Arthur Henderson quotes

Arthur Henderson was a British politician and leader of the Labour Party who played a crucial role in the development of the modern Labour movement. An advocate for social reform, he was instrumental in shaping labor policy and the party's direction. He also received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in international diplomacy and disarmament. Here are 32 of his quotes:

To solve the problem of organizing world peace we must establish world law and order.

Arthur Henderson

The drive toward economic nationalism is only part of the general revival of nationalism.

Arthur Henderson

One of the first essentials is a policy of unreserved political cooperation with all the nations of the world.

Arthur Henderson

In almost every country there are elements of opinion which would welcome such a conclusion because they wish to return to the politics of the balance of power, unrestricted and unregulated armaments, international anarchy, and preparation for war.

Arthur Henderson

This is our world, and we must make the best of it.

Arthur Henderson

The forces that are driving mankind toward unity and peace are deep-seated and powerful. They are material and natural, as well as moral and intellectual.

Arthur Henderson

Whatever we do or fail to do will influence the course of history.

Arthur Henderson

In some states militant nationalism has gone to the lengths of dictatorship, the cult of the absolute or totalitarian state and the glorification of war.

Arthur Henderson

The years of the economic depression have been years of political reaction, and that is why the economic crisis has generated a world peace crisis.

Arthur Henderson

Thus, the struggle for peace includes the struggle for freedom and justice for the masses of all countries.

Arthur Henderson

As a first step there must be an offer to achieve equality of rights in disarmament by abolishing the weapons forbidden to the Central Powers by the Peace Treaties.

Arthur Henderson

The Disarmament Conference has become the focal point of a great struggle between anarchy and world order... between those who think in terms of inevitable armed conflict and those who seek to build a universal and durable peace.

Arthur Henderson

The vast upheaval of the World War set in motion forces that will either destroy civilization or raise mankind to undreamed of heights of human welfare and prosperity.

Arthur Henderson

The question is, what are we to do in order to consolidate peace on a universal and durable foundation, and what are the essential elements of such a peace?

Arthur Henderson

The more the history of the World War and what led up to it is studied, the more clearly those tragic years become revealed as a vast collapse of civilization.

Arthur Henderson

The nations must be organized internationally and induced to enter into partnership, subordinating in some measure national sovereignty to worldwide institutions and obligations.

Arthur Henderson

We had four years of world war which the peoples endured only because they were told that their sufferings would free humanity forever from the scourge of war.

Arthur Henderson

Four years of world war, at a cost in human suffering which our minds are mercifully too limited to imagine, led to the very clear realization that international anarchy must be abandoned if civilization was to survive.

Arthur Henderson

Therefore, let us not despair, but instead, survey the position, consider carefully the action we must take, and then address ourselves to our common task in a mood of sober resolution and quiet confidence, without haste and without pause.

Arthur Henderson

It has become impossible to give up the enterprise of disarmament without abandoning the whole great adventure of building up a collective peace system.

Arthur Henderson

Moreover, war has become a thing potentially so terrible and destructive that it should have been the common aim of statesmen to put an end to it forever.

Arthur Henderson

The first condition of success for the League of Nations is, therefore, a firm understanding between the British Empire and the United States of America and France and Italy that there will be no competitive building up of fleets or armies between them.

Arthur Henderson