DOMINION'S HISTORY

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 19, 22 July 1933, Page 18

DOMINION'S HISTORY

AS PART OF THE EMPIRE

The seventh volume of "The Cambridge History of tho British Empire, published by the Cambridge University Press, deals with Australia and New Zealand, the volume being published in two separate parts. The general editors (Professor J. Holland Eose, Professor A. P. Newton, and Mr. E. A. Beniaus) have for the purposes of compiling the New Zealand volume enlisted the advisory services of Dr. J. Hight, |of Christchureh. He, Professor J. Ji. Elder, Mr. Johannes Andersen, Professor Condliffe, and other authorities in New Zealand all contribute sections to the work, which in a little less than 300 pages presents in a concise, interesting, and authoritative form tho comparatively brief history of New Zealand since the days of Captain Cook. This history will be one of great and permanent value to student and conscientious citizen alike, for it deals with all phases of life in New Zealand, political, religious, social, etc., and always with upeeal reference to New Zealand as part of the British Empire. This is no "dry bones" history of the country, but an introspective analysis of the birth and growth of the colony of New Zealand, which "is, and is likely to remain, more British even than Britain."

One quotation from the chapter on social life and culture must suffice. "The social ideals of the people are those of England, though perhaps slightly more materialistic, and certainly less hospitable to the fine arts and less tolerant of tho claims of intellect. The New Zealanders are essentially serious—possibly they aro too serious as regards sport; they art, reserved in manner; quiet in demeanour; personally ambitious; unqucstioningly patriotic and loyal to the British connection. This loyalty, howevVr, :'does not prevent them from being almost aggressively self-reliant on the one hand, Jior, on the other, from offering little resistance to the domination of American sentiment and language through tho motion pictures." It 'was Andre Siegfried who said m his "Democracy in New Zealand" that most of the colonials, not having spent all their life in their little town or on their farm, know that the world does not end where their horizon stops, and arc anxious to know what is going on ontsido of their limited circle. Their wants in this respect are supplied by the newspapers, and to the newspapers of New Zealand the volume under review pays high tribute. "Tho New Zealand reader is supplied with a very comprehensive and generous budget of world news. There is no suspicion of sensationalism in the daily Press. Pub'lie opinion is well catered for. The Press usually voices in a reasonable mood what the man in the street thinks, or leads the man in the street to think what it voices. Having grown beyond tho needs of the small town, the newspapers generally have a correspondingly increased authority with the public, and they rarely endanger it by supporting the crank or the 'soleeist.'' The subsequent statement that "there is, indeed, no literary profession in New Zealand" is qualified by the explanation that there is uo distinctive New Zealand stylo of treatment in literature, just tribute being paid to certain New Zealand writers. The companion volume dealing with Australia runs to twice as many pages, but that need notv cause any jealousy on the part of New Zealanders, for Australia's history has been longer than that of New Zealand and more diverse. It exhibits the same thorough workmanship which characterises all volumes m this series.