THE FOUNDATIONS OF PEACE SIR, —Those of us who are going
through the experience of a second Great War must feel that the disastrous calamity which has overtaken us might have been avoided if the councils of the nations had not lost all that splendid strength of heart and spirit of which Europe was bereaved in the earlier tragedy. Now that a similar or even greater loss is threatened, and already beginning, can we not face reality and bring our ideals to the test of what is possible? No organisation, World State, League, Federation, &c., will save what still remains of European civilisation unless there is something greater behind. Will the fabric and machinery alone transform all those old feuds of race and history in
Middle Europe and the Balkans, not to speak of the depths of passion and antagonism which will be aroused by the present war?
A saying of Dr. Bidder's in a recent letter to The Times seems true. " Peace is the greatest product of the human intellect." . . . It " will not be won by conquest or oblitera- tion ; it must be invented and constructed, and maintained by endless effort." Of this effort the minds and wills of men such as have been sacrificed in these wars are capable. These efforts are indeed natural to human personality, when not corrupted and degraded.
They are made with the joy which the greatly adventurous know in the struggle for an almost unattainable treasure. There is also the happiness which all may feel, who in numerous ways may be guided into the life of preparation, perhaps without full consciousness of the purpose and signifi- cance of their activities. I refer to the means of developing amongst the peoples of the world that mutual understanding and sympathy which is the essential pre-condition of any universal organisation of a political kind which is to be, not machinery, but a living power. Much already exists in embryo Examples are to be found in interchange of teachers, school and scout exchange of visits to other countries, inter- national meetings of all kinds from athletic unions to learned societies. All activities of this kind should be immensely extended and increased. Above all should friendly visits be exchanged especially in early youth so that the young might learn through friendship and intimate personal contact that the stranger is his fellow and there need be no barrier of race or nation. This discovery must be made possible for whole peoples, not merely a select minority, no difficulty should be suffered to stand in the way. Educational dogmas should be subordinated to the extreme need of mankind. In order that language should be no longer a barrier, familiarity with other languages than their own should be one of the first requirements in the education of children. Together with this there should be instruction in the art and literature, traditions and history of other nations, so far as possible without elaborating recent cruel experiences.
If an enduring peace is to be achieved the peoples of the world must develop the state of mind and outlook which will make them deaf to the wild appeals of those men who are maddened by the passion for power. The only sure founda- tion to build upon is human •personality and its capacities when roused by a great hope and ideal, though organisation, especially in the sphere of economics, there must also be I am afraid I have been too lengthy, but this is only the slightest indication of the task before those who will labour to uproot the dragon's teeth—as I see it.—Yours faithfully,
Previous page
