BRITISH DECADENCE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 242, 6 July 1908, Page 10

BRITISH DECADENCE.

HOW TO PREVENT IT. At the Unitarian. Free Church last ovening Dr. Tudor Jones spoke oh "The Decadence of the British People, and How to Prevent it." The address was''based on the Right Hon. A. J.' Balfour's lecttiro. before tho University of Cambridge oil decadence. The preacher analysed the supposed causes' of decay ill-nation's, and showed where they failed to cover tho facts.'- Taking Rome as the classical example, lie showed that the weakness of the military position, the breaking up of national sentiments, the diminution of population, tho distribution of bread to tho urban mob, slavery, could not, either separately or collectively, account for the fact of the downfall of Rome The Empire lost its hold and power eve/i when many things wore getting better and not worse. Its downfall came when it forced men to tho. service of the State, and neglccted and ignored tho individual growth of each mind in the lino of - its own nature.

Two factors only would prevent' tho decay. These woro the union of the raw material of Society and the process of manufacture. . The first constituted tho physiological inheritance of a nation; the second.' constituted the external conditions. It was the allianco of modern science and industry. This would cement tho nation and brjng out over new qualities. The preacher showed tho need of. men of thought as rulers of a land. -They must, become its governors. Men of thought. must, be connected with men of action. There was a. need of '.1 roducing these men by tv ' .yr the e!>. Imminent as open and as fair as possible. Thci-o was the final need of creating an enthusiasm for tho tilings 'of the liiind which Wo already possessed for the football field. To turn . this energv into mental and moral causes would bring about enormous progress in the individual and the nation-