The Guardian (And Evening star, with which is incorporated the West Coast times.) THURSDAY, JUNE 5th, 1924. DANGERS OF WAR.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 June 1924, Page 2

The Guardian (And Evening star, with which is incorporated the West Coast times.) THURSDAY, JUNE sth, 1924. DANGERS OF WAR.

A UKvKiu'.ND lecturer who has leturncd latolv to Sydney addressed the Millions C'luh when he gave details of his recent tour throughout Kuropo, and stated that whilst the war had secured for the European people their liberty it most certainly did not bring peace, and from what he had seen ho was not a believer in war to end war. A lot of nonsense, said Revd. Dr. Ritson, tile speaker, bad been talked about self-determination. They did not give self-determination to their young children, and if they did he would not like to live in tlitir homes. They did not give self-determination to criminals and lunatics. Yet the people of the European countries who were loud-* est in the demands for self-determina-tion -were either criminals or lunatics or children in tlu* pintter of Government. The position ip Eljrope fit thp present

time "as that millions there never got a square meal and never know when tliyv would get one. The real money had been taken from the people in most of the European countries, and they were given paper instead, that was worth .scarcely 25 per cent, oi the real money with the result that the whole continent was impoverished, and there was the direst distress, lot Europe was the centre oi the world s present civilisation, and so long as F.uropc was >i(k the "hole world, including Australia and New Zealand suffered. One of the dangers of the luture. as he saw it. was that a spirit ot nationalism was arising in most countries, rattier Ilian internationalism. All over tile world nations were wanting to he “on their own." and there was a grave danger in that so long cs the different, nations were on a different level of morality. At the. present time big financial and other concerns had to place the strongest and most iugeiiiiis doors on their strongrooms. Those were the protection between the thieves and holiest men. There must lie that protect ion so long as they had people on different levels of morals. It. was tin* same with nations. Armies and nations were the protection of the nations on the higher moral level agonist, the depredations of those on the lower moral level. If they wanted to get rid of war the -mly wav to do so was by having all tin* nations on the .‘sum* moral level. The race .jiiestion was also a difficult one. 3 here was undoubtedly a coming ensis lie t,uecu the white, yellow and black faces. The black races in Africa and America were forming a most acute problem in tlios countries. At the present, time New York was the greatest black city in the world. The black people Were watching and wondering at the internecine strife hotweei’i the white races, which was resulting in the decimation and demoralisation ft f tho white races. Thojilaek races were increasing at a late that meant that the black population, was doubling itself in every fifty years. It was h > *' to over-estimate the risk for tho future there was in that fact. Regarding the yellow rare, it- was providing the most serious of problems for tho future. If In* lived in Australia or New Zealand ho would feel very uncomfortable unless the fullest possible consideration was given to all tin* aspects of that problem. Then* we’e 300.000.000 coloured people in India and its dependencies, and they were clamouring for self-determination, hut were, as a people unable to govern themselves. There wore .100.0(10.000 people in China now practically leaderless and a nicniice to the peace of tho Pacific. Fortunately, the Chinese Wore a. peace-loving nr. e. hut there was a grave danger, if a change* did i’iot come over the face of things in the future, that the white races in times of their children or children’s children would le plunged ill a cataclysm Reside which the recent world struggle would he regarded as comparatively insignificant.