B.B.C. SPEAKER’S VIEW OF N.Z.

Press, Volume LXXXIV, Issue 25450, 23 March 1948, Page 5

B.B.C. SPEAKER’S VIEW OF N.Z.

NATIONAL VIRTUES AND FAULTS “COLLECTIVELY SMUG” . LONDON, March 21. “If Australia is a country of impulse, New Zealand, by contrast Is a county of thought,” said John Green in a 8.8. C Third Programme Broadcast. New Zestend wS he felt a classical land, intensely conscious of the world. She seemed rather puzzled 1 and worried by leaving anything to chance The New Zealander seemed precisely afraid lest personality la practice, should drift from Ito anchorage in character. Mr Green referred to New Zealand as "politically capricious,” and to her "chronic social precocity,” and re- : marked that the most significant fact was that New Zealand’s reformers had never been New Zealanders. He thought that, individually, the I New Zealander was a most delightful person, but that collectively the nation was smug. By spuming individual I distinction she was producing a population that was statistically average , Mr Green judged that the NewZeai landers complacency had not bred ■ slothfulness or indifference. He said i that the New Zealander remained courteous, wlUing, and in the sense that William of Wykeham believed ■ that “manners makyth men.” he had • the ,J} est . manners that exist on the ■ world’s frontiers.” ■ Considering the positive contribu- > tion.New Zealand has made to the ■ world in 100 years. Mr Green men- ■ tioned: (1) the example of living in ■ charity with a native people; (2) havI mg produced in three wars a citizen • army with attributes only expected of I a corps d elite; (S) an educational system which produced Lord Rutherford.