"Causes of War" Talks to Start

Radio Record, Volume VIII, Issue 37, 22 March 1935, Page 7

"Causes of War" Talks to Start

\ England’s Leading Brains Express Divergent Views

Now. which has been offered broadcast listeners in New Zealand hitherto has had-the controversial possibilities of the series of talks on "The Causes of War": which will start’ next week. A group of- fewer than a dozen of the finest analytical brains in England provided the talks from the B:B.C,’ recently, and the records are now available for Dominion release from the four main stations. Such names as Beaverbrook, Dean Inge, Winston Churchill; Professor Haldane, Aldous Huxley and Sir Norman Angell are ones to jmpress, not only students of current events, but also the general, more superficial, public of New Zealand. Added to these speakers are Sir J osiah Stamp, Major C.'H. Douglas, G, D. H. Cole, Sir Austen Chamberlain, and Dr. R. H. Money-Kyrle, all of ‘them men who .have distinguished themselves as possessors of splendidly trained minds, each in his own particular sphere of social, political, financial or scientific life. Between them, thesé men have produced a series of. recorded .talks which, collectively, seem to overlook not one considerable detail in their careful ‘analysis -of the causes of international strife as they exist. to-day. Moreover, each talk is impregnated with the sincerity and enthusiasm of \ the individual speaker, the result of extremely’ keen peneAeation into the real meaning of war and its causes made ossible. only’ by familiarity with, and complete understanding of, the subject. Never, since the ending of the. Great War, has there been so much freedom of discussion on this important question as there is to-day, and New Zealand minds are contributing their share to the-study and elucidation of points of ‘the great problems which confront the world so gravely. Naturally, there are many schools of thought about the -whole matter. Therefore, it will be impossible to listen to the complete series in the near future and agree with each of the speakers, for some of those chosen for the * talks hold views as far apart as the poles from those of others. ‘The implied controversy of the talks themselves will add.a savour to the series from the point of view of the listener. Additional importance is attached to the records for those in the Dominions, for many of the talks make-con-siderable reference to the part which the colonies may play in another war in which Britain might be embroiled, and deal extensively with the obligations on both sides. New Zealanders will be treated to the first of the series on Febriary :25. when 1YA wil! broadcast Lord Beaverbrook,

journalist and politician, precisely as he spoke to England. It is indeed a wonderful thing that we in the Antipodes can hear, as in the flesh, those men who have become known so well in cable news and literature. It is a gift from broadvasting which New Zealand should appreciate to the full. The Broadcasting Board intends to run one talk a week from each of the four main stations, in rotation. Thus the first talk will be repeated from 2YA on the Tuesday of: the week following its Auckland broadcast, from 3YA ou the following Tuesday, and from 4YA on the Thursday of the following week, so by the time the first talk is delivered in Dunedin, the fourth will have started its "tour" at 1YA. This arrangement may be upset only by unavoidable circumstances. As the individual talks are forecast in the week’s programmes, the "Radio Record" intends to provide listeners with brief sketches of the life and qualifications of the speakers, and some telling high-lights of each talk. [N the roll of his speech there is evidence of Lord Beaverbrook’s Canadian birth and education. His talk is forceful and convincing, but the theories he offers will undoubtedly find.thousands of dissentients in New Zealand. Hig views on the causes of war and its possible prevention cannot be ignored, however, in the face of his reputation in English political and journalistic life. Lord Beaverbrook was born in Newcastle, New Brunswick, Canada, the third son of a Scottish minister. At an early age he started in business in Halifax, but later moved to a wider field in Montreal. In 1910 he was asked by the Bank of Montreal to investigate the prospects of an amalgamation of three Canadian cement mills, and, as a consequence. he slipped, almost by accident, into a scheme for the amalgamation of all the Canadian mills, and made at a stroke an immense fortune. -He found himself the object of an organised Press attack and achieved considerable unpopularity throughout Canada; but time has proved the finance of the Cement Trust to be sound. At this point William Maxwell Aitken, having attained his predetermined aim of- making £1,000,000, retired from business and entered English politics. He won a seat in 2arliament at Ashton-under-Lyne, in 1910, and became ’ private secretary to Bonar Law. His influence with that statesman, who, in 1911, became leader of the Opposition, was suspect to many Conservative members. He was raised ‘(Continued on page 58.)

_ (Continued from Page 7). to the peerage in 1917 as Baron Beaverbrook of Beaverbrook, New Bruns15 wick, and. Cherkley,. Surrey. He had been knighted in"1911, and created a baronet in 1916, ~ At the outbreak of the war he became Canadian "Dye-witness" at the .Front. In 1915:he was the representative of the Canadian Government with the Expeditionary Force; taking charge _ later of Canadian war records. In February, 1918, he -joined the Cabinet as Chancellor’ of the Duchy of Lancaster and: Minister of Information in ‘charge of propaganda. Immediately after the. Armistice he resigned from Cabinet and abandoned politics, For some years before this date Beaverbrook had possessed a financial interest in the "Daily Dxpress," London, but had taken no active part in its direction He now took over entire control, and give the newspaper the ‘whole ‘of his attention. In 1921 he founded the "Sunday Express," and af- . ter a prolonged struggle he established it successfully as a popular ‘Sunday journal. Later he secured a controlling interest in the "Evening Standard," thus creating a kind of triple alliance. : ‘