The Timaru Herald. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1925. MANING PEACE REAL.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 15 December 1925, Page 8

The Timaru Herald. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1925. MANING PEACE REAL.

■ 'iCo-ui'eaejaumveSi oi practically ail juuuuus iu'c now - asicixiuieu, ' ueoiuretl trie jjiSiiup at w orccsici, tit Lao upexuixy ux uu« Ad'oem oiy ox iao ao ox x\aixons at Urea ova, eaixy in iyUi, “not merely to tneir own wrongs Out tlie common wrongs ox axx nations. EaixuoLs may ue strong' lor tneir own country s lioerty, or lor me itionroo nocirine, out Uiero is a stronger cxaim wiucli is tliat ol tlie iiuinan sunenngs oi tlie world/' in tnese eloquent sentence's tlie good Oisliop uescnOed tne assemuxuig oi tne repicsentatives of tne Allied and Associated rowers at ureneva to euxorce tlie terms of tne Treaty ol V ersailies, Out iiow xmicfi more iittingiy would tides© , words nave descriued the gathering tda't wrougnt the miracle ox xucatno- anu tlie suosequent meetmg- oi the uouncil ol tne League oi .Nations which unanimously decided to call a disarmament oortierence and issue invitations to all nations. Hardship, sutfering, and deatli iisell are inseparably associated with war, but the great nations ol the. earth are beginning to feel that impoverish men b oi many people's and the atrophy of civilisation are certain unless' the burdens of peace can be lightened. Mr Balfour, in his memorable utterance at the Washington Conference, where he appealed as the spokesman of the British Empire, said that there was something- in the United States disarmament scheme beyond mere financial and economical considerations. “The United States have shown the way," Mr Balfour confessed at the close of his histone pronouncement, “in which war can be diminished and the burdens of peace lightened. Their scheme, makes idealism a. practical proposition striking the imagination of the whole, world. By tlie manner the United States have shown this, they made the first day of the Confereiice one of the landmarks of human civilisation." The.whole world responded to the call for a better international understanding-. It remained, however, for one of the steel kings of the United. States to strike the trne note. Mr Charles Schwab had already rendered at least, one historic, unforgettable and incalculable service to humanity and the cause of liberty. He refused to be bribed by Germany's millions into declining the Allies’ orders for munitions at the most, critical stage of the war. While British vested interests were growling ominously, the Steel King of the United States offered another great service to humanity. “I have,” says this citizen of the United States, “the largest, war materials manufacturing works ill the world. My shipyards (the Bethlehem Steel Corporation), build more naval ships than art. built in any yards under one management in America, but I have been thrilled beyond expression by the yilliant and statesmanlike scheme Mr’ Hug-lies is carrying' out. That, plan may involve great monetary loss in some quarters 1 , but such things as financial loss can he. ox no consideration when compared with the inestimable boom to mankind which is involved in the realisation of thai, magnificent, plan. May God speed the day when the noble conception can he realised. I say to you from the bottom of my heart that if tlie statesmen now m Washington should find it possible to bring about, disarmament and permanent pence, gladly would I see tlie warmaking machinery at the Bethlehem ytcel Works sunk to tiu> bottom of the ocean. The American iron and steel industry will gladly and willingly accept money loss if disarmament inilicts it upon as." War-weary, debtbuiuoued Europe has a thousand times since re-echoed Mr Schwab’s prayer, “May God -speed the. day when the noble conception of disarmament can be realised." Neve-

nuico the mighty engines o£ modern warfare ceased trampling humanity under merciless feet, have tbe proitpecLs of lightening the burdens of peace been so eneouragi’ig'. If tiro League of Nations can translate its lofty, idealism into international reality, the inillions or brave men who gave their lives in the fiercest and costliest war in the history of mankind, wiil not have died in vain, for out of the limning crucible' of ilio World War will have grown the choicest dower in the garden of humanity—a new order of things : a ieul peace (untroubled by the menace p£ great armaments and the pressing burdens of rapidly accumulating- indebtedness), long cherished as their ideal by the free, libertyloving peoples who in making war against war, passed throng.i terror to triumph, iti the_ ngo-nising struggle against Prussia's uuiite ■ ing r conspiracy to overthrow civilisation and gain dominion over the whole ■world.