Trend of World Affairs

The doctrine that there must be no sitting on the fence on the part of those who wish to combatwar was propounded by Mr. W. N. Pharazyn to a small family gathering of the Anti-War Club on Monday, 30th March. The situation to-day, described by the speaker as "an absolute horror," is in no respect different from that which produced the cataclysm of 1914-18.

Mr. Pharazyn attributed the emergence of the Entente Cordiale in 1904 from a condition of potential emnity between France and Britain, not to the Efforts of Edward the Peacemaker, but to the thrusting on the markets of goods labelled "made in Germany." the two colonial powers banded together in conjunction with Russia to protect themselves against the growing ambitions of a landless Germany, a ramshackle Austria and an awakening Italy. In 1911 the strength of the Enterte was great enough to humiliate Germany at Agadir, and that insult bent Germany's destinies to war.

Long Live the League!

During the war there grew up a peculiar sort of idealism which found expression in the Leagueof Nations—" villainous conspiracy of robbers," whose real policy was hostility to the Soviet and further suppression of Germany (otherwisethe League was an excellent institution). The League forgot that capitalism was the dominant motive of the world as to-day constituted and that capitalism seeks expanding markets, if not by peaceful warfare, then by actual warfare.

Italy and Germany.

The repression of Germany has squeezed Hitler to the top, and has resulted in the apparent abrogation in that country of allnatural rights, but this apparent insanity is all in furtherance of an ideal-growth. Reeently Germany occupied a pieceof land which was her own. Similarly Mussoliniis bent on the conquest of Abyssinia which, unfortunately, liesin the way of British communications to the East. To protect themselves against these outburstsof strength Britain, France and Russia, the old combination, cling to the policy of collective security-they cleave to the League.

Secretly, this apparently clearcut position is complicated by the crooked ways of capitalism which has financed German and Italian re-armament.

The Real Villains.

The purport of these remarks of Mr. Pharazyn was to show that war is inherent in our system and that our real enemies are not the big bad Germans or Italians, but the governements which are pledged to protect capitalism. Mr. Baldwin is a perfectly honest man ("Soare they all honest men"), but he represents a policy that may plunge England in war.

Those who wish to end war must organise study economics, psychology and sociology-they must beerady. They must choose one side or the other.

There must inevitably be a smash but out of that smash will come something better.

In the discussion which followed, it was suggested that Hitler might be working largely on British capital, and that he probably made a fair commission out of floating British loans for Russia. Mr. Brook then put a stop to things with his famouslights out signal.