WORLD PROBLEMS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3763, 27 April 1926, Page 54

WORLD PROBLEMS.

NATIONS BEING NEW BORN THE POSITION IN CHINA. WELLINGTON, April 23. Dr J. R. Mott, chairman of the Chr.stian Federation, speaking at a meeting at which Mr Justice Adams presided last evening, scid:— “Europe to-day is very sick, and of South and North America, the tringee of Africa and Asia, from the South of India to Turkey, the same must be said, but it is the sickness that one associates witti a new birth. There are agonies and frail flickering between life and death, anJ 1 see across the breadth of the world not only new nations ccming on but old nations—the oldest in the world—being reboin.” In illustrating the irr.tation und distrust which existed in the world today, the speaker said there was not a m»' ; nn which tiueted those within its borders—much less its neighbouring nations. The outbreak of feeling in China was but the match to the fuse that had been set for generations. The people were convinced thr the outside Powers of the world had been dominatin'* the whole country—whether justly, in part or in full, was beside the point, and they were determined that they would be rulers within their own house. The result had been the outbreak of feeling against Great Britain. “But it must not be considered that it is against Britain alone ’that this attack is directed,” the speaker added, “for I know countries that should be in the very front line of attack. It is against the whole foreign universe. “The debts of the world have increased enormously, and the curfew is going to ring late for someone. The generations vet unborn will be called to bear an impossible load, which is being increased rather than diminished. You should be patient and tolerant towards China. Give her 10 years, and she will give a good account of herself, for by then the young men and women of the new Chi will have assumed sufficient control to dominate the whole control of (be new nation. China ie having four colossal revolutions and has to deal with them simultaneously, whereas Europe had her trouble spread over a long time.

“No man can tell about the military spirit of China, but it is not a war among the Chinese. The people are not at war against each other. There are certain military governors whose motives are unfair, and who are rising to and falling from power like the rise and fall of the tide.”

Dr Mott deplored the fact that there were more people under arms in the different countries than hitherto, contending that this huge military establishment was being built up and placed upon the shoulders of those who were least able to bear it. Bolshevism he described as a malignant disease, and qualified this by relating his experiences in Russia

when Lenin was speaking to the people. “I tried to sound a warning,” he said, “but little did 1 believe that 1 would live to see this fell disease get into the higher organised social land with those of the lower social race. Yet this is what I have seen.”

Yputh, he said, was in an extremely precarious position to-day. Multitudes of them—almost youth en masse—were without guiding principles, just like ft ship without chart or compass.