SATURDAY'S CHAUTAUQUA

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 1509, 8 March 1920, Page 5

SATURDAY'S CHAUTAUQUA

THE LYRIC QUARTETTE AND

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Crowded tents greeted the Chautauqua entertainers at both sessions on Saturday, and, according- to the enthusiasm displayed, the institution has. fully 'established its popularity in Palmerston North. The Lyric Quartette made its final appearance, and entirely sustained the good impressions given the previous day. In the afternoon Dr. Carpenter gave Iris wonderful address on "Celestial Mechanics," and discussed in a most informative way the relations of astronomy to recent revolutionary scientific discoveries. He predicted that in the coming years psychic revelations would be vouchsafed which would have a material affect on the destiny of the human race. '

JUDGE ALDEN'S LECTURE

Judge George D. Aldcn delivered his lecture on the topic "The Needs of the Hour." The force of the visitor's splendid personality, the intellectual truths he advocated, :;:d the frequent humour with which -.is address was intersperced, held tha close attention of his audience throughout. Though, during the last three centuries, the extraordinary growth of mechanical devices had revolutionised the life of the world, in transit, in communication, and in industry, there was now just the same necessity for individual effort as there was 300 years ago, and without individual effort and initiative progress and moral advancement -were impossible. His observations, he said, would refer particularly to the United States, which was the only nation he had had opportunities of studying, but what he would say here he had said before to his countrymen. Over there, the last 25 years had been the age of gold, graft and greed. Anyone who had read history could not but be alarmed at the present outlook of the people of the world. Graft in America meant the most advanced profiteering, yet it was not the big profiteers who headed the Trusts, but the small profiteering hypocrites—-church-goers -with misers' souls—who were debasing the nation's, life. There was urgent need for more Christian faith, for although progress had changed the whole aspect of the world, the old Truths were still a necessity. With the decline of faith, came the uprising of profiteering and graft. A man who had no respect for God had none for himself, and lack of self-respect was the surest indication of individual depravity. A necessity over there was the better bringing up of children. He thought the cry should be, not more babies but better babies, and two great evils America had were, with the rich too much prosperity, and with the poor, too much posterity. The light in which marriage was regarded also needed drastic alteration. One out of 400 marriages in England was annulled afterwards, but in America one out of every thirteen couples got divorced! Touching on America's entry into the War, he said it was a wonder, not that they had entered late, but that they had entered at all. In support of this, the speaker quoted surprising statistics about America's population. In connection with the League of Nations, although nominally America did not support it, he was sure the people whole-heart-edly upheld the Treaty, and if a referendum were taken he was confident that the League would be ratified. The blame for the delay lav with the President, who had taken matters too much into his own hands. If he had taken the advice of one or two Republican Senators in helping to frame the Treaty, the document would have been accepted by the Senate unopposed. At the conclusion of his address his hearers united enthusiastically in singing the National Anthem to the visitor's accompaniment.

To-day's programmes, at 2.45 and 8 p.m., will be occupied by the Zedeler Symphonic Quintette (one of the finest musical organisations heard in New Zealand), and two more of Judge G. D. Alden's delightful lectures.