PRESERVING PEACE

Waikato Times, Volume 94, Issue 14614, 15 March 1921, Page 4

PRESERVING PEACE

Before the great struggle of 191418 there were those who persuaded themselves that the perfection which modern weapons and engines of destruction had attained constituted an insurance against an outbreak of war; They could not imagine that the heads of the nations could bring themselves to start hostilities in which the toll 01 life would be so tremendous, and the hardship and suffering so widespread. These conclusions, however, proved erroneous; the dogs of war were unleashed, and not only was every invention which the deviltry of men could devise availed of by the opposing hosts, but solemn facts and covenants entered into by the nations in order to make war less horrible, were promptly set aside, and death stalked abroad in any and every guise. It is now admitted that should another war eventuate the slaughter, ghastly as it was in those terrible years, will be considerably greater, as the experience gained in actual warfare suggested many improvements to the implements of war, and during recent months hints have been dropped ol the adoption of new instruments ensuring increased deadliness. In our yesterday’s cablegrams it was announced that the American Chemical Warfare Service has discovered a new liquid poison, three drops of which will kill any person whose skin it touches, and, used by aeroplanes, it will kill everything over which such craft passes. Such an invention before 1914 would have been hailed with joy as being an additional guarantee against war; but, now, with the experience of the last great conflict still vividly with us, we regard It with misgiving and horror as we know that should the occasion arise, no scruple would be raised against its use for the purposes of killing man and beast. It is evident that the way to secure peace is not by the invention of death-dealing weapons, and the sentiments recently expressed by Viscount Grey, of Falloden, in Glasgow, will find an echo in the minds ot those who fervently seek peace, namely: "The Triple Alliance made by Germany after 1870 brought into existence the Franco-Russlan Alliance, which led to competition in armaments. If we let things take the same course again in spite of the warnings of tliis war we should have the same result. What is absolutely necessary is to keep some Council of the Nations together. Keep them in touch. Keep your relations with your allies, but watch for any tendency towards a growth of competition in armaments, and when any nation is beginning to force the pace in that competition then let the Council of the Nations prevent it growing up as before the war. Some people say that in a League of Nations there won’t be any certainty. There won’t be a certainty, but I am quite convinced that if you have another war twenty years hence it will be infinitely worse Ilian the recent war, a ( jid it will destroy Hie civilisation of Europe. If you tell me the League of Nations is Utopia the answer I give is that T prefer Hie chance of Utopia to the certainty of destruction.’ ” The axiom, “To preserve peace prepare for war,” can ,he thrown upon the scrap heap, for it has by bitter experience been proved false. The League of Nations may not give any guarantee of being completely successful, but it is the only scheme yet mooted which gives any promise in the desired direction, and it is devoutly to be hoped that it will be given a fair trial.