FUTURE OF CIVILISATION.

Waikato Times, Volume 102, Issue 17242, 29 October 1927, Page 7

FUTURE OF CIVILISATION.

WILL IT CRASH? AN ARRESTING BOOK. BY COMMANDER KENWORTHY, M.P. iAustralian & N.Z. Gable Assn.) LONDON, October 27. Some remarkably outspoken passages are contained in a hook caned ■•Will Civilisation Crash - '” written ny Commander J. M. Ken.worthy, Labour .M.P. for ivingstoa-upou-iluil. The wurk was puniisiied to-uay. One of the passages referred to says: "It is awl'ul to think of an Anglo-Japanese-alliance against America, nut one must in ink auuuu it. if after 1031 mere should not be a renewal of the Washington Treaty tue world wul accept Lie possibility of a war between Britain and America.”

The auuior also writes: “A feeling of hostility, mistrust, fear, and jealousy between Britain ana America is latent. ‘lt is only consciously felt by a minority in each country, but given an appropriate ulmospuere, a year's naval rivalry, and war debt bickerings, that hostility will actively spread in spite of tue common-sense of the masses m cacli country. “If the British Empire were lighting with her hack to the wall she would welcome allies anywhere in the world, racial . prejudice notwithstanding. Britain and Japan together could inllict defeat on Lie American navy, occupy the Canal zone, blockade the American coasts, and hold up commerce.

“Should Canada be willing, Britain and Japan could land large armies on Canadian soil and invade the United States. The war would spread to half the world. It would end civilisation and ruin human culture. “New York, Baltimore, ' Boston, Portland and Allantic City would he shelled from the sea by submarines fitted with poison-gas cylinders. No sooner would Britain hear of the suffocation of 30,000 people on Manhattan Island than American submarines would visit Liverpool on a similar mission. “There must be a treaty between Britain and America, outlawing war. These two nations, together with Holland and Switzerland, could control the finance of the world, also the essential material without which war could not he waged.” The well-known novelist, Mr H. b. Wells, in a striking introduction to the book, confesses that he was taken by surprise when the Great War broke out. He proceeds: — “Then after four years of stupid, clumsv, and inconclusive massacre and destruction 1 clung to Urn delusion that the common-sense of mankind would prevail. Now 1 say ddinucly that I will never again make the ms take of attributing common-sense to If a war comes in the next 20 years people 'will he slaughtered in Horrible ’vs They will he suffocated, lorn to 1 ribbons, sent crying for he p with frightful mortal mutilations burned, SU. and loti to die under collapsed buildings.”