NATIONAL ANTHEM

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 August 1929, Page 5

NATIONAL ANTHEM

IS IT TOO WARLIKE? The alteration of the National Anthem, to bring it more in “accord with present-day sentiments of loyalty and peace,” was . suggested at the recent conference of the National Association of Head Teachers at Bath, states the “Daily Telegraph”. A resolution proposed stated: “A more modern version of the National Anthem would facilitate peace-teaching in the schools. It was suggested that the line, ‘Send him victorious,’ conveyed to the minds of school children the wiping out of enemies in war.”

The resolution and - also an amendment proposing the omission of the verse with the line, “Scatter his enemies,” was defeated. Miss E. Broom (Liverpool), moving the resolution, suggested the substitution of what was described as the 1919 official peace version of the National Anthem, from which was omitted all reference to victories and scattering of the, King’s enemies. She had made wide enquiries and had found that the main idea in the minds of school children as regarded the line, “Send him victorious,” was that the King should be victorious in war and his enemies wiped out. “In time of war this sentiment would be quite natural, but in time of peace is it wise that we should give this war suggestion to our children? On Armistice Day, for instance, it does not appear logical to talk to the children on the blessings of pence and sing the first verse of the National Anthem. Wo want the brotherhood of men throughout the world.” Mr. R. G. G. Murray (Salford),-in seconding, said there was no intention to divert those feelings which were inherent in the nation of loyalty to King, Constitution and country. “We desire to make our children proud of their heritage. We desire them to be imbued with a spirit of strong patriotism, but not that olir country shall be the mistress of the world. We want universal peace, and that the sword shall be beaten into the ploughshare.” Miss F. D. Taylor (London), “at the risk of being reactionary,” pleaded for tradition. She moved as an amendment the deletion of the second verse of the National Anthem and the retention of the others.

“I do not see,” she said, “that the word victorious in the first verse only refers to war. There are other victories besides those of arms. As to the terrible old second verse about ‘scattering enemies,’ we do not sing it and we do not teach it, but why should we not have the verse which speaks of our choicest gifts and refers to the monarch as the defender of our laws?” J (Cheers).