The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 1933. PEACE OR WAR.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 March 1933, Page 4

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times WEDNESDAY, MARCH 22, 1933. PEACE OR WAR.

A ncrthekn writer considers that it would appear from the general discussion m armaments and disarmaments, tiie world iy not sure whether it wants peace or war. And this notwithstanding that the leading statesmen of the day are familiar with what war meant a decade or so ago, . and what war would mean to-day after the inventive genius of the nations lias ceon developing for a. decade and a half m the preparation of ail kinds of cugui'is and guies tff destruction. ■Alien, too, there has been the recent fighting in; China., both adjacent to (Shanghai and in Manchukuo, where tiie Japanese rained death from the air on their opponents ill-found in machines to combat the aerial attacks. It i& true, further, that there is the League of Nation;,;, created and maintained on most expensive lines to impose peace and to settle differences which might lead to war, by conferences and arbitration. Yet we find Japan hits defied the League decision, though it was a unanimous finding, and now we find the British proposals m regard to disarmament being received with i?, sneer in some quarters, oven though, tiie proposals aim at making war rcLdiiy impc',-.stole by lack c.l adequate trained forces. We take it tiiat the British proposals were put forward because the nations had come to ia halt in their deliberations about disarmament. Ah the alarms, find exeunskme in that respect were to come to nought, hence Britain stepped in with a definite proposal to assure peace. There was need for action, for European nations have forgotten, apparently, the unpleasant recollections cf t\'ae< war period, laud '.are ?i>ow dis poised to act, in. some cases, as if their own views could only be imposed by the use of might. The- eordial/yisit of the British party to Italy, .find the personal" conference between the two Prime Ministers, will have a Material effect cm the general situation. France lappai-cmtly is not ready to embrace real disarmament because of the German menace, but with Britain and Italy in open agreement, the temper of France will- change, .and though Germany is at a climax the situation might be unravelled hopefully. There is a real state of fear rs between France and Germany, and the Nazis strengthened that feeling by their late displays menacing French territory. While fear is rampant, no Ministry oan pledge France to a substantial measure of disarmament, and in some way confidence ban to be brought about to replace the feeling of unrest and insecurity. The critical state of affairs if disarmament is not realised, can well be understood with the general situation, prevailing in Europe. British diplomacy has been able quite recently to settle the peril in the Danzig Corridor, and if the present action should culminate in a pn-ctical degree of ' disarmament, the will to peace will be possible. When the Great WKr was dying down there was a tangible desire for peace to prevail, and the need is as urgent to-day, for the evils of war are likely to be more accentuated than ever before for it will be possible to w-pe out cities and people with developed rerial attacks. If national jealousies would only subside the will to peace would be pornible.