“THIS CURSE OF WAR”

Southland Times, Issue 23025, 20 October 1936, Page 6

“THIS CURSE OF WAR”

CONDEMNATION BY PRIMATE MODERN METHODS OF DESTRUCTION CONTRARY TO WILL OF GOD (United Press Association.) Auckland, October 19. A passionate attack on the recourse of nations to warfare to settle their disputes was made by the Primate of New Zealand, Archbishop Averill, when speaking in a debate on the Church’s attitude to war at the Auckland Synod to-night. “This curse of war,” he called it, and allied himself completely with the finding of the Lambeth Conference in 1930 that war as a method of settling international disputes was incompatible with the teachings of Christ. After a long debate the synod k by a large majority, carried a motion declaring that war is contrary to the will of God. Some of the members expressed preference for limiting the motion to aggressive warfare, but in the end no modification was made to the terms of the suggested resolution. “Is not the word war generally misunderstood?” asked Archbishop Averill. “Is there such a thing in the present day as war as we have understood it in the past? War such as we have known will never recur. That which we call war to-day is wholesale and indiscriminate slaughter. There was something glamorous about some of the wars , in the past, but there is nothing glamorous about war to-day. What we call, and miscall, war will make no distinction between combatants and non-combatants. Destruction from the Air. “Old men and women, children and others too young to fight will go down before it. Destruction will not come by land; it will come from the air. Surely when we read—as we have read—of the horrible things that took place in Abyssinia, and when we read of what is happening in Spain, surely it is nauseating. When I ask myself, is this the will of God? I shudder. I cannot believe that this horrible suffering, slaughter and anguish of so many men and women are God's will. It is right, I believe, to institute such defences as may help to counteract this horrible slaughter and to help to protect ships that are carrying food to people who may have to endure famine.. What we need in the present chaotic state of society and in dealing .with, nations which openly renounce Christian ideals and morals is a national police force, and probably an international police force. So long as we need a police force in civil life to protect people from crime and violence, so long, I am afraid, we will have to do the same with our neighbours. Question of Justice. “We have to face the question of justice,” concluded the Archbishop. “Until we have justice in the world then we will not have peace at all. In the present conditions God and morality are to a large extent gone. We have to defend ourselves. It would not matter if we old ones went and provided cannon fodder, but think of the young men who died in the last war and whom we could not afford to lose. I believe it is the will of God that war as war should cease and some substitute be found, and I believe that with international tribunals we could succeed without proceeding to this terrible massacre.” Other members of the synod spoke at length on the subject, some holding that New Zealand should pay more attention not to preaching pacifism, but to teaching young men to learn the ways of defending their country. The majority held that war in defence of one’s country was right, but in the end a motion was carried that the synod declare war as being contrary to the will of God. At the same time motions urging Christian people at all times to strive actively for peace and that the synod should advocate a settlement, of international disputes by arbitration were carried unanimously. A motion suggesting that the synod declare that its clergy should not wear the uniform of combatant services when following their calling as priests in a theatre of ■war was lost. The motions that were carried are to be forwarded to the General Synod of the Church in New Zealand.