NO MORE GREEK

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 37, 12 August 1930, Page 7

NO MORE GREEK

SBION" IS KEGRETFUL

Ho was the last person to dare t«> quote Greek in the House of Commons^ said Sir John Simon recently. "We have reached a position," lie said, "in which one-half of the House: of Commons thinks it is an essential Dart, of its pose to pretend not to understand such quotations, even though it does, and the other half of the House to pretend to understand, evea1 when it does not. 3' Ho h&a come to the conclusion that jt was high time to stop quoting Greek there. Sir John was speaking at the celebration of the Beuufoy and Mortimer prize day at the City of London, School, which he referred to as "a great classical school," and one to be held "in honour and reverence" as the school of Lord Oxford anu Asqnitli (reports the "Daily Telegraph",). Sir John confessed himself a. complete and unrepentant believer in clas« sical education for all tho purposes of public life, for playing one's part itt the world, in the great professions, and in every noble and self-respecting department of activity. One should, however, take « close in. terest in the immonso achievements o| modern science, and keep onoself w> quaiuted with at least some corner o? the scientific field.

As to English, he belioved out speech was the best modern equivalent for the whole temperament and. outlook expressed in the legacy of Greece. The respect for authority,' tho power of organisation, the carefully modulated !*♦ stitutions for carrying on tho 'Empire woro traditions of tho Romans1 tv-hleli might very fifly lie inherited hy.tbt British"'people.