CHANGE THE WORDS!

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17124, 20 April 1921, Page 7

CHANGE THE WORDS!

TO THE EDITOR or "THE PRES9." \ Sir, —'A progressive mind writing to a newspaper that lives in a conservative globule of ntmosphero is conscious of a severe handicap. The writer knows this, and will try and tone down his modern feelingß, and write dispassionately. , Mr Massey's last words in Auckland were: "We would have to go through another war. It might not be,for ten, twenty, or forty years, but it would most assuredly take place, and it behoved the Empire to be ready for it when it did come." Is not this very dangerous talkP _ It is so to any disciple of the New Psychology, for- he would be reminded at once of the law of the "association of ideas," laws- of mental action that are becoming increasingly well known, and for* Mr Ma'ssey to take advantage at the last moment of the evil suggestibility of ' the human mind is, to put it negatively, not a good thing. Woilld it not be better to direct and accelerate public opinion toward the ideal of peace, and not war P Le Bon has well said: "When crowds have come, as the result of changes of belief, .to acquire, a profound antipathy for the images evoked by certain words, "the first duty of the true statesman is to change the words." Very goodl But our- .first New Zealand statesman deliberately contravenes the law of; association of ideas from the _ moral path, and sets it going on aJi evil way. Our Ptime Minister is evidently unconscious of the New Patriotism abroad; a loyalty tnat no longer expresses itself in war enthusiasms, but upholds the hands of those who are diligently mapping out a future in ■which war will find no place. The real statesman to-day is busy modelling u terminology that' works for and Suggests wond-neighbourliness, based on the ideai\of a new civilisation. JDo TocqueviHe; in writing of America, touched the point by saying: "The work fcf the Consulate and the Empire consisted more particularly in the clothing witfi'new; words of the greater part of the institutions of the past." Hence the "War Department" should be called the "Peace Department," Tiie "Secretary of War" would beconlo the "Secretary of Peace," "war policies" also known as "peace policies." The new- terrtts would express mofl'e accurately the temper and intent of the people whom tne Government is suprepresent. In a sentence, tlw true duty of a statesman's to tako advantage of the suggestibility of the human mind—for good, and act for evil. Language is mighty, and will prevail 1 'file /crowds ajre much nearer be-' coming the slaved of the names of things than most of us are aware. The •publio can be definitely' and effectively jwychologised for an idea by giving'the idea a name —with an ethical uplift. Change the words and you the institutions towards a higher civilisation and modern tendencies. Humanity is moral—help it. The Carpenter was announced not as. a "Secretary of War" (to further the cause of peace), but as a minister of "Peace on Eartn and goodwill towards men!"— Yours, etc,, JAMES S. G. CHAPPLE. Shirley.