NEWS AND NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 January 1928, Page 1

NEWS AND NOTES.

EPEE ALL SLAVES. “ Lady Simon, who helped to put an end to slavery in the Sierra Leone Protectorate, addressed an anti-slavery de-

monstration at Hull,” reports the “Daily News.” “.Remarking that over 200,001) slaves would obtain their irecdorn by the passing of the Sierra Leone Urclinance, she continued: ‘Our ideal is the abolition of slavery in all its tonus in this generation. Britain has always led the way in this crusade, and our duty is to point to the dark places of the world and to work to abolish slavery everywhere. In China there are at least two million slaves, and in Abyssinia there arc two million more. Conditions there are terrible. The supply is kept up by slave raiders and by shipping all these unhappy people, who have been torn from their homes from great distances, into lifelong bbndage. In the days of Wilberforce the difficulties of reaching the public were very great. To-day all this is changed. Nobody thinks slavery is a necessity of progress; everybody knows that it is a black stain upon the record of humanity. Instead of having to ascertain the facts by years of examinations of slave captains and tropical planters, the facts to-day can be learned from documents by all who care to study them ; and, instead of the slow methods of instructing public opinion which prevailed long ago, the telegraph, the wireless, and the newspaper focus and inform public opinion till it is the most sensitive and most powerful instrument in the modern world.’ ”

AT SOME TIME AN ACT' OF FAITH. “ 1 think,” writes Professor Gilbert Murray in the “ Friend,” “wo must be prepared within the League to ‘pool our security.’ If we do not wish each nation to pile up armaments to defend itself, then the whole League must somehow undertake to defend it. Each nation must feel that if ever it is treacherously attacked by one enemy, it will have fifty loyal friends. But I think that there is more real security for each nation in the reduction of the armaments of all other nations than in any military arrangements for its defence. And I also believe that we shall never really attain disarmament anil security if at each step wo apply War Office standards. In this, as in all other human affairs, there Ims at some time to be an act of faith. The great thing is to remove fear. For that purpose, the first tiling is definitely to renounce the so-called ‘ right of war. Almost every nation in Europe lias either done it or is ready to do it. Let us do as Germany and France have announced that they are willing to do, definitely accept treaties for the peaceful settlement of all disputes on the basis of the Covenant and the prin ciples of international law. “ And if for any special reason, it proves impossible in some cases to arrive at an agreed settlement, let it at least be laid down that there shall be no war. We shall still have the problem of Bussia, and for some time at least the problem of Italy; hut as far as touches our own policy and good-will, we shall have taken the first indispensable step towards general disarmament. We shall have said to all our neighhours: ‘As far as any fear of us is concerned, you may safely disarm; for never under any circumstances will Great Britain make war upon you."