The Te Aroha News Published Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday Mornings. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1924. NOTES AND COMMENTS WORLD PEACE

Te Aroha News, Volume XLI, Issue 6521, 18 September 1924, Page 3

The Te Aroha News Published Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday Mornings. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1924. NOTES AND COMMENTS WORLD PEACE

THERE is perhaps no escape from the conclusion that no really firm safeguards of world peace can be established until all the leading nations without exception are pledged to a policy of arbitration developed to the point M. Herriot suggested. Unsatisfactory as it may appear, this conclusion does not exclude the hope of an effective international organisation for peace being ultimately achieved, and it certainly does not imply that a brand of amiable futility must be ‘ set upon the proceedings of the League of Nations Assembly. It certainly may be claimed that no country is doing more than Britain to break down the remaining obstacles to the development of an effective organisation to safeguard world peace. She is acting from no narrow or selfcentred outlook. Any benefit she derives from her efforts to promote international concord will be shared fully by other nations. On the other hand, in such matters as the payment of her debt to and the active part she has taken in promoting a settlement with Germany which pays poor regard to her own trading interests, she has taken upon herself heavy burdens and sacrifices which entitle her to more gratitude than she is perhaps likely to receive.—The Dominion.

THE DEFENCE SYSTEM TO become “fine by degrees and beautifully less” has been the tendency of the New Zealand Defence Force since

the war. It is still an offence, however, to the Labour Party. Mr Lee complains that the staff of it is topheavy. That would be a bad result after the drastic cutting to which the staff had been subjected in recent years. The Commandant of the forces does not know, apparently, of “highly-paid officers spending the greater part of their time lounging in pleasant clubs” in Auckland. What he does know is that too many officers have found the service unattractive with the increased work thrown upon them by reduction of staff, and have left it for civilian employment. It is only a nucleus for defence requirements that is maintained at present in New Zealand; but General Melville, with war experience to give weight to his opinion, has no doubt that, so far as the permanent element of it is concerned, it is highly-eflicient nucleus, so organised that it would be capable of immediate expansion if required.—Dunedin Evening Star.