BRITISH INSULARITY

Evening Star, Issue 25068, 8 January 1944, Page 6

BRITISH INSULARITY

fi©W COMPLETELY DISAPPEARED CLUBS EVERYWHERE FOR EVERYONE Before the war the Englishman had a world-wide reputation for insularity. Whether it was real or imaginary no one will ever know, because it disappeared when Britain found herself first a refuge, and then a base lor attack, for men and women of nearly all the United Nations. Then these men and'women began to get to know each other better than they had ever thought possible. Whether British or American, French or Greek, they found they had more in common than they had «rver dreamed ' before. The process, however, has not been entirely involuntary. Both sides have put a lot of good will into the business «jf getting to know each other. Officially and unofficially many organisations have been set up with the aim of making it easier for men and women of all countries to get to know each other in Britain. Britain to-day bristles with clubs for men and women of all nationalities. The first to put their signs up were clubs for men of the dominions who began to arrive shortly after the outbreak of war. While each dominion Government arranged special facilities for its own nationals in London, the Royal Empire Society set up a War HospitahtyComtnittee to co-ordinate the activities of the many clubs for overseas forces which have since sprung up in London and the • rmief provincial towns. The Royal Empire Society then began to compile lists of people all over Britain who wanted to invite boys from the -dominions into their homes. Now the number of people who want to give hospitality—limited as this must be by Britain's stringent rationing—far exceeds the demand. And that applies to men from the United States and from Europe, as well as from the dominions and the colonies. Thousands of families have adopted men from overseas for the duration, and are happy to see them whenever they come on leavo. As our European allies came over to reform in Britain after the fall of ' France, more clubs and centres were set up for them. Now there are dozens of such clubs for every nationality. Many of them welcome British members in the hope of exchanging ideas and furthering mutual understanding. - LEND-LEASE CLUBS. Then the Americans arrived, and the British Government furnished then! under mutual aid or Lend-Lease in reverse with Red Cross clubs all over the .country,'.paying rent for the premises and equipping and maintaining them. Organisations such as the English Speaking Union arranged for private hospitrjity for thousands of men.' Among the latest and most interesting of the clubs for overseas forces is the Churchill Club, which aims at providing'a cultural rather than a purely eocial centre. The Publishers' Association of Great Britain has provided a lib••arv of 5,000 books, while the director of the National Gallery has arranged to lend the club a number of pictures hv British artists. Discussions and lectures are held regularly, ■ •'. ; All this does not mean that the United Kingdom has become one vast club. The nverseas forces are given many opportunities for serious study while in Britain, and for them several special courses have been arranged. _ During the last two years a series or hitrhlv successful leave courses'haVbeen held at Oxford for members of the Canadian forces in Britain, and later tor members of the Allied armies Lhe .•nurse* have dealt largely with British institutions, but have included many other subjects. Similar courses have been held at other universities, including London, and Birmingham University has arranged, a special course on British culture, language, and literature for Allied and refugee students. . The American troops have just launched another scheme for getting to know more about British institutions. At their Red Cross clubs they hold regular " round table forums," at which prominent British men and women are invited to sit on the platform and answer their questions. THEY SEE BRITAIN. A number' of unofficial organisations sponsor short tours to places of historical interest in Britain, but one o! the most comprehensive and interesting ' series is the one arranged by the British Government for dominions forces. Each week a party of either six officers or 10 men is taken on a tour-day trip round some of Britain's secret arms factories, with visits to pictureseque and historic spots fitted in on the same tour. Private hospitality is arranged for the men in each of the .towns they visit and already more than 50 parties or Lanadins, Australians, and New. Zealanders . .have been taken on these tours. Man} of the men who have been. on these tours have applied to spend, their leave working in factories they have visited. HAPPENING ALL OVER THE WORLD. While the men and women of all nations are. getting to know each other better in Britain, the same process is being repeated all over the world. ft A F. boys training in Canada, sailors and seamen docking at United States ports, sailors ' and soldiers passing through Cape Town-all tell of the friendliness • and; hospitality they have received. The benefits of a world wai are indeed few enough; but among, them must be rated high the opportunities for the ordinary people of many countries to rrct to know each other better.