THE ONLY WAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 10614, 12 June 1920, Page 11

THE ONLY WAY

HEALING OP NATIONS^ A STIRRING APPEAL. A stirring appeal on “The Healing of Nations and how it can be broughtabout” is forwarded by an esteemed correspond eat of the “Times.” it is an address by Edward Carpenter, and fro hr it wo”take "tile.' following;— ‘■Never again!'’ How are we to give effect to this cry? must we not call upon the workers of all nations—those who are the least responsible for the inception of wars, and yet who suffer most by them, who hear the brunt of the wounds, the slaughter, the disease, and the misery which are a. necessary part of them—ito rise up and forbid then* for ever from the earth.

Tile truth is that hot only was this particular war “bound to . come,” but ■\amoug the c ivilised pcoplcs)the refusal of war' is also bound to come.

Bub I certainly would say—as indeed the peasant says in every laud —“Let those who begin the quarrel do the fighting,” and let those who have to do the fighting and hear the brunt of it \inluding the' women) decide whether there shall he fighting or not. To leave the dread arbitrament of war in the hands of ' cliques, who for their own ends and interests are willing to see the widespread slaughter of their fellow-countrymen and the ruin of innumerable homes, is hateful beyond words.

People l ask what new" diplomacy or revivals of Christianity—what alliances, leagues "of peace, Hague tribunals, regulations of armaments, weeks of prayer, or tons of Christmas puddings scut into the enemies’ tamp—null linali.it. scotch this pestilence of war. And. there .is no-answer,'"because the’ answer is too close at hand for us If see it. , . Nothing hut the general abandonment of the system of living on the labour -of others will avail. There is no- other; way. This," whether as between -individuals or as between i.a-tioher-is, and has been since the begin-■ning-of the world, the root cause of war. Early and primitive wars wore for .raid crops, and. cattle, to cany off slaves on whoso toil the conquerors could subsist —and the latest Wars are the same.

The-whole private life of the commercial and capitalist- classes (whb : fctand as the representatives of the nations to-day) is founded on tin; same principle. As individuals our one object is’ to find some worker or group of workers whose labour value v.o can appropriate. And these unworthy motives again spring obviously, out of the mean and .materialistic ideals of life which still -have-“ Sway among us —the ideals oi wealth and luxury and display—of which the horrors of war-are the‘.sure and certain obverse. As long as w« foster these things in our private life so long will they lead in..our public life to the emhitterment of nation against nationv-

■ What- is the ruling principle of the interior and domestic " life -of each nation to-day—even within our own bor-ders—-but an indecent scramble Of class against class, of individual against individual ? To rise to noisy ' power and influence, and to ill-bred wealth and riches by trampling others down and profiting bv their poverty is—as Ruskin told us long ago—the prevailing motive of our peoples whatever theirprofessions of Christianity may be.- ' The brutality and atrocity of modern war is but the reflection of the brutality and inhumanity of our commercial regime and ideals.Truth and (simplicity are not mere fads. . . . They are vita! matters which lie at the root of national well-being. To live straightforwardly by your own labour is to be at peace with the world.