Challenge To Freedom

Waikato Times, Volume 116, Issue 19451, 15 December 1934, Page 13 (Supplement)

Challenge To Freedom

(Manchester -Guardian.)

General .tan christiaan smuts was installed recently with the time-honoured ceremonial as Rector of St. Andrews University. Mr. Baldwin, in iris capacity as Chancellor of the University, presided,-and conferred the honorary degree of doctor of laws of ■the University upon the Reclor-clect and six other distinguished grafkiands. General Smuts, id Ills rectorial address, described the decline in individual freedom in many European countries as a grave, imminent danger to our civilisation. “ I do not agree with the common view that the world is on the verge of another great war,” he said. The issue round, which the greatest battles of this and the coming generation would be fought, if the cause of our civilisation itself were to be saved, was the issue of freedom. Mankind Stood Baffled and Perplexed ( before a new situation and new The politics founded on despair, or desperation which covered so many European countries to-day with dangerous political experiments, and in others endangered peace and paralysed disarmament, had sprung largely from the poignant failure of the peace and the slaughter of ideals which it involved — a slaughter no less grievous than that of j the millions in flic war. f To-day we fared a bleak world, bereft \or the vast capital destroyed in the war, even doubling the principles on which out' civilisation was built-, without confidence in ourselves and our destiny, JTnd with no clear vision of the road before tis. But !he world was a friendly world. There was no malign fatalism which made fools of us in our dark striving towards the good. in Iho events of the times lie saw much ground for anxiety, hut none for real pessimism. Human nature was run. so onesided or ill-balanced that we no nl look on our civilisation as doomed, in spite of the internaltonal friction of to-day, which lie looked upon as a passing phase, there was more Real Goodwill and Good Feeling in ihe world than ever before. In our feverish activity he saw no spirit of defeatism. Indeed, much In the purely human situation was deeply encouraging. There was surely nothing wrong with youth in Its frankness, Its sincerity and open-eyed outlook on the world, undaunted by the failures of the past and by the spectres of the future. -Mankind was no longer held back by ancient taboos, but was earnestly, valiantly exploring new ways to a better future. *• The scaremongers arc doing their best to create a war atmosphere, and are thereby doing very serious mischief,” General Smuts continued, “but in spile of them and of the present lamentable failure of disarmament, in spite also of Mio vogue of .silly drilling and strutting about In uniform and shirts of various colours, I do Not Find tho Real War Temper Nor do I 11ml the* waging of a modern war "possible. Every new scientific discovery, every new war Invention, is making real modern war more and more improbable. Mcme and more statesmen will pause before they loosen the new horrors on their peoples.” There remained other grave dangers facing our civilisation. There was a decay of principles, which was ruling at tho very vj|jils of free govcrmncnl. which to him appeared lo lie a far more serious danger lo ■ •vrfour future Mian t tie risk of war. There was Ta decay of the individual’s responsibility aivd share in government, which seemed lo strike at the roots of our human advance. For him

Servile Mass Mentality Our Greatest Menace.

Ihe individual was basic to any world-order that was worth while. Yet to-day -the tildividual seemed more and more at a discount tn the new experiments in government. •‘ Men and women have suffered until they are abdicating their rights as individuals,” General Smuts said. “In their misery and helplessness they are surrendering lo Die mass will which leads straight to autocracy. The feebleness of Continental democracy, its ineffectiveness in a crisis calling for swift and decisive action lias - Contributed 1 to the Defeatist Attitude of the individual. And Mie result is, with this individualist -prop of freedom gone, freedom itself seems to be in danger. “ A new sort of hero-worship IS arising, very different from that which Carlyle preached., and which saps the foundations of individuality and makes the individual prostrate himself before his national leader as before a god. That way extreme danger lies. The disappearance of the sturdy, inde-pendent-minded, freedom-loving individual, and his replacement by a servile mass mentality, ds the greatest menace of our time. “ Mere we reach what ’I firmly -believe is the heart of the problem, The issue round which Tlie greatest battles of this and- the .coming generation will be fought if the cause of our civilisation itself is to be saved. The issue of freedom, the most fundamental issue of all our civilisation, is once more 'squarely -raised by what is happening in the world and 'cannot be evaded." The danger signals were -up in many colours and. in many lands. The'new tyranny disguised in attractive, patriotic colours, was enticing youth everywhere into its service. Freedom Must Make a Great Counter-stroke to save itself and our fair Western civilisaiion. They had To confess sadly that over Targe parts of Europe the cult of force—which in ihe Great War we called Prussianism—had for the moment triumphed. “ I fear the new Tyranny more Than I fear the danger of another great war," General Smuts declared. “ Even in this -island home of constitutional freedom l do not know that you are immune. Democracy seems to be going out of favour and unless its methods can be overhauled its unpopularity may Involve the cause of liberty itself.” The new experiments now being tried out on the Continent were all based, on a denial ■ol liberty—not as a temporary expedient but on principle. Such a basis of human government was an anachronism and a moral impossibility in our Western civilation. The denial of free human rights must in Mic long run lead to a cataclysm. “ Dictatorship,” ho said, “.ran only Tie ioieraled as a temporary expedient ami can never lie permanent substitute for free selfgovernment. The declaration of Pericles in bis great funeral oration hoots for all time: ‘ Happiness is freedom and freedom is courage.’ That' is Hie. v fundamental equal ion of all politics and all human Government, and any system which ignores it is built on sand." More and more the will lo freedom should be our real motive power- in the Uncertainties and Paralysing Perplexities of 10-day freedom should mil merely be our absfrac-t. political ideal hut a creative force inspiring our young men and women to noble action. lb' had no doubl Dint l-lie ly-'senl ilisquieliug phase would pass ami ilia! a new renascence of Ihe European spiril would follow. Wlial a glorious opportunity for our youlli 10-day, lo live in limes when Ihe situation was once more liui.l and the world w«“ •■'•ye more in Hie making I