THE CHINA MAIL, APRIL 6, 1937.
Civilisation Itself In
Failure Of Popular Sentiment. Against G
Catastrophe Of War
IN
:
Page 11.
Danger
a conflict should break out between through an effective world police two other nations. The conceptions force.
of which underly these exhortations be What the great principle long to the eighteenth and the nine- federation has accomplished for the teenth centuries, but not to the United States of America and for every respect but one the year part it contents itself with emotion- twentieth century. There is and the British Commonwealth of Na- which has passed has been al outgivings and outbursta. It is can be no economic nationalism tions, it can accomplish, mutatis abundant in disappointment. Gov- opposed to war; it will not counte- without ultimate national suicide: mutandis, for the world at large. nance war; it will take no part in and world-wide disaster. There is Men of vision have seen this through ernments, practically without
war; it will permit no one to make and can be no neutrality, in the four centuries, but only in our own ception, have been extolling peace economic gain out of war; but it nineteenth-century sense, without time has this vision become possible and proclaiming. peace, but their is singularly hopeless and helpless complete and immoral neglect of the of fulfilment even in part. It can- carefully planned and appallingly when confronted with the task, first, highest of national obligations. not now be fulfilled
ex-
costly preparations for war have gone of lessening and then removing the When in 1928 some forty-three na- completely at any “ddenly or even
-
By Dr. Nicholas Murray Butler
moment, but
on apace. Lack of confidence, not only causes of war, and, second, of build- tions signed the Pact of Paris re- progress can and should be made continues but has grown both in ex- ing up those public institutions of nouncing war as an instrument of toward it. The history of the build- tent and in power. Public opinion cooperation
and judicial process national policy, the possibility of ing of the United States of America simply cannot trust the word
of which are the only possible substi- neutrality disappeared at once. There and the history of the building of some governments unless it be when tute for war. If governments could could be no breach of that Pact the British Commonwealth of Na- they are planning or executing somer only be made to understand that the without some government breaking tions point the way. thing wholly selfish and 'minatory.
There is another fact of far-reach- Then they can be believed. There
ing significance to be kept steadily is no use in disguising the fact that
in mind. The wars which most seri- this lack of confidence has produced
ously threaten at the moment: are, the gravest situation which the mo- public opinion of their several peo- its word, and for a moral govern- save in outward form, no longer wars dern world has had to face. It re ples is not only opposed to war but ment and a moral people there can between peoples and their govern- flects a moral breakdown, which of is definitely insistent upon policies be no neutrality when the issue is ments; they are wars between fun- itself would deprive both prosper of social, economic and political between one who breaks his given damental and conflicting philoso- ity and peace of their one certain cooperation and of substituting judi- word and one who keeps it. The phies of life and of public order. foundation and plunge what consid- cial process for threat of force in attempt to establish old-fashioned What is going on in Spain under ers itself a civilized world. into a the settlement of international dif- neutrality under new fashioned con- the name of civil war, proves this chaos of which the end could not ferences, then progress would be ditions will not only do nothing to completely. The democracy which, made. Until that time comes, the keep a nation out of war, but it at the instance of the English-speak- prosperity of our several nations and will do much to make it feel most ing and the French peoples, had the orderly continuance of civiliza- grievously the effects of any war been spreading over the western tion itself are without doubt in which comes to pass. In this day world is now not only challenged gravest danger.
and generation progress consists in but distinctly checked by the op-
be foreseen.
in
On the other hand, there exists in practically every land, and some lands to a very large and in- fluential extent, a deep-seated po pular sentiment against war.
At the moment there is no more not overlooking governmental im- posing doctrines resting upon 籍 insidious attack being made upon morality and faithlessness, but in philosophy of compulsion · rather The reason why this strong and the foundations of prosperity and preventing it when possible and in than of liberty, which are known widely distributed popular sentiment of peace than that which is making rebuking it when impossible to pre- as Communism, as National - Socia- counts for so little in controlling by the advocates of economic na- vent it. That means genuine world lism and as Fascism. These doc- public policy is that for the most tionalism and of neutrality in case organization and collective security trines, which eagerly challenge de-
Henry Harris Says—
YOU CAN BE WITTY
"I
If You Want to!
want an ice without flavour." "Without what flavour do you want it?"
"Oh, all right, without vanilla.” "Sorry, sir, but you'll have to take it without chocolate we have no vanilla."
Does that seem fünny to you? Or this?
"When I was born, do you know,
I only weighed two and a half pounds.".
"Zat so-and did you live?” “Why, you just ought to see me
now."
•
Or do you prefer to fancy your self oozing epigrams, snapping wisecracks,
shedding mellow aphorisms and wise comments? Or catapulting hot repartee? You know! The sort of things - you usually think on the way home.
Professional gagsters say there are only six or seven jokes. Ori- ginality is just giving a new twist to an old joke.
Let's analyse humour. Types of humour and the twists you can give it
Taking Words Literally:
"See those books they're best friends."
Noel Coward, on beholding the original Venus de Milo (the statue is armless, as you know), turns to “a lady and says:
"See what will happen if you bite your nails."
Anti-Climax:
́
Frustrated blondie: “I hate him. I hate him. I hate him. He's broken my heart. He's wrecked my life. He's messed my entire evening." Implication By Contrast:
What I admired about the Berlin
mounted police was the intelligent
look on the horses' faces.
Doubles Negatives Or Opposites
That Cancel Each Other: I'll be independent-if I have to borrow every cent.
Shortest fairy-tale: Once there was an honest lawyer.t
mocracy and are also ready to fight each other, have taken possession of the peoples of Japan, of Russia, of. Germany and of Italy, and are strongly represented in other lands. How, therefore, under such cir- cumstances can a democratic people be indifferent or mentral when a To break down our inhibitions fellow-democracy is forcibly attack- when we joke about subjects taboo- ed by one of the philosophies of ed by polite society. To relieve ner- compulsion? - In that case, what is vous over-stimulation when tick- being attacked is that democracy's led or tense. And children laugh own outpost, and, if the attack on for exactly the same reasons only that outpost be successful, it will be more so.
followed by an attack on that de- Happy people don't laugh. They mocracy itself. These may be subtle smile from complete contentment, facts but they are profoundly true and need insistence, in season and In short, laughter relieves the mental tension that accumulates out of season, before the public from the petty frustrations of or opinion of the several democratic dinary everyday life. It helps res. peoples, Each in its own self-de- fence must stand together with the other democratic peoples if the at-
of them under the waves of a does trine of compulsion,
tore the mind to an even keel.
The natural way to learn is to
acquire the habit of analysing the tempt be made to submerge any one most brilliant jokes or witticisms- that appeal to you. Invent half a dozen twists and variations on the same pattern. Then forget about it. It will have sunk into your subcon- sciousness.
Every natural comedian has used this method by instinct, if not by deliberation.
Peace, as has been pointed out many times in these Annual Reports, requires a foundation upon which to rest. It cannot be reached or hoped for unless that foundation be provided, and that foundation has for its corner-stones liberty and I do like a cold bath-especially
justice. War, whether military if half of it is warm.
right time and the economic, is the enemy of bothr Film star, overhead: "Now let's When the
As “Thomas talk about you. What do you think right situation come along, you liberty and justice.
will find
"Force of my last picture?"
yourself improvising Hobbes wrote so long ago: Poor wee birdle it hasn't even spontaneously with more and more and fraud are in war the two car
dinal virtues." Both are the contra» got a cage.
Yes, sir, this country has the my finest critics money can buy.
Being funny is a frame of mind. 1 It comes easier to those who are
a little unhappy.
“Time you returned them, old chap."
Or this. "Anything you say will be held against you."
"Joan Crawford.”
Or the Bachelor's Lament, "They. say I ought to take a wife-but. I dunno whose??"
Exaggeration. Or Understatement:
Sassenach's definition of silence; Scot whistling for a taxi.
The only people who have no sense of humour are the extreme- ly happy and the extremely stupid. They have no need of it
skill.
*
or.
The best humour is spontaneous diction of justine and liberty? Nor and topical. It caps the moment. can war settle anything for any The best humorists have bad mem- considerable length of time. It may Beem to accomplish its immediate ories.
Never pause after a joke. Ramble end, but history makes it plain that on. The pause is most effective in such is only appearance. John Mil- repartee. Watch Mae West'a mas- ton clearly saw the truth when in
his sonnet to Lord Fairfax terly technique.
A pause,
a look, a grimace, an We laugh for a variety of rea. “Oh," or a diplomatic stutter sons. To feel superior; he.. when cording to taste and then the re- the pompous bosa sits on a tack.” tort. Hot and tight-packed. work off hatred, ridicule and re- Professional humorists call sentment that cannot be expressed the "slow burn." It gives you time
to think.
action.
For what can war,
he
But endless war still breed? From Dr. Nicholas Murray But- ler's annual report to the Trustees the Carnegie Endowment for nternational Peace: