TILT AT COMMUNISTS

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 March 1946, Page 7

TILT AT COMMUNISTS

MR. CHURCHILL AND WHITE ANTS ANGLO-AMERICAN HISTORY NEW YORK, March 18. Mr. Churchill, in a speech at Columbia University, from which he received an honorary degree, said that Britain and America, walking forward together with no aims of conquest, subjugation, material profit, ’or the advancement of sordid interests, could at present give “services to humanity which never before has any country had the honour to do.”

He urged universities to emphasise the study of the English language and the common history of Britain and America. He added: “In the conflicts which arise among peoples in the long history of men, prejudices arise and it is right that both sides should be stated with all the force and in the fashion of the day in which the events happened; but, in the after time, and as we move on, an effort should be made to inculcate the truth of the actual facts that occurred. I hope that British and American history will be studied from that viewpoint, so that we may undertand all that has happened to us and how it is that we are all here in the world together, and not getting on so badly after all.” Mr. Churchill, asserting that “in my heart there is no abiding hatred for any great race on earth,” said he hoped there would be no pariah nations..

Still referring to history, Mr. Churchill said: “Even our Communistic friends should study this. They should study some admirable modern works on the life and soul of the white ant, that will show them not only a great deal about their past, but will give a very fair indication of their future.” The .New York Herald-Tribune says: “This cryptic reference was not further explained, and Mr. Churchill could not be persuaded to. elaborate the point, but his secretary said: ‘He is really quite set up about it. He thought it was rather good.’ Entomologists later pointed out that the socalled white ant is a termite and not a true ant, and that the individual ant counts as nothing in their communal society, which has Progressed in 30,000,000 or 40,000,000 years.” Mr. Churchill spoke after a separsic meeting of Colurnbis students hsd criticised his recent speech calling for a British-American alliance, but there was no objection to granting him a degree, which was authorised in 1943. ’