PANIC.

Waikato Times, Volume 97, Issue 15272, 23 June 1923, Page 11 (Supplement)

PANIC.

A PERENNIAL PLEASURE. (By Marama.) Among the perennial pleasures of mankind must be reckoned that of panic. It may seem a paradox to call panic a pleasure, but there can be little doubt that it affords an agreeable excitement to many, if not to most. liow otherwise can we account for the eager search after ghosts, spooks, and all such manifestations? It is the grown-up variety of a game very deal* to small children, in which one plays bear in a dark corner; the others look for him and when.', they see him run away shrieking. Those who would be most alarmed at a ghostly visitation are the most ready to look for it. Tales of terror have been popular, and the Mysteries of Udolpho is a name known to most, although few people have seen the book. What is the attraction which so many find in subjects that are in themselves repulsive? It is, of course, young people to whom such books appeal the most. As we grow older we tend to confine our reading to pleasant themes. This world contains enough of the unpleasant, the sad and the tragic. We open a book to escape into another world, which may not be possible but must be pleasant. Those Wicked Foreigners. Those who cater for the public reading in the press are well aware how widespread is the desire that our flesh be made to creep. As ghosts have little appeal when we are reading the morning paper they fall back on the old device of conjuring up some harrowing tale of the designs on our liberty and welfare which are entertained by an evil minded foreign countryvwhere the journal in question does not circulate. It must be admitted that the history of the world contains enough records of war to make the periodical scares esedible, but numerous as are the wars they are few compared to the scares. Throughout the nineteenth century wars were frequent and Britain had her share, but after the Napoleonic wars our two bugbears were Russia and France, who were our allies when the Great War came. In the middle of the century we fought in alliance with France against Russia, but in spite of that it was not many years before serious apprehensions were felt that France would attack and invade England. The life of that?- man of mystery Napoleon 111. 1 has ben recently written at length by two different authors, one French, one English, but nothing has appeared to justify thet panic which was then created. We fought Russia, on grounds which are commonly thought to hpve been quite insufficient; we had somewhat'the best of the struggle, but it decided nothing, and merely left behind it a rankling soreness, which led to constant apprehensions of designs against the Indian Empire, and Russia Inwardly played upon these fears whenever we had any dispute with her on other matters.

Let Dogs Defcght to Bark and Bite. The nineteenth century was not peculiar. In the Eighteenth Century we not only fought against France in the Marlborough campaigns; and later in alliance with Frederick the Great, but we also indulged in a war against Spain, which was a capital instance of a war created by ignorant clamour, without justification of any kind, although Spain certainly had some grounds of complaint against us. The seventeenth century was comparatively clear from foreign frights, for the good and sufficient reason that Cavaliers and Roundheads were busy fighting against one another. The machinations of foreign rulers were doubtless much the same as usual, but we were too busy to take any notice, and did not suffer in consequence. As we go back through the centuries we find the old tale repeated. The Roman Senate indulged in blood-curdling anticipa- - .tions of what Carthage would do until they had created sufficient animus to lead to a protracted war in which Carthage was destroyed and Rome laid the seeds of future ruin. Yet Carthage was a money-making, pleasure-loving State with neither capacity nor desire for war. Fact or Fiction. Of late the, popular subject for the panic-monger is the Yellow Peril; it was a favourite subject with the illbalanced mind of the ex-Kaiser. He had, however, no monopoly, for the late Lord Wolscley used to hold forth on the threat to the world involved in the endless millions of stolid Chinamen who could be icd into war with no fear of their nerves being affected.

China throughout the ages has been the most pacific of great States, and the most nervous of men could scarcely fear her to-day. Japan has taken the place as the bugbear, and those who delight in this kind of thrill are pleased with pictures of her subduing European nations. China may be forgiven for feeling some apprehension of Japanese designs, but in America and Europe, and in Australia and New Zealand such fears are old womanish. A request should be made that' Mr Wells produce another book like the War of the Worlds in which we shall be represented as invaded by supermen from the planet Mars. It was no doubt in obedience to the fighting instinct that, the astronomer called flic planet which is nearest to us Mars and not Venus. As a matter of taste in reading there is no more to be said for or against the gruesome than say, for instance, detective tales, but when such themes are brought forward as anything other than unadulterated fiction they work endless mischief. We must remember that political decisions are taken by the people, and that as things are it is impossible that they can be informed of details. It is possible to create sufficient animosity in neighbouring countries toward eacli other to make it almost impossible for statesmen and diplomatists (o keep the peace. Previous to the Great War just over, England Was harrowed with the description of a German raid or invasion. Germany at the same was distressed by an account of a similar invasion by England, and timid old people in both countries had their rest broken and their peace of mind disturbed by imaginary dangers, for it is noteworthy that in four years’ war no invasion on either side was found possible. We should all learn bow much of fact and h on much of fable lies in this constant calling out of “WolfI" but as it is useless to expect that at the present time the majority can do this, there should be great responsibility felt by publicists in stirring up animosities, creating bad blood, and simulating the evil passions which are always sufficiently active.