A BACKGROUND TO THE NEWS

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 114, 7 February 1935, Page 7

A BACKGROUND TO THE NEWS

Rotary Movement Mr. Paul P. Harris', the founder of the Rotary International, is to visit Wellington within the next few weeks. Mr. Harris, who is a Chicago lawyer, started the first dub in 1905. The name “Rotary” is derived from the early practice of holding meetings in rotation at the houses of the various members. The New York Rotary . Club was founded in 1909, and in 1932 there were 2500 such clubs in the United States Outside America the first Rotary Club to be formed was in Dublin in 191.2, and in 1914 the British Association of Rotary Clubs was formed. In 1922 this association became known as the Rotary International Association for Great Britain and Ireland, the title Rotary International being adopted for the organisation by all clubs in that year. There are about 4000 clubs in 73 different countries throughout the world, the membership being about 200,000. The Rotary motto is “Service above Self.” The organisation aims at establishing the principle of service, international peace and good fellowship as the foundation of all business transactions. The clubs .are composed of representatives—business and professional men—selected on a classification basis. ' " Boxing.

At Wembley, the German, Neusel, defeated Peterson, the Englishman, after a fierce contest. The fist being the simplest and most natural weapon, it may be taken for granted that boxing was one of the earliest athletic games among the Greeks. Hence even gods and several of the earliest heroes are .

described as participators in the sport. In the earliest times boxers fought naked, with the exception of a covering about their loins; but this was nor used when boxing was introduced at the Olympic Games, as the contestants in all sports there were accustomed to be absolutely naked. The boxers used thongs or bands of leather which were tied round their hands to as high as the elbow in order to render their blows more powerful. These were called the . caestus, and were frequently loaded with lead and iron. Some, the most formidable, were covered with metal studs or nails, and were called the “limb-breakers.” A peculiarity of their method of fighting, which required great skill, was not to attack the antagonist, but to remain on the defensive, and thus to wear out the opponent until he was obliged to acknowledge himself to be conquered. It was considered a sign of great skill in a boxer to conquer without receiving any wounds, so that the two. great points of the game were to inflict blows, and at the same time not to expose oneself to any danger. A boxer used his right arm chiefly for fighting and the left as a protection for his head, for all regular blows were directed against the upper parts of the body, and the wounds inflicted upon the head were J often very severe and fatal. Jf both contestants were tired without wishing to give up the contest, they might pause a while to recover their strength. If the fight lasted too long both parties agreed not to move, but to stand still, and receive the blows without using any means of defence, except a certain position of the hands. The contest did not end until one of the combatants was compelled by fatigue, wounds or despair to declare himself conquered, which was generally -done by lifting up one hand. Amen.

The Archbishop of York deplores the habit of singing “Amen” after hymns, and describes the practice “as always rather a bore.” Amen is a Hebrew word meaning truly, so let it be. In public worship the word is used in confirmation of a statement, as at the end of the Creed; or added in a petitionary sense to a prayer, as customary from apostolic times. In the English prayer book, when the word is printed in Roman characters, it is pronounced by minister and people in unison; when in italic by the people only. In the authorised version of the Bible at the beginning of a sentence it is used for emphasis, as in Jeremiah, ch. 28, v. 6: “Even the prophet Jeremiah said, Amen: the Lord to, do so:. the Lordperform thy words which thou hast prophesied. . . .” In Mark ch. 10, v. 15, it also appears at the beginning and is translated “verily.” The Hebrew of Isaiah ch. 55, v. 16, has “the God of Amen,” which is translated in the authorised version “the God of truth.” In Revelations ch. 3, v. 14, Christ is called “the Amen, the faithful and true witness.” The Most Rev. William Temple, D.D., the present Archbishop of York, is 54 years old, and a son of the late Archbishop Temple, Archbishop of Canterbury. He was appointed Archbishop, of York on August 1, 1928. In 1914 he was rector of St. James, Piccadilly, l London, but resigned to devote himself to the Life and Liberty Movement.' He was honorary chaplain to the King and chairman of the Workers’ Educational Association. He was appointed Bishop of Manchester in December, 1920. Riots in France.

Coinciding with the anniversary of last year’s riots, political tension is increasing in France. Riots have broken out in several towns, including Paris. Not since the Stavisky frauds have the public of France been happy \vlth- the Government and officials. Such frauds as Stavisky practised, when thousands of people were ruined, would have no political repercussions in, say, Britain. In France public finance and politics are much more closely connected. In France it is comparatively easy for politicians to interfere in the course of justice. The release of suspects on bail for years at a time is not uncommon in France. Admission to the civil service and promotion depend not so much upon ability as upon political connections. Thousands of posts are looked upon as the property of the party in power, and they are doled out as rewards for political services. Another cause of the discontent is the instability of Governments. The frequent changes are in danger of making party government a joke. The fault lies in the innumerable shades of opinion and parties, not one of which is powerful enough to stand on its own. Finally there is the subjugation of newspapers to parties and persons. In Paris, with some papers, the system has gone so far that space has been bought for blackguarding a man with a view to blackmailing him, for giving favourable reports on company schemes and “booming” shares; it has even been proved indirectly that foreign Governments have paid for influencing the French in their favour. While all tins is going on the people feel that they are being neglected. The stagnation of trade making for unemployment has not improved their tempers.