British-American Co-operation Movement

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 196, 19 August 1941, Page 6

British-American Co-operation Movement

ADDRESS TO ROTARY CLUB Mr. A. Leigh Hunt, of Wellington, ( was the speaker at yesterday’s luncheon of the Palmerston North Rotary Club, his subject being the “British-Ameri-can Co-operation Movement.’’ In liis opening remarks Mr. Hunt emphasised that in the world of flame, savagery and hatred that surrounded us to-day hung iu the balance everything that made life worth living. “We are at present in a state of flux,’’ ho said, ‘ 1 and in such a state we have our greatest opportunity for the reconstruction of a newer and better world. In this land of ours we are slow to awaken to reality and have been content to nestle under the wing of the Mother Country and let her take the blame for our misdeeds and apathy. An invasion would shock us from our placid life. We prided ourselves on the signing of the Statute of Westminster and assumed the privileges of nationhood without its responsibility. “May God forgive us for the mis-usc of our privileges, for our betrayal of Great Britain in our responsibility for these islands in the South Seas. Great Britain has borne the brunt of the lashings from the ‘have-not’ States because of her under-populated colonies, when the blame lies with us. Wc are a menace to ourselves and the Empire because of our indifference to our density of population.” Mr. Hunt then indicated by a chart how quickly our population was falling off and declared that

our generous and forgiving Motherland had 740 people per square mile, whereas here in New Zealand we had a population of 15 per square mile. “There has been a belief in the past twenty years that children were being reared merely as cannon-fodder. Unless we can build a better world for our

children to live in there is no use going on. Our course is therefore clear—tho welding together of tho two great English-speaking nations whose aspirations are identical and who will form the foundation for the reconstruction of the world. When the home catches tiro the whole family drop their petty disputes and unite in order to quench the flames.

“We failed in our reconstruction efforts the last time becauso of lack of spiritual concord among the nations, because the cornerstone of the League if Nations, the U.S.A., was left out. Tins time we will reconstruct on firm foundations. building up step by step. The British-American Co-operation Movement does not demand immediate union —it took eighteen years to confederate the United .States of America. But by the objective wo have, which means closest possible co-operation, culturally and spiritually, by overcoming diffieulties in trade and commerce, by an increase in the tourist trade between the two countries, wo will have taken a tremendous step forward toward the brotherhood of man. But above all a spiritual basis is most important. Pubopinion must be brought to bear weight on the Governments concerned for such collaboration. It is noticeable how important a placo tho Minister of Propaganda occupies in totalitarian countries.

“la this such, a, groat, ideal—this union between the U.B.A, and the Brit-

ish Empire? Indeed, yes. For it would defend tho integrity of all its members, nearly half the world would then live in harmony together; it would bo the nucleus of a new league of nations with Anglo-Saxon ideals as its firm foundation; it would bo a living example to the rest of the world and lead the way to the linking up of other nations, and later to the peace of the world. Our duty is clear, our duty to ourselves, to our soldier boys and to posterity. As Shakespeare said: ‘There is a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune.’ ” In conclusion, Mr. Hunt said that the organisation which had only just started in New Zealand had been in existence in Australia for the jrast three years. In Wellington five to six hundred business men had joined the movement and it was hoped that branches would evolve up and down the country with a prospect of 10,000 members. “The future of the whole world is in our hands for this is our job. This is the greatest Christian endeavour of all time, and remember that tho real value of anything is the effort it takes to get it. ’ * As guests of the Palmerston North Rotary Club were Rotary representatives from Wellington and Dannevirkc, and visitors included Messrs. A. E. Penfold, G. PL Dawick, F. G. Scott, C. Shaun, G. C. Petersen, F. G. Jolly, F. Opie A .M. Lascelles (all of Palmerston North) W. Welsh (Dannevirkc) and Wallace (Wellington). c