WAR AND PEACE

Southland Times, Issue 23774, 23 March 1939, Page 7

WAR AND PEACE

To The Editor

Sir, —An explanation of the apparent apathy of the young New Zealander is perhaps given by an acquaintance of mine, Albert. The Defence League approached him as follows: Your attitude of apathy is absolutely deplorable. Is it not obvious that the freedom of your loved ones is threatened unless you take an interest in defence?

Apathetic Albert: Defence in the true spirit is as near to our hearts as to yours.

D.L.: Then come along on Monday night or learn to fly free. We must be prepared—you cannot wish the enemy away. A.A.: The method of wishing them away is as likely to protect New Zealand, in my opinion, as is the policy of saying, “We are peacefully inclined but we will defend ourselves —what we have we hold, as the Navy League says. We love peace, but just watch our army growing.” DX,.: We threaten no one A.A.: No, we do not need to—now.

D.L.: Don’t interrupt. Anyhow you are too young to know any better. You are an idealist who probably thinks we should welcome the Japanese with open arms and let them make slaves of us.

A.A.: One thing at a time, please. First, I am evidently not too young to do the carrying out of your “defensive” measures, just too young to question them. Second, idealist or not, it is surely real enough that the last effort to save democracy and ourselves—a war to end war—was not a howling success. Why should the next be any more successful? Third, if I was a Japanese man in the street, the last thing that would enter my head would be to come ever to New Zealand and rule the colonials. Gardening is much better fun. D.L.: You grow rude and have no respect for one old enough to be your father. Your criticism is easy. What about something constructive? After all I hate war as much as you do. A.A.: Ghandi’s non-violent resistance to England is a constructive measure of true defence, but what about a genuine disarmament conference where we were prepared to make some sacrifice for peace—not let someone else do the sacrificing? What about a trial of good faith and mutual trust?

D.L.: My good child, your mental age is about four. Can it be forced into your consciousness that Hitler and good faith do not go together. A.A.: Of course not, but Hitler need not be Germany if we were prepared to give a helping hand to German liberalism which cannot be completely

killed. D.L.: I give you up—not a spark of manhood in you. Conscription will be our future policy; there are too many of you young chaps thinking for yourself. Poor Albert is as apathetic as ever. Let us all send him a white feather when he goes to prison.—Yours, etc., PEACE PLEDGE UNION. March 22, 1939.

To The Editor

Sir,—From a recent number of Current History I cull the following figures. The population of the world is over 2,000,000,900; indeed it exceeds that figure by enough to counterbalance'all the Anglicans 35 millions, all the Presbyterians 15.2 millions, all the Methodists 15.4 millions, all the Baptists 13 millions, all the Jews 15 millions, all the Congregationalists 2.5 millions of the world put together. The average lifetime of a human being in Bombay is under 25 years, in New Zealand under 65 years. For the whole world the average lifetime is probably under 40 years: it is certainly under 50 years. If we divide 2000’by 50 we get 40; so that more than 40,000,000 human beings die every year, more than 100,000 every day, more than 4000 every hour, more than one every second. You may say, “Well, what about it?” If we are to take the orthodox Calvinist view, then of the 40,000,000 who will die during the next year more than 30,000,000 will go to hell. How people can enjoy their breakfasts when they meditate on such horrors, I do not know. Or, if we look at the figures from another point of view, we see that a major war would not affect the outlook very seriously. The figures 40,000,000 might become 45,000,000, but then, on the other hand, if the average lifetime is only 40 years, then the 40,000,000 become 50,000,000 without any major war at all. The moral surely is “Fiat justitia, ruat coelum,” “Let justice be done, though the heavens fall.” The rest we must leave with God.—Yours, etc., J. P. DAKIN.

March 22, 1939.