Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNEKTON ADVOCATE. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29th, 1921. GOD AND KING.

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 June 1921, Page 4

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNEKTON ADVOCATE. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29th, 1921. GOD AND KING.

The Minister of Education s determination to insist on loyalty to King ami Empire being upheld in State schools, is meeting with general support, some of the comments stating that Mr Parr is not going far enough, rather than being over-zealous. It is logical,, as well as sensible, that all those employed by the State should confess allegiance to the State, and, moreover, it must be the allegiance desired by the State, and not as it might ‘ be interpreted by some of those who are not in the country’s service for the country’s good. Disloyal propaganda is usually of an artful character, and firm measures are the best means of dealing with it. It is to be expected that when Mr Parr places before Cabinet his request that all persons desirbus of receiving a teacher’s certificate, must as an initial condition, take an oath of allegiance, he will be generally supported. His atti--1 ude should induce the Ministers in charge of other Departments to take similar precautions. No private person would 'knowingly employ in his own business any who were likely to act to its detriment, and what is wise for the private individual, is wise in the undertakings of the community as a whole. There is no suggestion that teachers as a class are inclined to be disloyal; quite the contrary is the proved case, but a few of the younger men, mentally conceited by the little learning that was ever dangerous, might be tempted to permit their ephemeral private opinions to sway the trend of their public duty. In commenting on the Minister of Education’s pronouncement, Bishop Brodie made an important point when he urged that the taking of an oath was not regarded so seriously nowadays, as it once was, and that the oath of allegiance necessarily implied a 1 belief in God. Divinity and kingship have eyer been connected, and the National Anthem em- . phasises this. A Christchurch City ■

Councillor the other day defended ' his conduct in not honouring the 1 National Anthem by declaring a that he did not believe in God, ‘ and many can be found in Red Fed. ranks holding similar negative opinions. Developing loyalty i to the Throne must have the ef- 8 feet of developing, the higher loy- ' ally, and in fighting Bolshevism, ; Atheism and similar negations are also being attacked. The recognition of this at once places 1 loyalty to King and Empire on a i higher plane than if it merely had ■ reference to things temporal, and ; the more one studies the benefits ’ deiivable from inculcating loyalty among the young, the greater appear the prospects of the future advancement of the ; race. Some find it easy to be- 1 lieve in nothing and nobody, ex- ■ cept the sceptics’ own superiority, but most people in this coun- i try seek a mental anchorage more lasting. “Fear God, honour the King” is a principle that has - stood the test of British history, ’ and no foreign-inspired disloyal ■ doctrine should be permitted to j replace it among* national ideals, i - (