1941-09-17 — Page 23

THE CHINA MAIL, SEPTEMBER 17, 1941.

CHINA MAIL Planning For

WINDSOR

CAN JAPAN STOP?

Japanese spokesmen persist in their hope that the freezing of Japanese

Eternity

A Nation Must Discover Its Faith

nicans

assets and of Allied assets when people begin to talk about¡ nearer events! There are ways of individual being nothing and the in Japan is not going to planning, I think of the last the increasing control over events and State everything is just silly non- increasing consequently the tange sense for it means that plans and mean cessation of all I saw Robert Bridges. We had of planning. Dictators can make organisation are everything and

easily there is nothing to plan for. trade. They know as well both been listening to a broadcast far-reaching plans more

by an eminent scientist. He had than others because they have, or as we do, particularly tried to make our flesh creep with ed control over millions of men. think they have, gained undisput- from the very frank warn-the prospect that in a compara That planning is done at a price-

tively short time—say, in about a price of a huge concentration of ings that come from

power into the hands of öne man ten thousand years-man might

or of a few, and the submission of various quarters, that if cease to dominate the earth bod all the others to

being planned. Japan's armed forces be replaced by another race of Whèn men plân in that way, the cross the Siamese border animals, say ants. He had ended

lust for power which it involves sooner or later destroys' them and or if there is any hostile by an exhortation to us all to rule often their victories too. You re-take thought for the future, as it No, if a nation is to plan and to in the light of this member the parable in the Gospels must, it must begin by men and gesture against the ur actions

alarming possibility and so to act

about planning? "The ground of women taking counsel together as Dutch East Indies there

a certain rich nan brought fort to what they really want, what the now that ten thousand years hence plentifully: will be

Far war in the

and he thought with ends are in their common life for man would still be dominant. We in fimself, saying What shall 1 East and all Allied rela- both agreed

which they care most and which that the eminent do: I will pull down my barns they think most precious. But tions with Japan will end. scientist had

and build greater and there will that been talking non-

1 bestow all

asking themselves" my fruits and my what their own fundamental faith If their hopes are sin-sense because we agreed there is goods. And I will say to my soul, is.

Soul, thou hast much goods lald ends, you

The anti-planning parable cerely expressed, as

some sense we

In planning for 21

remember, by saying. believe they

years; take thine "So is he that layeth up treasure week, a month, or sometimes even! up for many they

case: eat, drink and be merry for himself and is not rich toward a few years whead; much sense But God said unto him. Thou fool: God." must also be hoping,

A nation cannot, any more always in planning for eternity this night thy soul shall be re-than an individual, ask itself what therefore, that some force! and no sense whatever in plan- quired of thee: then whose shall it really wants without discover- in Japan will check theng ahead for ten thousand years, provided? So is he that layeth up asking itself if it has any faith, if those things be which thou hast ing its faith; without at least army and navy in mid-

In this age when men talk so

there are some things in its life career and give pledges much of planning, I think that is

for which it is prepared to die. of respect for the status worth bearing in mind. Nations

But that is not planning. It is the indispensable preliminary to it... quo.

have had four-year plans, five-

at least to what I called at the year plans even ten-year plans.

beginning of this talk "planning They will soon be trying to break

with a view to eternity—consi- dering the eternal values which records in the length of their plan- ning periods. Ten thousand years.

are worth more than this temporal of course, is planning ahead with

fortune or that. A healthy or a secure society does not need to trouble to give reasons for the faith that is in it. It takes the treasure for himself and is not faith for granted as it does the air rich toward God." That might it breathes. But when its faith is) and the next verse in St. be called an anti-planning parable, attacked, it is bound to ask itself Luke searching questions-to be sure seems even more to condemn that its way of life is something your life, what ye shall eat." Bul pulled up like that, when he is "Take no thought for, real and precious. When a man is planning. two chapters further on there are roused out of his complacency and

are.

We have no doubt that such forces are at work and may even be getting - a thoughtful hearing, be- cause there have been no trumped-up demonstra- tions of resentment and defiance in Japan since the press made its first angry comment on the freezing orders. We hope they are carrying weight, but the fear remains that

vengeance, and is agreed to be silly. But when does planning become silly because it looks toe lar abend? Are not long views supposed to be especially wise! when do they becne so long that they becoine foolish?

Why it is silly to plan for ten thousand years ahead is that we have no power of controlling what

By Dr. A. D. Lindsay

is ten thousand years ahead, and first of which says, "For which of he says to himself,

two pro-plafming parables, the his taking of things for granted,

"What do I reasonable planning clearly must you, intending to build a tower, stand for, or what do I really be-

relation to power of control. But how little power of

sitteth not down first, and counteth lieve?” When he answers that the cost, whether he have sufficient question honestly, the next ques-

the Japanese armed control we often have over much to finish it? Lest haply, after he tlon he asks himself is, "Why don't

forces cannot

now be

halted by anything in make Japan Japan short of revolution, ficient. of which there is no pre- sent indication.

Finance

Minister

kind of

hath laid the foundation, and is I live more as if I did believe not able to finish it, all that be- that?" Then the best self-suf- hold it begin to mock him.”

plarining can begin.

The alternative to this is rapid loss of striking| power to the point of im- mobility not more than a year hence and then easy reduction

Worship Of Organisation

So with a nation. When we are pulled up, as we are now, with an attack on all we think most pre- cious; when that aftack makes us say, "Yes, we do really care about decency,

and kindliness and Ogura's statement to the

respect of other people's rights,; effect that Japan's ans-

and all that we think really mat ters in English life: we go on to wer must be to get ahead

It is not planning that is wrong ask ourselves why do not we be with the establishment of status of a third-class may be.

to the but the spirit in which we plan have more as if we did: then we If we say to ourselves: begin to ask, why have we stood the co-prosperity sphere power. What worse fate, and see that they are done.

"We are going to think things out by and done so little about un- Why have we suf- East Asia the army men may rea- are so much cleverer and abler and fered the rightful inequalities of more thoughtful than anyone else; our social system? Why have we we easily go from that to schem- the rich and another for the poor? we must have the power to do it" allowed there to be one law for ing and planning for power and Why has it taken a war to make nothing but power. We easily us find out what evacuation has beings as mére atoms to be are lots and lots of questions like

er.

We'