V J Day. Statements
The Archbishop of Westminster has issued the following statement:
"The war in the Far East is over and may peace soon return to this distracted world. To God, in whose hands are the destinies of nations, we return our deepest thanks.
"The end has come not a day too soon. The Christian eonScience has been shocked by the revelation of recent scientific dis
coveries which would make wareven more terrible. Daily we receive fresh information of the devastation, destruction and famine which war has left in its wake throughout Europe. None of us would wish for such destruction to take place in other parts of the World. •
DEBT TO CHINA " To no nation will the end of hostilities in the Far East bring greater rejoicing than to the gallant Chinese nation, the world's most ancient nation whose history goes back five thousand years. China's population of 450 millions will join with us in thanks to God to-day. They have endured active warfare for eight years and for the past Cfly years have been under constant threat of aggression from a cruel enemy. Thousands of Chinese children have been orphaned and large tracts of her territory occupied. May she soon be free to pursue her peace-time activities and develop her ancient culture. We join with our great Allies in thanking God to-day for victory and for having saved our nations froni further heavy loss of life.
PRISONERS OF WAR " To-day, hope and joy will return to those who have been prisoners of Trar in enemy hands; to the wivos, relatives and friends of those serving in the Far East, who will be relieved of their doily anxiety for the welfare of their loved ones.
PLEDGE FOR PEACE ' " The whole world is seeking for peace. If the rulers and peoples; ot tele world make a solemn pledge to-day to exert themselves as much, or more, in the cause of peace and reconstruction as they have done in the put-side of war, and in the creation of weapons of destruction, we may look forward with hope. The powerful and wealthy nations must come to the help of the weak and poor. God's laws and moral principles must he ohserved. Above all, there must be a change of heart among individuals and nations, a return to the Prince of Peace, and to that charity or love of one another which Christ clone to spread through the earth. Can it be done? In God's name, and by His power, it can. Let us then go forward armed wish the breastplate of juatice, the shield of faith, and the sword of the spirit, in the great cause of peace."
The Archbishop of Liverpool said: "The United Nations must see to it that aggression among nations shall be made as impossible as highway robbery has been made for civilised countries. 1 do not drink that the atomic bomb will put an end to war because they insisted there would be an end to war with the invention of dynamite, lydditee cordite and poison gas, but none of these things put an end In it. I believe that mind will always triumph over matter in the end and that the only way to put art end to war is to educate the human mind to work for peace."