DR. GIBB AND DISARMAMENT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 255, 23 July 1919, Page 8

DR. GIBB AND DISARMAMENT

Sir.—As a leader writer, I know it is possible to understand how a reader may lipad more into a leading article than the writer meant to convey. The majority of your readers can hardly imagine even -from your leader that with tho coming of pence we must cease to be nreiKU'CcJ for war. Please allow some amplification. There have been earthly truces and leagues of nations before, and when the British Empire was lulled to reno.se by a sense of security then jealous nations, seeing her unpreparedncss and weakness militarily, sought her downfall.

In comparatively recent times we have had two leagues among nations to establish and maintain peace. These were ushered in with the same kind of ilawloodle with which this League of Nations is acclaimed by well-meaning and unthinking people. From eminent statesmen and soldiers of our day we do not hear such empty talk. The Hon. Lloyd George says this peace is tho hope of the nations, and Sir Douglas Ilaig says we must keep prepared for war. Had wo taken the advice of Lord Koberts fifteen or moro years ago the greatest of all wars might not have taken place. Lord Koberts sounded the warning note! and nreed that every man and boy should be trained to arms, as the. only means of keeping the peace ih Europe. That warning was unheeded.

Dr. Gibb seems to imagine that by getting rid of militarism wo are. going to net rid of the possibility of war. Human nature does not change with change of time or costume. Tho fighting instinct is in our people. II is a Godgiven quality; liut the vast, majority do not seek war service save in defence of liberty and civilisation and peace. We cannot set rid of the German spirit and ambition for world-rule by compelling the enemy to acknowledge defeat and sign a Peace Treaty. The spirit of Germany is not broken; it is not contrite; it. is not even subdued. In another column of your issue reporting the celebrations of peaco is to be found an article showing how the German spirit is being again revived, and intrigue is afoot bv German agents for the undermining of the stability of the. British Knuiire. There may .be differences of (minion as to the period of military training our boys and young men ought to receive, but there can lie no doubt that a goodly measure of such training is essential to the health. T.he morals, the uood citizenship, and the patriotism of our people. ' Wo all long for the realisation of the ideal expressed by Pope: "When Peace o'er the world her olive wand extends, and while-robed Innocence from Ilea veil descends." For two thousand' _ years that ideal has never ceased to inspire tho hopes and aspirations of good men, but good men themselves have never ceased to fight when occasion arose for the rightimr of wrongs, for freedom from aggression. and for the rights and privileges of individual liberty, civil or religious. Tt is true that, if all men were Christians there would be no war. We would love our enemies, and do good to them I bat despitefullv use us. And for a nation like that (if Germany—nrobabl.v the most religious on earth in I!H4, and a naf'ou whose religions thinners _ inspired many lending clergymen in English-speak-ing countries —to seek to ride rough shod over the world is another telling: example of how Christianity and religion has suffers! at the hands of its btat and most aHhorilntive exponents. Dr. Gibb seems to desnair. if the I,ensue of Nations, is a dream, he exclaims. "Then God help us." The League of Nations is no more enduring Minn were the leagues of 1(57 7 and 1813: and in MU-WS God helped ns. a though our enemies—the Germans— thought they had a monopoly of Him. Ood he ped us 1 realise wo determined to die or lie free from Hun domination. Tho British Pt.irit won the war. Tho free spmts of iust men revolted against the actions of Germans, and wo said in our hearts

that "Death wore better for all of us liian thnt the atrocities of Germany should bo perpetrated tlio world over and bo unpunished." Aye, and wliax is tha good of praying for righteousness if you arc not prepared to fight for. it? Then Dr. Gibb says we have not seen Armageddon yet, but wo will see it. If that is so. (hen ive must prepare our young men bv such u measure of military trainiiiL' as will show to the world that the liritish people are ready to fight against anv nation tliat threatens to break the world's pence. It is;Oiily by a measure of compulsory militarism born of loyalty and patriotism that we can hope to make the League of Nations worth a brass button.

And if we do not discipline our young people by compulsory training how are we going to discipline our nation and .1 revent that social cataclysm with which, it is believed, we are now menaced? There are dangers to any nation in overdoinir militarism, just as there arc dangers in over-doing religion or anything eise: but if we are to maintain our balance as a people every man must be prewired to concede liberty, equality, ana iustice to every other man. Yet how many pettifogging parties, disrupting and strife-producing factions, are there in this Dominion now, all seeking in their several wnys v to destroy the ver\ principles on which our freedom find civilisation are e^WishriWUn^..