INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS.

Shannon News, 20 September 1927, Page 4

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS.

INFLUENCES THAT MAKE FOE PEACE OB WAR.

LEVIN W.E.A. LECTURE

There was a good attendance at the i, weekly lecture to the Levin branch: of ! the W.E.A. by the tutor, Rev. J. I). ' McArthur, on Tuesday evening, in the j•• Bandroom. The president, Mr R. Mci - Allister, presided. I'j-. INTERDEPENDENCE. C I]; - The lecturer stated that modern conditions had radically altered the posi- *. tion as between the various nations. '■ ' Where formerly it was possible for a 5- nation to. be independent, to-day it was vi utterly impossible. •As the world is tied together with wires, so are the nations tied together, and no nation can pursue its own interests without reference to others. No nation subsists today without foreign trade, and few could do so. United States' could for a time, maintain her own food supply, but in many other matters would need diastic revision.' . Reference had been made more than \ once to the greater power and influence \ of the ethical than of the economic factors. Most competent writers of recent years agree that the failures of j- the states of the world to subordinate ;*■ the economic to the ethical motive —

both within their own borders and internationally—is the most prolific source of wars and kindred social evils. The problems of external and internal social relations are really one, and they must be solved together. What is needed is that peoples shall be quick to re-

cognise that community of ethical interest and create effective institutions ex pressive of that. DANGERS TO PEACE.

Muirhead points out that the problems which are fraught with danger

to the, peace of the world are precisely

those in which the economic motive is most crudely .operative. These are the problems connected w r itli the opening up of the less developed parts of the world. The discovery of a new market, especially where a monopoly can be established, offers a much more lucrative field than in older countries. Labour is cheap, resources are greater, and the returns greater than in a civilised land. The nations that are competing, for a share find greater opportunities for friction, for the simple reason that each is seeking its own interest. There is only one way out —the moral —-a high sense of moral responsibility—and none other will do. When nations regard their relations with Dbacltwood” races as that of “trust-ee-ship” rather than - “possession,” their friction is reduced to a minimum or disappears entirely. SETTLEMENT BY ARBITRATION. What is involved? There is not much use in bodies passing stronglyworded resolutions denouncing war unless, those concerned take the trouble to study the causes that lead to war. With a Press that believes in' giving its readers the facts, and a willingness to stutly these facts in the light of pasthistory, public opinion is formed which in time removes mountains. Until the Great War broke out it. was an almost undisputed dogma that nations could not settle their differences except by an appeal to arms. Butr already we have a wonderful change, for it is being more and more generally accepted that the nation, if it is to continue, must settle disputes in the same way as the individual, to appeal to law—not to violence, but to reason —not. to passion, but to justice. As between man and man the method is to have each surrender his power to act on his private judgment, and to bring the matter under dispute before a tribunal which is vested with authority to decide such issues. In this way the judgment is about as just as human wisdom can make it—at any rate, it is impartial and free from the passions of contending parties. It is based on presented facts. Such an arrangement enables us to go about our lawful occasions on. the assumption of reasonably secure relationships with others. This is not yet the case as between states—but it is soon now to come. INTERNATIONAL LAW.

The real difficulty is not with reference to morality, but rather with reference to law. The hold of certain moral principles upon individuals is not too strong except when backed by enactment. It is just as easy to draw up ■laws for states as for. individuals, but it is not nearly so easy to enforce them.. There is such a thing as “a scrap of paper.” Even within a state there are those who rebel against a 'law and do their best to evade it—similarly among the states. The object of satisfactory international arrangements is not that peace should be secured —for peace may be had at too

high a price—but that right should .prevail. When states are guided by what is right, wars will automatically cease.

THE LEAGUE OF NATIONS

The lecturer at this stage dealt fully

with the constitution and aims of the

League of Nations, pointing out that it is extremely important that we keep in' mind what the League is. What is

more important than what it has so far done, is what.it is. There is at work a body of specialists beating out these : - great questions that concern the life of the world, and bent upon producing j harmony between the peoples. Not : yet, but soon, when the League speaks, it will speak with the voice of justice, ■ - of authority, of love —the voice of God. • : All who hate war, whose consciences i'vhave been touched by the horrors of war, who profess to believe in the mai., terial and moral necessity for peace, ■. . must cease from destructive criticism f-\ and give the League time to do its -• work. So many grumble at the cost—.£l,ooo,ooo last year. But Great Brijy. tain paid that everyday during the IP; . last year of the war. Now she pays £90,000 per annum as her contribution —less than the cost of maintaining a I;-* warship. Nc:av Zealand pays £IO,OOO. J ; ; If the world' is paying £1,000,000 a year fe to preserve things, surely it is better jf’f -than 100 times that amount to destroy Iy t things. If humanity is doing its best to §limb higher up the ladder, we ought

not to complain if progress is made but one rung at*a time.

HOSTILE FACTORS

The forces in Europe that have been hostile to the international idea —according to Eamsay Muir—are: The spirit of nationalism, the spirit of commercialism, and the spirit of militarism. The first two are not always necessarily hostile, and the last is now a dying force. During the Great War we had a very effective League of Nation —the Allies of Great Britain —and a similar League devoted to peace can be and will be made just as effective. Just as soon as the common people—those who give weight to public opinion—can realise just what war will be if war remains in favour, just so soon will some of the chief difficulties in the way of peace be removed. The way must be sought along the lines of international goodwill—-an international Golden Rule. There are great and powerful interests committed to the science of war; there is a great and glorious tradition connected with the art of Avar —and its constituents can be maintained and even enhanced by the deeds that cpnstitute victories df peace —but, most of all there is colossal ignorance, the worst of all foes of progress.

THE CHRIST OF THE ANDES. Professor Gilbert Murray tells of what has been done between Argentine and Chile. On the brink of Avar in 1900, the two peoples Avere moved to throw their weight in the scales for peace, and succeeded. To celebrate the Avork cannon Avere melted, and a bronze figure of Christ Avas cast and taken to the frontier and erected on the summit of a mountain. On one side of the base are these words: “These mountains themselves shall fall and crumble to dust before the peoples of Chile and the Argentine Republic forget their solemn covenant sworn at the feet of Christ.” On the other side is written: “He is our peace Who hath made both one.” These states had tried the pacifist experiment and found that it works. In closing, the lecturer asked the members to turn to Ezekiel, ch. 3 v. 17 —at their leisure. After sitting in the place of the exiles, the prophet ltneAv Avhat they felt. Everyone must Avatch himself lest in his speech, or thought, or act, he let loose upon his felloAvmen sinister forces Avhich shall cover his generation in blood. Public opinion made war betAveen Chile and Argentine impossible, and public opinion is simply “my thought plus' your thought” combined into a force which makes governments. When every man can be taught this as a principle, that it is only at infinite cost, for the most part to the innocent, that Avrong is ever righted in this world, then public opinion will have closed the door on Avar, bolted it and locked it, and then cast the key into the depth of the sea. At the close of the lecture, the usual discussion took place; and certain matters of business relative to the close of the session werfc dealt with.