LOCAL AND GENERAL

Greymouth Evening Star, 19 September 1939, Page 2

LOCAL AND GENERAL

In contradistinction to the attitude of the public during the Great War, no .objection seems to be made by the public to the purchase of German-made goods in the various stores; nor io retailers raise any objection to purchases of such goods from wholesale suppliers. “The public is much more internationally minded than it used to be,” said an Auckland retailer in referring to the position. “It has lost most of the old illpgical prejudices. After all, German goods in this country were acquired prior to the war, and paid for in return by purchases of New Zealand butter.”

“Allons enfants de la patrie”—the stirring French national anthem—is now being played with “God Save the King.” in several Auckland picture theatres,'but many people fail to recognise' the tune, and are slow in standing while it is being played, says the “Star.” However, this omission will be rectified, no doubt, before the war comes to a close. The “Marseillaise” was composed in 1792 by Rouget de I’lsle, an -officer then stationed .-it Strasbourg. In Paris it was sung for the first time by a band of men who came from Marseilles to aid in the revolution of August 10, 1792, hence the name.

German radio propaganda at the present time is directing the main force oi its invective against England. Most of this is of a. typically clumsy kind, such as the attempt to ascribe the torpecloeing of the Athenia to a British ' submarine, but occasional flashes of humour, a quality not usually associated with the Teutonic mind, relieve the usual tedium of studied misrepresentation. On several occasions lately the “voice of Berlin,” speaking in sardonic vein, has announced that “England will fight to the last Frenchman,” and again that “England expects every Frenchman to do his duty!” It onty needs to be added that in the Great War, which was largely fought in. France, the French casualties were 1,393,388 killed and 1,490,000 wounded, and the British casualties 1,089,919 killed and 2,400,988 wounded.

“The pity of it is that in the last few years we have never paid sufficient attention io Hitler’s ‘Mein Kampf,’ ”'said Mr. L. K. Munro, speaking to a. large gathering of member:: of the Auckland Grammar School Old Boys’ Association. “There was a book which was given to every German.’’ lie continued. “It was a book which set out the whole policy of Herr Hitler. He writes as he speaks, jumping from subject to subject, but it is obviously the book of a very powerful personality. He eets down his objectives, and it is one of the extraordinary things of recent years that statesmen do not seem to have credited him with the intention to carry out these objectives, which go far beyond restoring the' boundaries of 1914.’’

The Otago Education Board has decided to remind school committees and head teachers of the board’s bylaw relating to saluting the flag, which reads: “Al every celebration and at the beginning or end of each school week the New Zealand flag or the Union Jack is to be saluted, and the National Anthem sung by teachers and pupils in the presence, where possible, of the whole school.” The opinion was expressed that this weekly ceremony is carried out in most schools, but if was considered that at the present time it should bo carried out in all schools, states the “Otago Daily Times." It was pointed out that inability to hoist the flag because of the absence of a flag-pole was not an adequate reason for not adhering to the bylaw, as the ceremony could be carried out effectively -when the flag was held up by two children.