THE DUNQUERQUE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 420, 3 January 1933, Page 4

THE DUNQUERQUE

What constitutes an effective repjy jn warship building is shown by the comparisons between the plans for the French battle-cruiser Dunquerque anc Germany's pocket battleship. In this case the reply is a ship superior in every important way to the German, and in order to assure the supremacy of France it is proposed that the Dunquerque shall be provided with sister ships. If France embarks upon this programme, Italy will certainly become apprehensive, anc there have already been reports concerning an Italian building programme. The importance of this activity on the part of European countries is that it shows clearly that in spite of the Disarmament Conference, and the fear of war which can be discernecl on all sides, suspicion and fear of neighbouring states is still the foundation of national policies. The main result of this is that the general internationa' situation is less reassuring now than it was a year ago. Although various plans were put forward, the Disarmament Conference has not been the success that was hoped ; for one thing the nations have been far too concernec with technical details instead of giving definite affirmation of the principle that war in the future shoulcl be made impossible. Now the position is that if war were to break out to-morrow all European nations, with the exception of Germany, would be able to enter it with modern devices making war a horror to contemplate. Any war would become a life and death struggle for one nation or a group of nations, and in that struggle it is not likely that the restrictions on the use of poison gas, disease-spreading, and so on, would be observed. Discussions on these relatively minor points have been the main concern of the Disarmament Conference. People recoil from the prospect of their use with horror, but it is certain that they will be usecl in another combat. Since 1918, scientists have perfected methods for mass-slaugh-ter, and in the intervening years aviation has advanced at such a rate that no centres would now

be immune from air attacks. The surest way of dealing a death blow at Western civilisation is to leave the way open for another great war, and it must be admitted now that the efforts to close the way have so far been inadequate. Mr. Baldwin in his recent memorable statement in the House of Commons on disarmament, declared that responsibility for the future safety of mankind lay with youth. Youth, however, does not govern the nations of the world to-day. The elders hold the reins now, and it is for them to take downright action, and not to go shuffling in a maze of technicalities when the open road that will lead to new security can plainly be seen. ; After all, the issue is a simple one. The world can have peace if the national statesmen choose to apply themselves to a proper consideration of the problem. Unless they do, the world will have war. Youth then will have no time for anything but martyrdom made necessary by lack of vision on the part of leaders in the world to-day. The worst possible news that can be read in times when there is no shortage of bad, is that the naval race is beginning again. The Dunquerque is the symbol of all that is evil in the old system of nationalism; it is a sign of diminishing faith in the power of inspired internationalists to lead the world out of the way of old eiTors which causecl the death of the pick of a generation of men in all countries, and laid the foundation of the economic miseries which are now being endurecl.