The War and After

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 6, Issue 300, 10 August 1917, Page 4

The War and After

[To TITE EDITOK] Sir, —The war has been going on for three years and looks like another three years. It has hit the world hard, and clearly shows the necessity for improvement in our methods. But we have made no move to further reform. There is only one cause of war—the moral or rather unmoral. Unmoral causes are the causes of all wars. The Universe is founded on the moral law. And any breaking of the moral law has a disturbing effect, and before it settles down affeot9 people's minds to make them quarrelsome or aggressive. As no nation is perfect, there is a liability for constant disturbance.

But we should endeavour to seek out what is wrong and rectify injustice or unmoral wrong. Greed and selfishness are the main causes of injustice. The greed for power or the greed for wealth. In the greed for power, the British nation has shown a good example where the adult vote is instituted. The British nation has also an immense moral buttress in that it has endowed the native races under its control with their lands inalienably in India, Americaj Africa, Paput| New Zealand, etc. The inference is that to quieten our world, two things stand out clearly—political equality, and equal and inalienable right to some land. Grant these two and there would not be moral disturbance enough to enable any nation to make war, for the risk would be great and the gain nothing. I consider there can be no lasting peace until all the peoples of the world have political equality and an inalienable right to some land. Yours, etc., SAM. A. BEOWNE, Clovedon, 5/8/17