Plea for Peace

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 363, 25 May 1928, Page 1

Plea for Peace

“Use Britain’s Political Genius Against War " MAUDE ROY DEN’S APPEAL Her final appeal to New Zealanders was delivered before an Auckland audience yesterday after noon by Miss Maude Royden, the famous British femini.iat and preacher. The LyTic Theatre was packed with an audience in winch women dominated. Mr. Geo. Fowl.ls presided. Keen attention was paid to the visitor’s plea for the employment of Britain’s political genius to ensure international peace. Tho Jews. Miss Royden declared, had been entrusted with a genius tor religion. The British people had their unique gift—it was not art. neither was it philosophy or religion. it was nn undoubtedly political genius—not an aptitude for politics in the usual sense of that expression, but a genius for giving to national ideals a framework, ‘*a local habitation and a name.” Miss Royden said that the House of Commons had not been called “the Mother of Parliaments" for nothing. It seemed exceedingly difficult to believe nowadays that there were at one time eight kings in England. If England had remained in that condition she would never have reached the powerful position which she occupied to-day. POWER AGAINST WAR “It is now as impossible to think of the British Empire being held together by force as it is to imagine two cities in England sending out armies to fight against each other," said Miss Royden. “We have produced something altogether new in the world, and it woud be a tragic failure is we do not go further in embodying this ideal that was given to us. “Is it not possible that Great Britain shall lead the world in givina tip the practice of war, even as it led in the abandonment of duelling? It would b© to our eternal honour if we could lead the world away from war altogether. I arp a patriot, and I feel jealous that my country should have this honour." In the past, war was a littla thing compared with what it would be today. In the last war. four-fifths of the world was involved. Even Newr Zealand had been drawn into a far-off quarrel. “If there should be another war, which God forbid, the whole world will be involved," Miss Royden said. ‘ The nations are all so bound by many ties that a match lit in one place would start a universal conflagration. War has become so horribly destructive that we shudder to think of .mother experience of it."

War between nations to-day was suicide. It did not make for a better race, but wiped out. the men best fitted ® u^7 lve i : War was no longer a thing nat the human race could tolerate