The Timaru Herald FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1926. THE PATH TO PEACE.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXIII, 8 October 1926, Page 8

The Timaru Herald FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1926. THE PATH TO PEACE.

Although the formation of a branch of the League of Nations , Union may he regarded by the average unthinking citizen as an unimportant episode in the everyday life of the community, the fact remains, to quote Lie rvords of Lord Grey of Ealloden, that, “the first duty of every citizen who desires, to help the League of Nations is to join the League of Nations Union more particularly in view of the fact that the other nations are looking to the British people to lead in this matter.” “The Manchester Guardian” accepting the League of Nations as the ‘'world s only chance” to escape disaster, says: In a world largely controlled by fanatics, dreamers, and impossibilists, the one thoroughly practical policy is that of the League of Nations union. To most sober, matter-of-iuct people

the Great War and its results have made it clear that the survival of everything which we most value in England and in Europe depends now on the non-recurrence of war. ino illusion that war can be a. means ol national profit is dead, 'the illusion that war is a school of character is dead. The illusion that war permanently tighten comradeship within a nation is dead. War as a means to anything groat, noble, or precious, beyond its own immediate object of escaping violent conquest by others, is as bankrupt before the world as fire or plague. The only common-sense policy is to enrol the forces of sanity and decency in all nations in a joint endeavour to get the world out of its foolish and wicked old dream about war’s nobility and utility. Probably an enormous number of people, certainly mostly ex-soldiers, have got hold of some of this truth. The League of Nations Union are acting upon .it, and everyone who has grasped it himself should give a hand to the Union. It is admitted that no person who attempts to think seriously about the problems of peace or the' price to he paid, can fail to experience from time to- time a shock of apprehension, almost, of dismay. This springs in part from, the sense of the magnitude and complexity of the practical problems themselves, but still, more from some fresh realisation of the potency of those forces and impulses which underlie political issues, and with which no political measures are capable of ■ dealing adequately. It is not easy, but it is possible, to devise the methods and processes by which the world-society can he built, to lay plans for its necos--1 sary structure and organisation, j It is not easy, but it. is possible, , in any given political crisis, to ' find some means of reaching a .s&ttlement, either wholly satisfae- ' tory or at the- worst preferable to . war. The establishment of peri manent peace is no simple entor- • prise, but it is quite practicable—- * granted wisdom and goodwill. But just here comes the crux. Can we count, on wisdom among ’ the statesmen, on goodwill and commonsense among the people? Are men as a whole so desirous of peace that they will do the things necessary for. its attainment- or pay the price it demands. Nofc in organisation or machinery lif-s the rnai'l difficulty, hut in Lie hearts and minds of men. Let no mistake be made in this matter. No society can live if the men and women who compose it desire its disruption; no conceivable political machinery can restrain them if they will notutilise it; no organisation can save them from calamity unless they have an energetic determination to save themselves. The bed-rock of the world-society, the raw material of international politics, is not treaties or organisations, or leagues or even States and their Governments, hut individual men and women. All comes down ultimately to the human factor. Norman Angell, in one of , his masterly addresses. to the " International Federation .of League of Nations Societies said:

If this old Europe of which we rre proud is to givo to its people a standard of living anything like that which the Americans have already created for their people, we must clo consciously for the thirty-five nations of Europe what the fortunate accidents of history' have done for the fortyeight States of America. We must create a union of some kind.; we must have a greater political and economic unity. The accidents of history, in a largo measure, have done that for the forty-eight great States of America. When the original thirteen colonies fought us they realised, verily, that they had to hang together or hang separately. They chose to hang together, because they had a redoubtable opponent. Had the Mother Coin, try been in fact decadent, they might have fought separately for independence, as the American Colonies of Spain did, and we might have had as manydifferent nations in what is now the United States as there, are in South America; and there might have been no union. But what the blinder accidents of history have done for North America wo must do consciously' for ourselves, and wo can only do that by an effort of intelligence; by finding out how it is that our goodwill goes wrong. I v|Mit to emphasise this need of realising that merely to say “We don’t want war” and “Wo are a peaceable people” will not do. Hard work is what is needed. We have been condemned to win our salvation, if at all, by the sweat of our brow, which I take to mean the sweat of the brain behind it, and by subduing, dircctj&g and civilising the passions of our''human nature.

The objective of the League of Nations Union, a branch of which was formed in Timani yesterday, is to create a world-wide confederation of missionaries to advance the League idea. “Nothing is more essential,” wrote King George in a message to the Union, “than a strong and enduring League of Nations. Millions of British men and women stand ready to help if only they be shown the way. 1 commend the cause to all citizens of the Empire.” Wo appeal to the citizens of Timaru to respond to this appeal and join up. It may be said that the Union cannot do very much, but Viscount Cecil, who was Britain’s principal delegate at Geneva last month, and

is one of the presidents of tlio League of Nations Union in Britain, says: “I Believe. that the League of Nations Union has heen of incalculable value to the. cause of the League of Nations. It is not too much to say thatwithout the union, the League might not have survived, and it is almost certain that it would not have achieved the very remarkable success which has fallen to it.” Peace can only endure by the; creation of a workable international organisation which will ensure justice, and which will, somehow, be able to make those changes and adjustments which in a. growing and living' world are inevitable: The tirst 001100™ of the League of Nations Union is to see that the schools mill colleges hi the Ernie 1 e giro to the next generation of British citizens a new outlook on world affairs, so that they may understand the meaning of the changes that have come over tlie world and particularly over the nature of war during the last century ; so that they may abandon the old” interpretation of things, with its absolutely independent sovereign States, its glittering prizes, and its shining swords; and so that they may realise the need for international cooperation and for the achievement of peace and scurity through the League of Nations. Then they will recognise thtit the true British patriot is he who does most to make his country the best friend of other countries, and who realises that the best policy ior his own land must be in the interests and not against the interests, of the rest of the world.

Education and organisation will inevitably create an enthusiastic and instructed body of public opinion in support of a League of Nations which will he an immense influence in world affairs. Humanity dare not wait for another lesson of the misery and disaster caused by greed, and folly and apathy, by the failure to plan and to build. One such lesson ought to he sufficient. If the enterprise, such as . the League of Nations Union is designed to promote, is resolutely taken in hand by all sections of the community, there is now an opportunity to carry it ’put successfully. By the combined action of many constructive agencies men’s age-long dreams of peace and brotherhood can he turned into the actualities of to-day.