1941-02-13 — Page 7

CHINA MAIL The Peace After The

"WINDSOR HOUSE

WAVELL'S TRIUMPH

Present

President Roosevelt's proposals world for fields to exploit, practi- cedented in themselves, for help to Britain, while unpre- cally uncontrolled. unti) available fresh territory no longer existed. cognised by those who are willing Then the explosion came.

are re-

intro-

to look ahead as merely ductory to new political issues so vast and ill-defined that fow political leaders have ventured to

to be

Benghazi is a name that British schoolchildren of a brighter to-morrow may have to add to the long list of homely and exotic sym- bols that already make up British history. Even in Italian history-books the Benghazi chapter may not make altogether sad reading. For it may mark for Italy that point at A handful of political writers the conflict it will be able to re- which events began toje busy speculating on the new turn to normaley and business-a15- break the hold of a wai-problems that must confront Bri-usual as soon as the dust of com- tom and 11 sister democracy bat has blown away. The recon- minded dictator over al across the Atlantic between now|struction work, when it is taken people famous for their and the close of the struggle in hand, whether in its social. against Nazism. Among them is political or economic aspects, must mastery of the arts of

a Geneva group sponsored by the į presumably be worldwide. peace.

Carnegie Endowment for Inter- national Peace which, as a pre-

broach the subject

This may sound like an inery move, has made J engaging paradox. Actual-searching study of the origins of

the present world disorders and

ly it is suggested in re-publishes the results in a bulletin: ports from Rome where "Causes of the Peace Failure 1915- newspapers are talking

1939.

over-huuhng.

are con-

War

would stagger into new wars un-

settlement at the bottom of the

less the country were put on a new trouble. An absence of sound re- basis. "There must be no mono-ligious conviction in the demo- polies, except those serving the cracies, they point out, has brought state," he added. "Society must discontent to the

masses, who, be rid of the twin pests of ex-with their

increased educational extreme facilities and no sufficiently re- ligious guidance to fill their vision,

treme

Assuming the Geneva verdict approximately accurate, the situation is for too uni- poverty." versal for any one power to ex- pret that by isolating itself from

The question must soon arise, them: Who is to build, and what material will there be to build with"

At the moment there are only two great powers still standing for the ideals of freedom, justice,

of

riches

and

Profit Motive Inadequate

Shortly before, another Labour leader. Mr. Ernest Bevin, Minister of Labour, generally considered to be slated for the Premiership, was quoted as saying in an interview "England will never again tolerate large numbers of unemployed.. the profit motive cannot try to solve the large problem el recon- struction in this country."

These are Leftist views, but they are not merely Leftist ideal-

about treachery in con- The Geneva experts nection with the Italian vinced that a state of permanent | international law, sanctity of con-

security will not be possible in the tracts and a religious basis retreat before

British world without general recognition national life. There is Great Bri- ism. They are voiced by Labour arms in Africa. A dictator- that the social and political order | tain, whose stout resistance to the leaders who were called to bear a ship rests on an illusion of

is in a condition + f disintegration Nazi onslaughts has proved that a supremely responsible share in and that rehabilitation must beuge nation can rise above all the the Government at the greatest unity among its people not a patchwork but a thorough indolence, selfishness and want of crisis in the history of the Empire.

the conviction that have crippled the Moreover,

ferocious and its power to impose

Nazi I initiative of the democracies since bombardment has brought to the This unity when necessary.

Versailles. And there is the United English people such 1 sense of To admit dissent or in-

States, which has enjoyed geo-unity that neither Rightist nor approach the ability to suppress it be-

graphical immunity from much of Leftist is likely to

major economic problems the struggle so far, but which fore it threatens the mili-

spirit of selfishness, shows no sign of any willingness tay position of the State

to give up its way of life at the behest of a foreign dictator. is to invite an increase in open opposition to the Government.

The

Backward Forces Continued

disintegration, they

say.

as the cause of, not the result of, the wars that began in 1914 and are still continuing. The same ele- I ments that generated the explo- "nationalism, ma-

Benghazi is important sinn of 1914. especially for its probable chine technique and an economic effect on the Italian peo-i system of unbridled acquisitive- ple and soldiers. It follows ness” are even more activo to-day. soon after resignations of The same outdated political sy- important military and stem that in 1914 were legislating naval leaders, consequent upon the rout of Italian armies in Greece and Al- bania.

for il hand-loom and hansom

age when the world was rac- ing along in cars and planes is still more or less operating to- day. The same inability to allow for the tremendous power of ex- pansion let loose by the machine

Likewise the news of British advances in Africa age operates to-day as in 1914. will strengthen the Bri- tish home front. It is something to know that while you and “47,000,000 Churchills”

some

the phrase is Italian-are holding an island against

Too Universal

The labouring classes feel just attack by a militarised ca. Unemployment is worse.

as much exploited and discontent- nation of 90,000,000, your forces yet can strike out

at that nation's ally in far the respective interests ranged the Politically the great powers and parts of the world and -everywhere put him on

the run.

tal position of Britain at home has been kept vir-

From these two peoples, there- fore, must presumably come the effort to rebuild. As to where to lay the foundations and what to

build on them, the outlook is at

prosent bleak.

British Busy

in 2

are

While these domestic problems of Britain do not directly affect the economy of the United States economic and, while America's

however, problems--which, not essentially different in such matters as wages, conditions of work and unemployment as those of Britain-have not contributed proportionately to Europe's disin- tegration, nevertheless unity of ideal is bound to play its part in the coming work of reconstruc- tion. Britain's problems must be of serious concern te Americans.

Integration Stressed

The Fate of the Axis, as seen by a New York P.M. cartoon- ist,

Last July, the late Viscount Hali. rax, following a similar statement by General Smuts of South Africa, began to enunciate a tentative proposal for a federal union and British writers at all events are about the same time Federal constantly emphasising the need Union groups launched a

for cam-

with close integration

the paign for such a union between United States. "If," says the Lon- the United States and the British don Economist, "the general prin- Empire.

ciple of a community of interest is accepted, we shall have to learn that we must consult the Ameri- Since then, however, the British can Government at every stage of people, driven underground by our diplomacy. If, in the course bombing by Germans of villages freedom to act will the savage and indiscriminate of Atlantic collaberation, Britain's have to be and towns, have been too much curtailed, then the American con- concerned in saving themselves tribution that can properly from extinction to consider the asked for is-a similar limitation of That is why a mere programme; reconstruction of Flurope. Their her freedom to be inactive.. If nation is perhaps in any case a an island people of less than 50,- Integration of society, they add, thoughts have turned to their own any permanently closer associa of economic or even political ad- problems, solution of tion of the two nations is achieved, justment, will not be sufficient. necessary preliminary to settle-000,000 cannot expect to be senior "will not come about as a result of ment in the world at large.

partner. the centre of gravity and the ultimate decision must in- conscious and deliberate effort." creasingly lie in America," It must come from deeper down in the consciousness of the peo~ ples.

be

If, as the Geneva experts sug- Strategically, by British

gest, disintegration in Europe has been partly due to the failure of While in all this discussion con- estimates of it, the war in

modern political machinery to siderable stress is necessarily laid Africa is not of transcen- tually intact during prevent glaring contradictions in upon economic difficulties partly "The deepest sickness of the dant importance. And the months of air and U-boat modern society from employers' because they are more immediate, modern world," they conclude, Italians had more to gain attack, that position has demands for expansion and work- while the political arena to-day is "lies in its lack of any genuine ers' discontent over exploitation in a state of unexampled confusion conviction of truth. There results

the Geneva, ex- by routing British forces immensely improved in and unemployment, Britishi labour-nevertheless

an oscillation between the cynical) than have the British by the Mediterranean. Such a clined to let reform go by default.pect must ultimately be subordin- the prostitution of truth for the at least appears by no means in-perts insist that the economic as-denial of all abiding truth and

ate to the political-and the politi- sake of achieving social and politi routing Italian.

cal must be subordinate to the re-cal purposes. It is here that the

ini

Mr.

Herbert Morrison, a Labour leader entrusted by Mr. Churchill with

revelation should not be missed by those in control In a speech on December 11, Ugious, Benghazi to-day stands of France's empire, nor, Britain's Home Secretary, as a job brilliantly carried indeed, anywhere through to completion. Europe where peoples and And the event is more leaders are facing the than superficial. It shows grim choice of surrender that while the fundamen-|or opposition to Naziism.

spiritual weakness of the last 201 ycars becomes most manifest. No! enduring structure can be built! upon such foundations. The real issue to be faced, therefore, is

formula to arrive at a new lite- gration of society?" but rather "What is the truth to be served by men?"

one of the key pusts in the Cabi- net, proposed a cooperative inter-Religious Unsettlement not "What is the most efficient national system, guaranteed an international police air force, and warned that civilised society would be doomed and the world

Beyond all the economic and political causes of the present dis- integration they find religious un-

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