LAMBETH CONFERENCE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 145, 22 June 1931, Page 2

LAMBETH CONFERENCE

RACIAL PROBLEMS CONFLICTS OF INTERESTS. The third of a scries of meetings promoted. by the Church of England Alon's Society to consider sections of the rei port of the Lambeth Conference was held in the Dominion Farmers’ Institute last week. The subjects discussed were “Christianity and Racial Problems” and “Peace and War.” The Ven. Archdeacon Hansell presided. The Rev. W. Bullock said the resolutions of the Lambeth Conference which were the subject of his address might be described as being among the most courageous of any passed by the conference, for both their religious and political implications. Resolution 21 of tho report displayed the most advance’.! political thinking ever enunciated by a responsible religious body. Jlesolutioii 22 was the affirmation, of the right uf all communicants, without distinction of race or colour, to have access to the Table of the I.ord in any church, and that no one should be excluded from worship in any church on account of race or colour. If that were put into immediate practice, say in America or Africa, it would result in such a tumult as would fill the newspapers for months and exercise the tongues of politicians from end to end of those great countries. The speaker referred to the fact | that in New Zealand the relations of Maori and pakeha were now, and had long been, of the happiest. »Such was not tho condition of affairs in some other countries, where people of different races lived, and where racial conflict existed. There could be no doubt, he said, about the fact of racial conflict. He asked if the prejudice and dislike of men of other races, working with all the force of a powerful instinct, was really a universal natural instinct car ried and transmitted in the blood like the texture of the hair or tho pigmenJ tation of tho body. It was a remarkable fact, Al r. Oldham remarked, that p young children rarely showed any signs p of racial or colour prejudice. White I children went as readily to their col- ■ oured nurses as to white ones.

Causes of Conflict. What were tho causes of the problems and conflicts of different races? In the speaker’s opinion, the most important cause was economic. He did not forget that the effect of tho westernisation of the Last would bring an inevitable change in the outlook of the Eastern people. Secondly, there was the political cause of racial feeling. And here they had an example more than convincing in the Indian trouble, which was taking up so much of the attention of British statesmen. When the spirit of nationalism was roused, tho thought that foreigners controlled the destinies of tho countries became intolerable. Then there was the cause that arose from differences of civilisation, temperament, and character. There were, too. the difficulty of language, and the undisputed repugnance to intermarriage in many cases. Christian Missions.

We should remember, said the Re\. Air. Bullock, that the greatest contribution yet made towards racial understanding and the advancement of feebler races was that of Christian missions. He believed there was only one power which, as St. Paul said, could break down tho wall of partition between us and keep the stronger nations true in their charge over tho weaker ones — that Lord of Life who was at once the root and goal of all that was worthy and essential in every race. For, looked at through His eyes, class war and racial war were seen as forces rending the body of humanity as His body was rent on the Cross, —that body by which all that was truly and ideally human was knit together. ‘ “Spirit of Christ.” Air. Walter Nash, M.P., dealt at some length with tho section of the Lambeth report dealing with peace and war. One resolution affirmed that war as a method of settling international disputes was incompatible with the teaching and example of Christ. The conference believed that peace would never be achieved till international relations

Yvere controlled by religious and ethici standards, and that tho moral judgmei of humanity needed to bo enlisted o the side of peace. Referring to natioi alism, tho speaker maintained that ui less nationalism was impregnated wit the spirit of Christ it was a most dea< ly thing; and there was an imperath acmand that our national life should 1 Christianised. The effect of econom competition on racial and national prol lemr was dwelt upon. The Lambeth r pore was, he thought, complete in itse when it said that the most powerfi factor that led to conflicts between m Hors and brought on war was econom competition. If there was one thii more than anything else wnich induct rations to go to war it was the starve tion of its people. The Lambeth repn said the world owed a debt 10 the Le guc of Nations. The purpose of ri League of Nations was not only to ave war. Its achievements up to the pr sent time had been of the greatc value. The British people had taken prominent part in the work of the Le; gue. The supreme importance of t Disarmament Conference to be held February next was stressed.