APPEAL TO ROTARY

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 41, 4 March 1937, Page 6

APPEAL TO ROTARY

Prese Assoeiation.)

Organise and Develop Goodwill F0RCE FOR PEACE

Cisy Telegraph—

- WELLINGTON, This day. An appeal for a deliberate and world-wide .drive to inculeate into the minds of men the peaee sense instead of the war sense that was thero today was' made by Dr'. J. Inglis Robert3on, of Sydney, in an address to the Rotary conference in Wellington yesterday. "There is a tremendous amount of goodwill on earth," he said "It exists every where. Let us at a given signal organke it, develop it, and give it a voice." Dr. Robertson said that the infliience of individual contacts was but a drop in the ocean of ignorance, prejuav:e, aud indiffercnce. They must use publicity, propaganda, organisation, and concerted energy. If they failed to use the utmpst endeavour and all- the strength they possessed to secu're peace on earth, then ha felt that the folly of mankind was beyond understanding. "It is not and never has been necessary for one people to hate another people in order to go to war with them," said Dr. Robertson. "It is a general fact that the men who do the actual fighting in war seldom or never hate one another; indeed, they generally have a very sineere regard and respect for each other. It is among the non-combatant population who have to pay for the war, and whose feelings must therofore be roused by all kinds of propaganda to such a pitch that they are very ready to pay for it, that the hatred is to be found.77 INFLUENCE ON SOCIETY CBs Tolearapb — Press Asaociation.) WELLINGTON, This day. The belief that Rotary might yet erystallise the revolt against insensate eelf-destructiveness among uations was expressed by Mr. E. Hitchcoek, of Christchurch, in an address to the Rotary Paeifie conference in Wellington yesterday. The desire for individual serviee and fxiendship launehed the movement and remained its motive, but its channels of activity were changiug, he saI3. It was both surviving and persisting. Despite frailties and futilities, it was "becoming." Mr. Hitehcock, who is president of the Christchurch Rotary Club, .discussed the ethical background of international relations, and some of the features, and possible features, of Rotary. Rotary, he said, must gather a measure o'f consecration. Geniality must be baeked by sterner stuff. General Smuts had deelared "Mankind has etruck its tents and the great caravan of humanity is once ihore on the march." Minds were open and hearts were restless and seeking; the times, were big. "'Rotary counts upoai tho permeability of human society, ' ' said Mr. Hitchcoek. "It is a new movement with some implements more developed than ever before, unparalleled travel faeilities, miracles of communication, and an cver-widening tide of world commerce. RotaTy with these implements is bringing to the surface and making articalato a stratiim of life in every nation, with manifold contacts, with worldwide interests, but in and of the homes, and li-ves, and loves of each nation 'a people "