Wairarapa Times-Age THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1939. A MUSTER FOR DEMOCRACY.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 October 1939, Page 6

Wairarapa Times-Age THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5, 1939. A MUSTER FOR DEMOCRACY.

WITH men assembling throughout the length and breadth of the Dominion to undergo military training, for service a , home or abroad, the realities of the war are emphasised Sharply . The history of a quarter of a century ago is repeating itseir and once'again the pick of the youthful manhood of the country is answering the call to arms, not in the spirit of those who seek martial glory for its own sake, but rathei as ci izeus animated bv a sense of duty. Amongst our volunteers, no doubt, there are many for whom the attraction of a great adventuie has its own appeal, but the force that is now being raised in New Zealand inevitably consists largely of men who would have preferred vastly to continue in their peaceful occupations. In. the quick response of these men to the call to arms there is a signal vindication of our democracy and of the unforced discipline in which its citizens are united. Our democracy is far enough from being perfect and the handling of its affairs gives rise to controversies that become at times exceedingly 7 bitter, but in this great test, as in others that have gone before, its essential worth and unity are demonstrated in the action of those who are undertaking so readily 7 whatever hazards and perils war service may entail. These are early days in the conflict into -which the world has been plunged by 7 Nazi aggression and at present the outlook for New Zealand and for many other countries involved is in some respects ill-defined. Should the war and its demands extend, as they very possibly may, many questions will arise as to the methods to be adopted in organising.the man-power, and perhaps also the woman-power of the Dominion in support and furtherance of a well-sustained effort for victory. AMiether in such circumstances the voluntary system should be maintained or should give place to a more methodical mobilisation is or soon will be a matter for practical consideration. Whatever the future may 7 hold, a salute is due to those who ha.ve been first to answer the call to defend their own democracy 7 and others against aggression and despotism.. The response of the volunteers, in itself as fine a vindication of democracy 7 as could be desired, should be accepted as striking the keynote of all that is to follow, not only in. expanding military effort, but in such a management, of the affairs of the Dominion as will be worthy 7 of those who are offering their lives, if need be, 1 -in order that it may continue to enjoy freedom and security. < THE APPROACHES TO PEACE. JVC) tangible issue was raised between Mr Chamberlain and Mr Lloyd George in the brief debate in tlie House of Commons, reported yesterdav, with reference to the Nazi-Soviet peace offensive.' In essentials, the Prime Minister and Mr Lloyd George were in agreement as to the conditions in which peace would be possible/ Declaring that no mere assurances from the present German Government could be accepted, Mr Chamberlain said: Nobody desires the war to continue for an unnecessary day, but an overwhelming mass of opinion here and in France is determined to secure that the rule of violence shall cease, and that the word of Governments, once pledged, must henceforth be kept. While he urged that the Government should not reach a hurried decision on proposals that might come from neutral States, Mr Lloyd George also said that he sympathised with the Prime Minister’s attitude and that: If peace were dependent upon the word of Hitler I am afraid we should have no alternative but to proceed until we got some other better and more assured guarantee. The first indication has yet to appear that acceptable peace proposals worthy 7 of consideration are likely 7 to be submitted to the Allies. Reasonable people, therefore, must agree with Mr Chamberlain that it would be premature to build any 7 hopes on the likelihood of any 7 such proposal being made. Mr Lloyd George appears to have been building on an imaginary 7 foundation when he said he thought “the House should consider whether there should be a conference of nations, including the United States, to consider all these proposals.” There is no more vital condition of the attainment of the just and stable peace for which the British Empire and its. Allies are striving than a refusal to'accept the assurances of the present German Government. According to one of yesterday’s cablegrams, which reported that the text of Mr Chamberlain’s speech had been rushed to Herr Hitler, the Nazis professed complete inability 7 to comprehend Britain’s attitude. There is, however, no mystery about the matter. Britain, with obvious justification, is refusing to accept mere assurances from a Government which has traded deliberately 7 in lies and bad faith. The British position was summed up admirably by the Archbishop of York when he said, in a broadcast- address on Monday 7 last, that the achievement of Britain’s purpose would be possible only if two conditions were fulfilled. The first is that we should make no terms with Hitler and his Government —not because it is undemocratic, which is Germany’s concern and not ours, but because it is utterly untrustworthy (said the Archbishop). The second is that the terms which we will make with an honourable German Government shall be arrived at in such a way as to show that we have sought no kind of advantage for ourselves and no humiliation for the German people.

No other conclusion is possible than that it rests in a very important degree with the German people to take the initiative that would open Hie way to peace. Making peace with the Nazi dictatorship evidently would be a complete futility and waste of time. Even if terms in all other respects acceptable were arranged, they would be robbed of value and significance by the fact that the word of the Nazi dictatorship is worthless.

Any peace overture at present in visible prospect is only, as Mr Chamberlain observed, another instance of German war technicpie. While, however, the Nazis are as intent as ever on their strategy of lies and deceit, changes of far-reaching importance are taking place in Europe which must be anything but pleasing to Hitler and his Government. In the war for which the Nazi dictatorship is solely responsible, Soviet Russia has found opportunities which she is turning enterprisingly, if unscrupulously 1o account, with results that must be alarming to the Nazi dictatorship, as well as to other governments in Europe. Actual developments in the Baltic and prospective developments in the Balkans have already gone far to establish Russia in a position of dominance she could never have attained but for almost incredible blundering on Germany’s part. At the moment, the Nazis are making a great parade of their alleged partnership with Russia, but the actual position may rather be that the Soviet is making use of them to her heart’s content. One of the possibilities that evidently must be taken into account is that of an increasingly dangerous domination of Germany by Russia. •