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FUTURE MUST
NOT BE LOST
War Part System
of Nations
"If the victors in this war fall
In or shirk their duty, another
Hitler will arise out of . the ensu
ing chaos and the whole issue will
have to be fought out again,"
said Bishop Burgmann of Goul-
burn, In the sixth and conclud
ing lecture of the Moorhouse
series, at St. Paul's Cathedral,
last evening. His subject was The
Regeneration of Civilisation.
Fundamental changes could not
.be made in the nature of man,
the hunter, said the speaker, but
we might nope to change the di
rection of his hunting. War was
not an unmitigated evil. It had
been the occasion of supreme
heroism and self-sacrifice. It had
stimulated loyalty and great acts
of Invention and achievement. It
had raised the forgotten man to
significance, and given occupation
to the unwanted. But war also
aroused all sorts, of ugly and In
human passions in man's soul.
War was In the system of all na
tions. They made wars as inevit
ably as bookmakers made bets.
Democracy Difficult
It was obvious that the demo
cratic aim was far more difficult
of achievement than the Fascist
aim. The fact that democracy
had never yet been achieved did
not affect its value as a goal of
endeavor, for - in genuine demo
cracy there was no final form.
Fascism inevitably resulted in
conflict, internally and externally,
and in the long run democracy
promised less conflict. But it was
clear something had to be done
about the machine which had led
to an unholy scramble of peoples,
nations and empires, with war as
the inevitable result. This held
for the world. The machine had"
given It industrial unity, and can
not escape It.
Hitler had made the issue clear.
Either he would order the world
his way or the victors in this war
would have the. world on their
hands. If they failed In or
shirked their duty another Hit
ler would arise. It was not a
question of a plan or no plan; it
Was a question of a good plan or
a bad plan. If the United Nations
won the war, as they could if
they maintained faith and in
tegrity with each other, the fact
that they were a group gave the
democratic spirit and method a
golden opportunity. The great
danger would be for them to fall
back in their various isolations
again.
In the education for democracy
there would be new emphasis on
comradeship and social responsi
bility. In providing the democra
tic structure the nations, especi
ally. Britain, America. Soviet Rus
sia and China, should begin as
soon as possible to lay the foun
dations of an International law
that would apply to all.
Even more important than these
Were the deeply entrenched indus
trial and financial groups that had
held economic control in large
and vital areas of the world s
life. Democratic planning would
mean the subordination of their
interests to the interests of the
whole community.
Religion as Ally
In the rearguard action which
he was likely to fight, continued
Bishop Burgmann, the man of
big business would seek allies
to resist the democratic way of
life. He would probably find a
powerful ally In reactionary re
ligion. One of the themes on
which reactionary religion was
likely to dwell was the supposed
atheistic influence of Soviet Rus
sia. In some cases this would re
present honest fear. In others it
would be the result of national
prejudice and class hatred. What
ever the reason, the more pa
tiently and truthfully Information
about Russia could be spread
abroad tho better.
The Important thing was not
what had happened In Russia in
the past, but what was happen
ing now, and what was likely to
happen In the future.
"There is sure to be grave dis
illusionment after this war," the
speaker concluded. "A battered
and tortured world will look
around in bewilderment on the
bodies it has mangled In its In
sane convulsion. The high issues
which are at stake in the war will
seem to have turned to dust and
ashes. This is the situation for
which Christians should prepare.
All men of good will and alertness
of mind should be called in as
allies."
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