TOPICS OF THE DAY.

Waikato Times, Volume 120, Issue 19984, 7 September 1936, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE DAY.

New Peace Plan “In the proposals recently put forward by the French Government for the safeguarding of peace the project of an International Army figures conspicuously. Presumably,” writes Dr. L. P. Jacks, “such a force would be constituted by contingents contributed by the covenanting Powers. The size of these contingents is not specified, but at a low estimate not less than 10 per cent of their existing armed forces would have to be contributed, and their maintenance paid for by each contributor, if the force is to make even a tolerable show of strength. This would have to be vastly increased in certain eventualities; for example, if an aggressor as powerful as Germany or Russia, or even France herself, bad to be restrained. “ Suppose that instead of contributing 10 per cent of their armies, navies and air forces, the States concerned were to deposit in money-value what 10 per cent of their armaments is now costing them, and agree to reduce their expenditure on armaments to that modest extent. And suppose, further, that the sums so saved from unproductive expenditure on armaments were collected, under the supervision and management of the League of Nations, into an International Peace Guarantee Fund. And a guarantee fund in this sense, that the contributions, or deposits, would be treated as security for peaceable behaviour, and held subject to forfeit in the case of any State breaking the pledges it might otherwise have given to keep the peace. This, at least, would be a check on the notorious tendency of political States to break such pledges when found inconvenient, doubtless a small check at first, but increasing as the fund accumulated, though never sufficient to check the madness of a nation whose rulers had ‘eaten of the insane root.’ —but still something to the purpose.” Fear

“Fear is not the only cause of wars. We have to reckon with a violent outbreak of romantic patriotism, which, when it takes the form of militarism, as it almost always does, is a perversion of a generous idealism. Those who talk gaily of going to war with tiermany have no idea of the fervour with which the large majority of Germans have adopted the Nazi creed. ‘Hitler lias moved us as no German has done since Luther,’ said a very intelligent German. And yet it is a folly and an anachronism. There is now a conflict between these two idealisms —nationalism and internationalism. At present the former is in the ascendant, but 1 think the future is with the latter. The duty of the Church, to seek peace and ensue it, in France, said to them, ‘lt is your job to make ours impossible.’ The great soldiers almost all hate war.”—The \ cry Rev. \\. R. Inge, in. the Church of England newspaper.