PERSONALITIES AND POWERS.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20587, 1 July 1932, Page 17

PERSONALITIES AND POWERS.

GREAT FIGURES IN THE WORLD. MISS DORA WEST'S ADDRESS. "Personalities and Powers" was the title ,of a lecture given in the City Council Chambers last night by Miss Dora West, 0.8. E., at present visiting Christchurch in tho course of a world tour. The. collection taken up was in aid of tlie Mayor's Relief of Distress Fund. The Mayor, Mr D. G. Sullivan, M.P., occupied the chair. Miss "West was at one time a member of the secretariat of Mr Lloyd George, and was original secretary for the League of Nations Union, London. Miss West said one lesson she had learned in Downing Street was that it was no good waiting fo* supermen, the supply did not equal the demand. If the world wero to be set on its feet again it must be done by the < ordinary people. She Avould, she said, rank Britain's Cabin ot Ministers high among men, and observing them at close range, as she had been privileged to. do, she realised that they qualified for their high position and importance in world affairs by hard work backed by solid thinking, and it was that, and that alone, which could save the world today. Sketching vividly leading personalities of British politics in the difficult years of reconstruction after the War, Miss West took her audience behind tho scenes in Downing Street, while she recalled episodes that occurred during that period. The speaker graphically described the tense atmosphere in Downing Street during tho momentous days of.the making of the Irish Treaty. Speaking in terms of warm admiration of Mr Lloyd George as she knew him, Miss West described his dynamic personality,* his personal charm, his genial character, his fiery wrath, his twinkling smile, and his courage for his convictions in face of odds. Stories were told of Lord Birkenhead, Mr J. 11. Thomafe, Sir Robert Horne, Lord Snowden, and.othbr leading British statesmen, all of whom, remarked the lecturer, deserved a place in any 'contemporary gallery of outstanding personalities. "What is Greatness." In the latter part of her address Miss West estimated the greatest world forces through the ages, from 100 B.C. to modern times. She raferred to an interesting discussion in the columns of a London newspaper regarding the six greatest men ef all time. Such a problem at once raised tlio intriguing query, "What is greatness?" and the consensus of opinion had been that such a title could be accorded to men who had conferred lasting benefit upon humanity. As tho list had been ultimately Worked out in that London journal by popular opinion it had been an inspiration to find that London placed Jesus of Nazareth at the head of the list. The second choice also was a man of religion—Buddha. Completing 3ucli a list from her own estimate, Miss West said she felt compelled to give third place to Julius Otßsar since she considered ho had laid the foundation stone of British life and character, the keystone of the world-to-day. The fourth place she gave to Oliver Cromwell, who established social equity and justice for all, and had built the fabi'ie of England's democratic government. Her next choice was Abraham Lincoln, wtio was the foe of selfishness and who released the slaves. In thinking over her final choice, said Miss West, she had made the discovery that tho greatest power in the world were the people in it. She considered people of British stock were too prone

to. mental slackness, and were allowing the war and its weary influence to be their excuse too long. She felt that British people were too inclined to live on slogans and hackneyed phrases as an easy substitute for thought, and too inclined to blame God and Government. Forces in the World. Brighter brain was needed for the solution of present-day problems, and it was the bounden duty of all to help the world to get on to saner lines of thought to-day. Mind training applied to higher purposes was the cure for economic ills. People were prone to say, 'fWhat can I do about it!" and to adopt a pessimistic attitude towards life's problems. Prayer was the great scientific force by which man might raise himself to a higher plane, where he could find the power he required for successful social life. The third great power in the world to-day,, said Miss West, was the power of the Press, with which she would include literature generally. The power for good or ill of the printed word could not be over-estimated, since nothing educated people more than sound reading. . The speaker paid a passing compliment to the. journalism of New Zealand, and remarked, that this Dominion was the first country sho had known that had not made her feel homesick for her accustomed home papers. The last world force she. would mention, said the speaker, was pictures, and she regretted to note that New Zealand allowed America to unload on her too much second-rate film, for which there should not be a market. Good British talkies, and interesting films were available, and some picture houses sliowed them, and it only needed a more discriminating taste on the part of the public to drive the undesirable films off the field. Miss W«st concluded lier address with an appeal on behalf of the Mayor'* Belief of Distress Fund: