THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 227, 21 June 1941, Page 8

THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY

Com merits—Reflections Intercession. O heavenly Father, Who hast ordered the world for the education of mankind, and hast given Thy Son to be our pattern and our guide; grant Thy grace, we pray Thee, to all preachers, teachers, and writers; and in especial to all leaders of the people; that being Inspired by Thy heavenly wisdom, and eschewing all bitterness, boasting, and hatred, they may direct the minds and hearts of men beyond the present storms and tumults to their true and abiding refuge and strength In Thee; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Cultivate the great art of leaving people alone, even those who think you have a right to direct in the minutest particular.—Lord Lytton.

“Courage is often regarded as a quality which enables men to face sudden and violent emergency successfully. When that quality has to be maintained over a long period it hardens into fortitude. A man might have courage tn the briefer sense without being able to compass fortitude, but it is difficult to Imagine anyone having fortitude who had not also the initial courage. Fortitude is indeed long-term courage, and it is that variety of courage that is our greatest need now. In humble thankfulness we British believe that/ as a nation, we possess it, and that the courage that flamed high against military reverse and savage air assault can be spun out into tough and tireless endurance of any form of attack for any length of time required.”— “The Times,” London.

“True Christianity is not committed to any form of political system, and it can influence the life of the people whatever the political system. It is equally true that, so far as the spirit of Christianity takes possession of the minds of the citizens, it will find its fullest expression in what must be. in the broad sense, called the democratic system, whether Parliamentary democracy or some other form. Our liberties are mainly the result of the struggle for religious liberty, and it Is >ut of the religious demand for liberty that the demand for political liberty lias grown. It is by keeping democracy rue to that root that we shall not only preserve it, but make it capable of serving democracy.”—Dr. Temple. Archbishop of York.

“I expect that for many years to come we shall need an extremely powerful, Air Force and that it shall be at the disposal of those nations which stand for civilization, law and order. We must recognize that at the end of the war there is going to be quite a new position for flying in the world. There will be a vast increase in civilian flying and a great man? who learn their craft in wartime will use their skill for civilian flying, With this in front of us there is need to be sure that it is directed by the right spirit—the spirit of public service. There must be a determination when the war is won that the great invention. the great new power that science has given to men, shall be used to uphold law and order and in the setting forward of human good.”—The Archbishop of York, opening new Air Squadron headquarters.

“No sane man could deny the possibility of a stalemate but no honest and right-minded man could court it now by accepting deadlock as likely. Like defeat, it is possible; that is all. To say or think more is to betray the enslaved peoples of Europe, to open our owp country and Empire to the suicide of lialf-heartedness and to imperil the liberties of the free world. Till we can sincerely say ‘we can do no more,’ there is no place for either deadlock or defeat in our vocabulary. The impossible is victory for us, as it is for Hitler. The way out of all our dangers, now and in the future, is this same one —the fullest effort and the completest sacrifice. If there is the smallest sign of slackening in our war effort, the slightest evidence that the people of tliis country are not being called upon to make every eoneivahle contribution to victory—and there are sadly many-then these are hostages to disaster Toil and endurance have taken us a long step along tin road Only the mobilization of the entire nation, and all its wealth and genius, for the war and for nothing else, can take us the rest of the way.—“ The Economist.”

The charge that former French military political leaders who are now held at Bourassol Chateau, near Riom. were being inhumanly treated has been made by their attending physician, who says he was forced to "intervene energetically” to protect the fallen statesmen. The prisoners spend most of their time reading and writing. They are not permitted to have radios. Their doors are locked each night, and a guard sleeps in front of each door. The former statesmen almost never see one another They are allowed -an hour’s exercise in tin court of the chateau each day. but must take it separately. They- are not restricted as to the number of visits they may receive from their families or as to mail, which is heavy. M Daladier’s eldest sou. Jean, recently lunched witli him. and bis youngest son and daughter visit the former Premier frequently. Madame Robert Blum, the former Socialist Premier’s daughter-in-law. lives at an hotel in Riom and bicycles to the chateau each day to see her fallier-in-law Her hus band is a prisoner in Germany Genera] Gamelin’s wife, who lives in Lyons, visits him once a week. Always she walks along back paths from the station to I lie prison, Two other former French leaders, ex-ITemier Paul Keynaud and Georges Mandel, former interior Minister, are held at Vals-les-Bains. They frequently are brougli to Riom for interrogation by the court investigating France’s “war guilt.”— Vichy correspondent of the American Associated Press. , * » » Patience. Add to your faith virtue; And to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge, temperance; And to temperance, patience. —-2 Peter L 5. 6.