A QUIET HOUR WITH TINKERBELL.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 170, 20 July 1935, Page 3 (Supplement)

A QUIET HOUR WITH TINKERBELL.

You all learn in your history lessontof the treaties signed throughout the ages at the eiul of wars to establish peace in the world, but a new type of treaty has recently been signed by twenty-one nations in the New World, and this is a treaty to which we hope all nations in the world will hasten to add their signatures. It is an agreement to protect historical monuments and institutions associated with science and art in the time of war. This idea was suggested by Nicholas Roerich, an artist, living in New York, and its object is to preserve the accomplishment of modern civilisation in art. The terrible destruction of ancient buildings and works of art has lost for us some of the most invaluable treasures of the old civilisations. The Vandals, a Teutonic race of early Europe, left a path of deliberate ugliness acro«ss Italy when in the fifth century they ravaged the west and south of Europe, and attacked and practically destroyed the fine city of Rome. From their name and deeds has grown the term "vandalism," which means the ignorant and wilful destruction of works of art, or, indeed, of any work into which has been put 'time, trouble and care, I wonder if many of you little people who read this are yourselves vandals? Do any of you ever f-cribble in your exercise books, or draw on your desks or in vour school books?

It is iu your hands, boys and girls, to protect the fine buildings that are growing up to-day, and to keep up the steady progress of modern literature towards something high and bright, and this can only be done by learning now in your schooldays to treat your own and other people's books and possessions as priceless and irreplaceable treasures.