“LETTERS OF GOLD.”

Hokitika Guardian, 20 October 1924, Page 4

“LETTERS OF GOLD.”

AIR HAAISAY AIACDONALD'S PICTURE. (By an Old Stager in the ‘‘ Lyttelton Times.”) LONDON, September 11. Air Ramsay AfacDonahl has always been a rhetorician as well as an idealist. His proud boast that the iiinnie of the Assembly of Geneva will be •'‘written in letters of gold for the history of mankind” is in a long familiar vein, 111 language as in sentiment. At Clenevn bo has painted a beautiful picture in the AlacDonald manner with a sweeping brush, leaving the detail to be filled in bv other hands. Al.nnsicur llerriott and he are sworn comrades. Monsieur Hirriot, it may he said, is perhaps politically closer to the English Prime Alinister than is generally realised outside his own country. Rut he has great Gallic caution. And he is more reticent in manner and in speech. He has to deal with a French Chamber, not nil English House of Commons. Nevertheless, his real views are no secret. He is as much a pacifist as his English confrere, though he must perforce walk more warily. Let it he admitted at once that these two men have done good work. It may not lie that “ the names of Hcrriot and Geneva will ever lie associated with a new era”; but they will certainly be identified with the first great concerted effort toward world pence expressed in a definite formula. For this much at least a war-weary world owes them gratitude. Nevertheless agreement on a formula is not the beginning and the end. It does not assure, in the wolds of Air AlacDonald, that ” the foundations of the future peace of the world have been well and truly laid.” The formula has to he applied in practice ere this large asseveration is proven fact. Inevitbalv, the experienced and therefore dubious mind is haunted by the ancient adage: “There’s many a slip Iwixl clip and lip.” In between Alcssrs Herriol and AlacDonald and their ideals is the vast wedge of human nature. “ Letters of gold” express things other than ideals. They express certain grossly materialistic achievements in the pursuit ol which since the world began, war has played its hitherto inevitable part. Air AlacDonald says rigidly that a question of this vital and universal import cannot and must not be left to politicians ; public opinion must help in its solution. And because public opinion is such a shifting anil unaccountable quantity his rhetoric is premature. The French and British Premiers and their associates at Geneva are 110 L alone in tlioir detestation of war; every do-cent-thinking person in every country shares the sentiment. But they do not

and cannot share, untortunately, that sublime faith in the power ol one small assemble of men, however eloquent, impassioned, and sincere, to change the whole current of human nature; to make it In a word, homogenous instead of heterogenous. One awaits, of cotuse the details the .Assembly Inis not yet supplied. At tin 1 moment, like “that blessed word, Alosopotan.ua,” the word abrilration is uttered like a magic incantation. Again the experienced arc constrained to observe that you cannot, arbitrate between madmen. A stronger force must prevail. And nations. like individuals, go temporarily berserk. Circumstances, international as individual, have a strange power to transform the thing normally detested into an ideal. Tt is pertcctlv reucoivahle that another day may dawn when “public opinion,” pace Air AlacDonald, will resolve into as great and homogeneous a majority as in ID I L and will hear 110 talk ot “arbitration. No doubt Geneva will set an vilucn-

live force in motion. It may even mould the heart and mind of mankind to a new pattern. But il will he a lung and ililliclill process. Like every oilier great process of evolution, upheaval will mark its course. 1 hazard Hi,, siilo il forlorn prophecy that «m lias mil yet played ils ultimate part in the creation of that "new era” which Air MacDonald affirms lias already dawned. History repeats itsel). Admittedly a platitude id all. Do we not recall similar talk of a “new era ” at the time of the great Exhibition of |Sol“ Thai, too, was to mark the dawn of universal peace. It preceded twenty-live years ot virtually uninterrupted war. No. Mr Alai Donald. Human nature il.es imi move so speedily or so consistently along well appointed paths. II has side-tracked greater idealist's than those recently fore-gilt liered at Geneva. It Ims siile- . , i..,l Pl..ids

trsickeil its uwn ncrepieci nidus. \Y here fore the work of the Assembly looms more largely in the minds of ‘ those immediately associated, with it than in the universal mental entity it is socking to convert.