The Sun 42 WYNDHAM STREET, AUCKLAND MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1929 THE TIGER IN HUMAN NATURE

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 591, 18 February 1929, Page 8

The Sun 42 WYNDHAM STREET, AUCKLAND MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 1929 THE TIGER IN HUMAN NATURE

ALL men of goodwill and love of peace will welcome the prediction of the British Ambassador to the United States that a.i important new effort was about to be made by Great Britain to bring about an agreement between the world Powers for a further limitation of armaments. But unless such men are very simple they will restrain their joy in recognising the cold fact that it will be a long time yet before anything vital has been done to make world peace more secure. Even the ambassadorial prophet has explained quickly that he merely had expressed his personal view while the Foreign Office, though confirming the excellent intention of the prediction, has stated that the British Government will not be in a position for some time yet to make a further communication on the subject.

To many observers it may seem ironical to argue with Sir Esme Howard that the passing into law of the United States’ legislative programme for the building of fifteen new cruisers clears the way to the prospect of another measure of international disarmament. If the movement toward limitation of armaments had been pressed forward to success before the adoption of America’s policy of naval expansion, there would have been at least fifteen cruisers fewer to worry about. Politeness, however, demanded that silence should be maintained while American politicians shaped and determined a development of peaceful naval armament.

Perhaps there is some justification for Mr. Lloyd George’s recent tirade against America’s policy. Speaking at Manchester and taking a shrewd view of the forthcoming British elections, the Leader of the Liberal remnant said vehemently: “Since we signed the Kellogg Pact, armaments have been steadily growing. Mr. Kellogg says, ‘Thou shalt not; kill,’ but he also says, ‘Fill your waistbelt with knives and pistols so as to be ready to kill.’ ” Then, referring to the British Administration, he added savagely: “This Government is leading us straight back into the hell of war.” That, of course, is purely simulated political anger which need only be taken .for what it is worth as vote-catching rhetoric. Indeed, Mr. Stanley Baldwin sees more clearly into the core of the problem. Not so long ago the Prime Minister gave one of his simple, but powerful, political sermons to the League of Nations’ Union which now lias over 723,000 members, with 2,710 branches. On that occasion Mr. Baldwin had no illusions about the heaven of peace or the “hell of war.” The difficulty as he saw it was the fact that in the past the nations had paid much too little attention to these tigrine impulses that lie deep down in human nature. Those who believed that they were going to beat the things that culminate in hatred and in war without a spiritual fight were foredoomed to failure. “To make a vow with your lips is not enough. To sign a covenant with your pen is not enough. It savours of qrying ‘Lord, Lord.’ ” And there one has the whole business in a few words. Human nature is not ready for the blessings of peace, and will not get peace until it is ready for it. It is something to the good that many nations genuinely are determined “not to slip back into the international anarchy which came to a destructive climax, but not to an end, in 1914,” but the forces of evil have not yet been dispersed. The League of Nations continues to do splendid work, but its best work still is nothing better than conciliatory and educative. The tigrine impulses in human nature remain.