on the local Kiwi match and the Ranfurly Shield comes news from Paris of the Peace Conference first football match which lasted for one week. Little New Zealand arrived breathless and cheeky just in time after an aeroplane break-down en route. The ground was heavy and the spectators consisted of millions of newspaper readers all over the world. The ball was labelled “ French Chairmanship of Conference ” and was kicked off by New Zealand. After some confused passing Holland got the ball and passed to Brazil. This started a brilliant rush by the minor powers which was quickly smothered by powerful opposing forwards including Russia, France, and America, whose battle cry wad “Rotating Chairmanship.” . Of course so far no referee had been appointed and free fights were going on all over the field. The agile Australian kangaroo (Dr Ev.att) took a flying leap over the scrum and punched the Russian bear (Molotov) on the nose. Meanwhile the ball had been kicked into touch and at the next line out the American eagle (Byrnes) flew up to seize it in his beak. A fine passing rush supported by Britain, Russia and India and eight other players overwhelmed the opposing backs and from a difficult angle America potted a brilliant goal. Thus it was decided that the chair should be taken in rotation and Byrnes announced to an astonished press that " the Conference was making excellent progress” which meant that after a ®ame lasting one week he had become first Chairman.

” How a minority Rpaob'ng minority Seizing authority Hates a minority ” —Robbins. The story of how the Peace football match elected a chairman has been unduly simplified because In reality two matches were played at the same time with two balls. The second ball was marked. “ How to vote ” and the line up was of one team backing decision by a simple majority and another team backing two-thirds majority vote. It sounds like a scene from Alice in Wonderland as players changed sides frequently. The play was too confused to describe in detail especially as on the side lines a lot of new states like Mongolia, Albania and Cuba were shouting for permission to take part or in other words gain admission to the Conference. Finally that wise old elephant Britain suggested thqt they should all vote for both proposals—simple majority and twothirds—and then the Council of Foreign Ministers will know that the larger the vote the more important are the proposals and can select them according to grade. This was carried by 15 to six and ended the match. Britain saw that both sides were right. After all, the reason why a simple majority vote appeals to our sense of justice is that it would be unfair if a majority had to obey, the decisions of a minority. Even children when deciding what games to play or what leader to elect intuitively decide the issue by a majority vote. Yet as we often see at company meetings it is recognised that some issues are so important that it is reasonable to require two-thirds to carry them. The Foreign Ministers have to decide grave questions of peace and war involving the destiny of millions so they are quite right to demand more than a bare majority for some recommendations What do Albania. Mongolia, ‘ and other irresponsible minor powers care? The cost in life and treasure will fall on the Great Powers always and hence their caution.

“ Who errs and mends, to God himself commends.”—Cervantes.

One thing that must ne said to the credit of Mr Semple is that when he. blunders he never hesitates to make a frank retraction when he discovers his error. Early in the war he openly confessed on the platform that his attitude to the first world war had been wrong and he was all for a united effort in World War 11. Of course it is exasperating that our public men acquire such wisdom at the taxpayers’ expense and this is a costly process It took many weary months to convert an obstinate Labour Government to the justice and necessity of military conscription. When it did come to its senses it blandly announced the adoption of conscription as if it were its own policy and not one forced on it by public opinion. This week Mr Semple made an impulsive attack on President Truman as “the tool of the money gangsters of the United States ” because of the fact that prices have been allowed to soar. Next day with admirable candour Mr Semple announced that so far from being to blame President Truman had actually wished to keep price control on foot and had supported “ a policy proved to be in the best interests of the people.” So he made a full apology. The fact that the President may.never hear of the attack or the apology does not detract from Mr Semple’s courage and manliness in confessing his blunder. Some ministers would have said they had been misreported.

"He argued high, he argued low He also argued round about him." —Gilbert. Anyone who wants to win over the Russians to a more friendly attitude is wasting his time if he alternates praise and blame; for they will resent the blame and forget the praise. Of course this attitude is not peculiar to the Russians for it is' human nature to want jam without any dose of vinegar. Yet last week when Mr Nash made an earnest plea for friendship with Russia each compliment he paid her was promptly negatived by a counterblast of censure in the next sentence. He was like a boy playing on a see-saw and it is a wonder he did not get a squint from crying " eyes right” and “eyes left” at the same time—for example here are a few of his criss-cross remarks—(a) “He made a strong appeal for a better understanding of Russia. (b) He did not want to apologise for Russia’s lack of co-operation. (c) Yet we could not have won the war without Russia. (d) He dm not like the Russian dictatorship or a gun being pointed at a man If he did not work. (e) We must remember how the Russians suffered under the Czars. (f) I hate the Russian form of Government. (g) But we were mainly responsible tor trying to destroy the revolution. (h) I am not defending Russian treachery especially in 1939. •, (I) But in the League of Nations they alone offered to disarm completely. (j) I do not want to prepare to fight. (k) But if there is no way of understanding we may have to prepare to fight. (l) But to say we must prepare to fight is suicidal. And so on and on. Press reports say that Mr Fraser’s speech was confused because the Russian Minister was in the gallery listening; but if Mr Nash’s appeal, inspired feelings of passionate friendship in the Russian Minister he must be a new type of Muscovite

“ We are offered a sip from the cup of life which is then for ever withdrawn ” —McNeil Dixon. Some philosopher declares that our span of life is not quite long enough. If it comes to an end about the biblical period of three score years and ten we have not yet quite exhausted our love of living and have still enough physical and mental zest to leave the scene with regret. But in his opinion if our term could be extended to say 120 years, by that time we would be weary and satisfied and therefore glad to pass on. But such speculations seem vain as no rule can be laid down for all or any of us. Some people who feel the burden of age envy the fate of soldiers cut off in their prime before life disillusions them Other people like Bernard Shaw long for a life of three centuries. But is there not a fallacy in Bernard Shaw's recent statement? He says if he had a second century he would have time to reach political maturity and qualify himself as a senator and oracle for the third century. Does not this presuppose that everything remains static while he grows wiser and more mature? On the contrary events may move faster than himself. For example he has now had 90 years in which to acquire wisdom but does this teach him how to control the atomic bomb? We will be just as far behind in coping with next century's new

problems as we are with present problems. Shaw may think that next century will complete his knowledge of say Socialism and Communism but for all he knows some new form of Government may have sprung up and his studies must start afresh. Clvla.