PUBLIC OPINION

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20909, 14 September 1939, Page 11

PUBLIC OPINION

As expressed by correspondents whose letters are welcome, but for whose views we have no responsibility. Correspondents arc requested to write in ink. It is essential that anonymous writers enclose their proper names as a guarantee of good faith. Unless this rule is complied with, their letters will not appear. THE NEW KOSMOS (To the Editor) Sir,—ln his synoptical and comprehensive liiHie book “A Short History of the World,” Mr 'LI. G. Wells, after explaining and emphasising the difference between the mechanical and the industrial revolutions (page 259) and their effects, proceeds on page 269 to give us some thoughts about the future, as follows: “To brinig this description of the elaboration and development of social, economic and political ideas right down to the discussions of the present day would be to introduce issues altogether too controversial for this book. But regarding these things as we do here from the perspectives of the student o-f world history, we are bound to recognise that the reconstruction of these directive ideas in the human mind is still an unfinished task. Certain common beliefs do seem to be emerging, and their influence is very perceptible upon the political events ind public acts oT today; but at present they are not clear enough or convincing enough to compel men definitely and systematically toward their realisation. Men's acts waver between tradition and the new, and on the whole they rather gravitate towards the traditional. Yet compared with the thought of even a lifetime ago, there does seem to be an outline shaping itself of a new order in human affairs. It is a sketchy outline vanishing into vagueness at this point and at that, and fluctuating in detail and formulae, yet it grows steadfastly clearer, and its main lines change less and less.

“It is becoming plainer and plainer e<ach year that in many respects, and in an increasing range of affairs, mankind is becoming one community and that it is more and more necessary that in such matters there should be a common world control. For example, it is steadily truer that the whole planet is now one economic community, that the proper exploitation of its natural resources demands one comprehensive direction, and that the greater power and range that discovery has given human effort, makes the present fragmentary and contentious administration of such affairs more and more wasteful and dangerous-. Financial and monetary expedients also become world-wide, interests to he dealt with successfully only on world-wide lines. Infectious diseases, and the increase of migrations of population, are also now plainly seen to be world-wide concerns.

“This greater power and range of human activities has made war disproportionately destructive and disorganising, and even as a clumsy way of settling issues between government and government and people and people, ineffective. All these things clamour for controls and authorities of greater range and greater comprehensiveness than any government which has hitherto existed ..... “The world may then discover that all its common interests are being managed as one concern, while it still fails to realise that a world government exists. But before even so much human unity is attained, before such international arrangements can be put above patriotic suspicions and jealousies, it is necessary that the common mind of the race should he possessed of that idea of human unity, and that the idea of mankind as one family should be a matter of universal instruction and understanding.

“For a score of centuries or more, the spirit of the great universal religions hts been struggling to maintain and extend that idea of human brotherhood, but to this day the spites, angers and distrusts of tribal, national and racial friction obstruct, and successfully obstruct, the broader views and more generous impulses which would make every man the servant of mankind. The idea of human brotherhood struggles now to possess the human soul, just as the idea of Christendom struggled to possess the soul of Europe in the confusion and disorder of the sixth and s'eventh centuries of the Christian era. The dissemination and triumph of such ideas must be the work of a multitude of devoted and undistinguished missionaries and no contemporary writer can presume to guess how far such work has already gone or what harvest it may be preparing.” May I commend the book to your readers for a broad outlook upon the problems ol our time, and a review of the “stepping stones of our (load past,” by which we may gain clearer views of social evolution and progress.—I am, etc., E. DAVIES. Cambridge, Sept. 13