Towards Men’!

Peace on Earth, Goodwill Towards Men’!

[S I apply myself to the writing \of this, our first article for the Christmas issue, the newsboys i Pitt Street are selling newsapers which sensationally report 0 President Eisenhower’s frank arning that, if this A-bomb race Des not stop, much of the life on lis globe soon may be destroyed; )) the snarling hatred of Asians id Africans for all Europeans, and ipecially Anglo-Saxons: (c) the •rival in the mid-Pacific of ritain’s beautiful young t Queen, on sr way to visit her Antipodean rritories—the one bright gleam in world of extreme ugliness; (and) atistics which show the overhelming and increasing in fference of the white races toards the Christian Church; (e) le growing penetration of France id Italy by Communists, and a

irrible upsurge of homosexuality

England; and (f) in Australia, idence that, while Socialist policians are permitting wholesale •rruption and nepotism, non- )cialist classes are abandoning lemselves to an orgy of gambling istralia anri istralia, and all classes are spend- Merles SUmS ° n '' State ”

One tries to take a sane and fe al Sctures W n?Lented 1 riav*

w af”- result Sf

)W, as tn. result of intense news-

gathering and instantaneous com munication are, to say the least, extremely ugly and very alarming.

Many sober people believe that Western Civilisation is “on the skids.” There is no doubt about what would follow the collapse of our Western world. Our countries would be torn apart by the Com munist nations, and our peoples overwhelmed by the rampant masses of Asia and Africa. The world’s shrewdest observers expect that 1954-55 will be the year of international crisis. r-DAY, the appeal is to Russia; but the issue really lies with the United States. If the gang of political adverturers in control in Moscow will align the Soviet bloc with United States and Britain, it may be possible to outlaw the atom bomb, and restore some sanity and calm to the human race. But United States, while sincerely try ing for agreement, is without hope.

It is known that Russia now is claiming equality with us in the A-bomb and H-bomb, and it was authoritatively stated in London on December 1 that Russia now has the secret of the C-bomb (based on cobalt, and capable of the complete destruction of life over wide areas of the earth), and plans to get superiority over us with this by 1955.

The appeal is being made. If. presently, it appears that it has failed, it is very likely that United States will go to war forthwith, as the only way of putting an end to current terrors and saving Western civilisation from collapse. There is evidence that Eisenhower, and the men immediately behind him, wish to force the issue, now, even if it means World War III; and that Churchill, knowing in his great wisdom that, even if World War 111 breaks the Soviet power, it will mean the utter destruction of the United Kingdom, is trying to restrain the Americans, so as to make a supreme effort to secure some agreement with the Musco vites.

The Americans are confident that, if the thing is put to the hazard now, they can defeat Russia, and put an end to the wave of Communism that is surging across a frightened and resentful world.

The British want to delay action, while the Anglo-Americans re-build and re-arm Germany and Japan, to stand beside them and hold off the Slavonic bloc. But that is the British strategy of grandfather’s day. In America’s view, to-day’s strategy is dominated wholly by the atomic bomb.

In a world of horrors, the most disconcerting thing is the behaviour of the masses in the Western nations. Refusing to consider either the terrifying threats from without, or the corruption and in efficiency within, they are abandon ing themselves to various un inhibited pleasures that are re

garded as the negation of good citizenship.

Maybe, it is a reaction from long years of strain imposed by inter national uncertainties. Maybe, it will pass. Many bands of good citizens, like the promoters of Moral Rearmament, are making a fight against the trend. Maybe, if the crisis comes soon, all the qualities of gallantry and courage, which carried our race through two great wars, will be displayed again, again to save us.

Yes, in the belief of our now weakening Christian Church, this is a time of peace on earth, and goodwill towards men. But, to-day, there is scarcely one “civilised” country on earth where there really is peace; and as for goodwill

towards men

Rwr.