The Star. FRIDAY, JULY 23, 1926. MR LLOYD GEORGE ON YOUTH AND WAR.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17906, 23 July 1926, Page 8

The Star. FRIDAY, JULY 23, 1926. MR LLOYD GEORGE ON YOUTH AND WAR.

Mr Lloyd George's appeal to the youth of the world to hand together in the fight against war is deserving of attention. Since the Armistice in 1918 much has been said and written about the preservation of peace, and the gradual building up of the League of Nations has given hope of a widespread desire for arbitration. But to-day the world is still far from the ideal of world peace. Unrest is in evidence throughout Europe. Germany is continuing secret war preparations, and France is in a state of complete national debilitation. Spain and Portugal are experiencing internal disorders. Spain is objecting to Germany’s being admitted to a scat on the League of Nations Council, and Brazil has withdrawn from the League because of the attitude that has been taken up by the Powers towards Germany. In the Near and Far East national disorders intermittently flare up into open warfare. The exile of Abd-el Krim has not put a stop to the war in Morocco, where the Berbers are carrying on the conflict, whilst the position in Egypt recently threatened trouble for Britain. Mr Lloyd George is merely repeating what has often been said before: The youth of any nation is the first to call for war, when the national patriotism is aroused, and it is youth that suffers so terribly in the conflict. Only by appealing to the youth of a nation can permanent peace be brought nearer, for it is only the goodwill of the people that will make the League of Nations successful. Leagues of force can preserve peace with distrust only. The League of Nations can do much, but its work must necessarily be rendered nugatory unless it has the mass of public opinion behind it. When the public is made to comprehend that, in standing wholeheartedly behind the League of Nations, it is simply attending to its own interests and ensuring prosperity for future generations, the League of Nations will have accomplished its purpose, a brotherhood of nations—that ideal of all the visionaries of the past, and present. The movement initiated in Masterton for the training of blind boys as musicians is one that is practical as well as humanitarian, and if professional musicians in each centre will promote concerts in aid of the fund they should he assured of hearty public support. The lot of the blind has been much brightened in recent years, and on the recreational side, for instance, the coming of wireless opens up vast possibilities of enjoyment; hut the problem of employment is slill a difficult one, and tuition in music, with the object of creating a self-supporting orchestra, has the great advantage of bringing music into darkened lives, and providing recreational employment that will give pleasure to others. Town planning has been such an unqualified success wherever it has been adopted that the Bill circulated by the Government should he welcomed throughout the eountrv. Some of the details—the preponderance of Government officials on the hoard, for instance—may he open to criticism, hut an opportunity is being given for the very full consideration of the Bill, and even if it were held over for next session the delay might he worth while in evolving a system specially suited to the needs of New Zealand. For a long time past, the need of a system lias been apparent even in Christchurch, which rightly claims to he the Garden City, hut has Nature rather than Art to thank for the boast. The preservation of residential areas, the zoning of offensive trades, the planning of drainage and other services on a scale that will prevent the constant opening up of streets, are-all a part of town planning, and the coming into force of this measure will put a stop to many abuses. The betterment principle is sound, viewed as a tax and not as a capital levy, and it will he found that in practice it has none of the objectionable features that some persons may suspect in it. New Zealand has waited a long time for the Bill, and the Government is to he congratulated on its introduction.