CERCLE LITTERAIRE PRANCAIS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 40, 10 November 1917, Page 4

CERCLE LITTERAIRE PRANCAIS

AMUS&MBN'ffi IN WARTIME. . There was an interesting debate on the question "Should amusements be prohibited during the war?" at the meeting of the Corclo Litteraire Francais on Thursday night.. A very fair number of members and friends were present. Miss Van Staveren occupied the chair. Proceedings opened with a piano solo played by Miss Mollio Fieher. Mr. Cooke introduced the subject of the debate, taking tho affirmative side. He urged that in. viow of the many bereavemonts, the sad iSpectnclo of so ninny of our returned men being broken in health or crippled, and the dreadful sufferings of people in Belgium, .Serbia, and other countries, that it was not a becoming thing to indulge in amusements. Hβ pointed to the numbers of persons attending races, picture and'other theatres, and urged that this showed a lack of sympathy with tho Buffering. , Mrs. Johnson, who followed, took the negativo side of tho question. She urged that some amount of amusement was good, if it was only'that it enabled us to forget for a time some of the end realities. Referring to'tho picture theatre, of which ono gentleman had interjected there were fourteen now in Wellington, she eaid they often combined instruction, with amusement, and that instruction would be withheld it amusements were prohibited. Mr, Whitton supported Mr. Cooke, and pointed to the high' price of living, and also the fact that so many men being incapacitated through tile war, others would hnve to support them. Henco, ho urged the need for economy, and enid our energies should bo devoted to what was necessary. Mt. Hodson took tho negative side, and epoke of the benefit often derived from witnessing n good play. The debate was continued by Madame M'lntosh, Miss Hind, Mr. Hemingway, Mr. Redman, and Mius Mead. Miss Van Staveron, in sumlnug up, pronounced in favour of the negative. When tho question was put to tho vote, it was found that, in spite oi the eloquence put forth on the nffirmnHve side, there were hardly any to vote for it, so the negative was carried_ almost unanimously. "La Marseillaise was sung at the close.