Wairarapa Times-Age THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1943. A CALL TO BE ANSWERED.

Wairarapa Times-Age, 21 October 1943, Page 2

Wairarapa Times-Age THURSDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1943. A CALL TO BE ANSWERED.

AS a broad but masterly survey of the stage reached in the war of the demands it makes on the United Nations and will continue to make, and of the yet greater demands the peace to follow will make on all that is best m humanity d civilisation is to endure, the speech delivered by General Smuts at Guildhall may be expected to carry conviction throughout ti e Allied and neutral nations. It may be expected to impress piofoundly, also, at least those elements in enemy nations which aie capable of amendment and of helping to repair in some measuie the desolation and horror brought upon the world by unchained and bestial savagery.

The great South African showed, as he always does, clear and penetrating insight and balanced judgment, equally m refusing to countenance hopes of any swift leap to \ictoi} am in emphasising that the Allied nations must withhold no effort of which they are capable in attaining victory as speedily as possible, because, as he said, “the. new darkness of riilhless, brutal, monstrous inhumanity” which covers the lace ol Nazi Europe must be ended soon if Europe is to be saved-—H a task of salvaging and reconstruction which in any case will lax the resources of civilised humanity as they have never been taxed before is to be kept within the bounds ol practicable ell oil.

General Smuts did-not so much assert as demonstrate that every hope that can be entertained for the future.ol humanity is contingent upon the greatest war in history becoming; the prelude to the great peace.” A tremendous call is thus made upon the nations of the modern world—a call only to be met b> an unexampled development of united action, ol spiritual as well as material endeavour, and ol mutual aid—but theie is no other way in which peace can be made secure and the- la brie ot civilisation upheld and

While it struck an enlightening and inspirational note for all who are helping to win the war and to build a better world, the speech of the veteran soldier and statesman could hj u ‘ ctl . v have been timed better than in almost coinciding w i i ie opening of the Three-Power conference in Moscow. In Kussia the opening of that memorable conference has been hailed in the hopeful expectation that in the military, political and economic councils decisions will be taken that will has en victory,” to quote a correspondent of the London limes. But it has been, indicated also, with reference to events in the Mediterranean and elsewhere, that there is a growing disposition in Russia to welcome the development of closer international collaboration in war and in peace.

Admittedly there are differences of opinion, both military and political to be resolved, but the hope is raised that it may be found at the Moscow conference that these differences concern largely questions of method and of detail, capable either of being adjusted or of being removed by better mutual understanding’. It does not seem unduly optimistic to believe that General Smuts, in his speech at the Guildhall, may have contributed in a material degree to the success of the discussions in Moscow. It certainly may be expected that he will prove to have done so if full and fair account is taken of what he had to say about the conduct of the Avar —notably the parts . played relatively by Russia and the British Empire and the possibly culminating part assigned to the United States —the emphasis he laid on the imperative urgency of launching the final assault on Nazi Germany at the earliest moment possible, and above all his insistence on the supreme necessity ot loyally united collaboration by the nations in building up and safeguarding peace.