World Peace and Economic Freedom

Anna George de Mille

[An address delivered at the Henry George Congress.
Reprinted from Land and Freedom, Januuary-February 1937]

There can be no world peace until there is economic freedom.

In order to destroy the seeds of war there must be not only freedom of trade in exchange but freedom of trade in production.

Nations do not naturally hate one another. They are usually made to hate one another because some trade barrier has been raised between them.

In the early Colonial days in this country, New York and New Jersey and Pennsylvania were at daggers drawn. So was it between all the colonies. They had tariff levies along all their borders.

It was not until England began taxing them without representation that they joined forces, did away with their little inter-colonial tariffs and discovered they were brothers one people to stand united.

If Europe today would only take to her heart this chapter out of our history the future might look less black! For it is estimated by those "in the know" that at best, war in Europe is but two years away. Horrible thought! And those of us who know how to check the tremendous catastrophe must work harder than ever before. The writing is on the wall! We must interpret it to a confused and bewildered world.

We must not only show that there needs to be reciprocal trade or rather free trade between nations, but if we are to become civilized there must be freedom for labor and capital. There must be more jobs a congenial job for every worker. Peoples cannot be driven to fight one another if they are happy and contented within their own borders.

I am a member of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom but I know of how little avail it is to shout against the building of bigger and better battleships and against the production of munitions when the manufacture of these fighting implements give employment to thousands who would otherwise be out of work.

How can these poor laborers refuse to produce the tools that will probably mean their own destruction, when the wages they receive are needed to keep their children alive?

No, there is little use in trying to reform at the top. We must go to the foundation and discover the cause of war to be a rotten economic system.

If "right action will follow right thought" we must think correctly and to do that we must study the science of political economy, for it is imperative that we make an adjustment of the social order which will mean "equal opportunity for all, special privilege for none."

That Is why the splendid growth and development of the Henry George School of Social Science started a little over three years ago, has given so many of us heart of grace. This School (charging nothing for its tuition), has extension classes that are spreading around the globe. Not only are there 102 cities with classes in the United States and Canada but there are classes in Ireland, Mexico, Denmark, Holland, New Zealand, Australia, Halifax (word has just come of this) and Great Britain.

Had there been a Henry George School of Social Science installed in England a few years back, there would be less threat of Fascism or Communism there now.

The world must be taught to think right and right action will follow as the day follows the night. The philosophy of Henry George is spreading like wild fire. Thank God for this for it is the answer to war!