WORLD PROBLEMS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 27 October 1939, Page 2

WORLD PROBLEMS

YOUTH THE SALVATION : ATTRIBUTES TO BE ENCOURAGED j | I ADDRESS TO ROTARY CLUB j i The need for encouraging simplicity of community life and training of. youth were dealt with by Rotarian S. 1 Cannington in an address to the Nelson Rotary Club yesterday. j “At this time our thoughts are nat-i urally concerned with the unsettled! nternational conditions, the horrors of •he warfare now being waged, and the i easons why so called civilised man • •annot settle his differences in a more conciliatory method,’’ said Mr. Can-. nington. ‘•Many of you men have experienced the horrors of war and recollect the de-, grading and demoralising influence of war on character. Some of you are i-till suffering from the physical effects of war, but all of you, I have no doubt, realise the uselessness and criminal i waste of war. Men generally do not want war yet we are again thrust into what may ultimately prove the bloodiest fray in this world’s history. We have brought children into the world vith the faith that the Great War was a var to end war and that our children would reap the benefits of sacrifice and would live in peace and happiness. And vhat have we got? The fear that our sons may contribute to the harvest of war and that our daughters may be besmirched by war. “We must admire the attitude of our statesmen who have, at even the risk of humiliation, endeavoured to avoid war. But war has come and we must face the issue. Britain has throughout her dealings shown the highest attributes—faith in the right, hope that right will prevail and charity in her dealings with all men. "I feel that the two great attributes to be encouraged are—(a) Simplicity of community life; (b) Training of youth, ='.nd that the right directing of these factors will create a better and a happier world. If we peruse our history we are at once struck with the decline in the purity and strength of that charI acter.” ! Pride in attainment had been superi :eded by all engrossing leisure; love

| of conquest prompted by the spirit of i colonisation had given way to the law ; of grab propelled by fanaticism and the ! green-eye monster —jealousy. The | ideals created in the community life — i self-dependency unity and trust had ! given way to reliance on the State. ! complete disunity and distrust. Nations i distrusted one another. Even religion j or should we say ‘‘religious organisai tion” appeared to have lost its power j and appeal. If war or disunity was to I be avoided, then we must -promote the best in mankind: simplicity of com- , munity life, the levelling of the walls that divided men into castes and creeds • and a perfect understanding and trust ! between all people. We must promote j the simple community life—or family life—even extending to international life —and all that appertained to the ! brotherhood of mankind. Probably in | ourselves we can do little but we could i assist particularly in the education of i youth and the creation of a strong and i well-meaning body of young men and j women who would ever strive to perfect the peace and happiness of mankind. What were the greatest attrii butes to be acquired by youth? SPIRITUALITY i First a deeper and a more simple ; spirituality—or in other words —a sane, broadminded mental attitude. A spirituality that was not torn and tattered by a miltiplicity of religious sects and spirituality founded on fundamentals of truth and peace. We could not hope to embrace all men in the ideals of perfect spirituality, but we could hope to create in the minds of youth a nobler and more humane understanding of the laws of humanity. It was only by the creation of such a spirit that we could hope to succeed. It was, therefore, the mind that we should influence so that, that which was created by the mind was good to behold. HEALTH Another esesntial was health. Too much importance could not be given to all that promotes healthy lives—sports, camp life, etc. Or that which tends to alleviate sickness —medical service, science, etc. Investigation had shown that v crime is committed to a large extent by those with unhealthy bodies and that unhealthy bodies created unhealthy appetites. Youths’ camp life should be encouraged, not merely from the standpoint of physical benefit—which in itself was most important—but also from the standpoint of promoting the simplicity of community life. EDUCATION Another great factor for peace was education; not a mere smattering of reading, writing and arithmetic, with a sprinkling of the classics, but something of a higher standard— a standard that awakened the best in mankind. “We advocate education.” says Lord Ave-

bury, “not merely to make the man a , better workman, but the workman a better man.” Youth must have a liberal education, not merely in the three j '“R’s,” the classics and sciences but in ‘ psychology, economics and citizenship. ; History and geography should be taught not with the object of lauding the conquerors of the past but with the idea of j deprecating past follies and avoiding ! future mistakes. It had been said j that, ‘‘The boy who has studied books | only, who knows nothing of Nature, i nothing of the world in which we live. I however learned he may be, however great a classical scholar, is but a half- ! educated man after all.” Teachers J .should not consider themselves the framer of the youth's destiny but the i director or guide of youth to underj land himself and to fit youth to frame

| his own destiny. Schools should not b<? j the means of promulgating political | propaganda but they should, by an unbiassed and judicious teaching of the j fundamentals of good citizenship, create j unbiassed and receptive minds wherein ; he light of understanding of good Government, both national and international, could be gently infused, j The speaker was strongly opposed to olitical party education of youth and I deprecated the formation of youths' | clubs attached to political parties. Such J vere likely to create biassed and bigot- ; d men and women filled with intense ;ate of opposing forces. ; Youth should be trained in the high- ’ st character of business and not be ;fraid to make apparent ruthless hanges should these be in the interest f mankind. Youth should be the pioner of business and financial methods hat respected the rights of the indij idual, that gave fair reward for efi 'orts, that demanded clean deals bcween all parties to business and that 1 irovided for the aged and infirm. Such . lew business methods should be so ramed that unemployment was obviated, satisfaction and happiness mainlined and a better understanding erated between all peoples. “I feel I must here emphasise that the quest for peace, nderstanding and happiness and the deals of international extension of such | attributes, youth must be imbued with I intense patriotism and be prepared to

work for and defend our country and fight for the maintenance of justice between all people should the necessity so arise. I cannot advocate destruction of humanity and desecration of property for the mere gratifying of appetite but I must advocate intense patriotism that will impell youth to voluntary service in the defence of our country, otherwise the lack of preparedness cr desire for service may lead other countries to infer that England lacks the attributes of pride of country, unity of purpose, justness and charity. We belong to an Empire that has a right to demand that “every man should do his duty.’ "We require youth of highest ideals who will devote themselves to a life of public service, who will think more of the good of their country and their fellows than themselves, and who will uphold the character of rightness. Let us in the words of a wise writer, ‘so train vouth that they will maintain the highest principles of voluntary service and sacrifice in a free country inhabited by “In conclusion, I would emphasise that youth with healthy bodies and minds, a fair liberal education and imbued with intense patriotism tempered with the community spirit of equality, fair-play and love of fellowmen will uphold the highest traditions and will give the best to all that appertains to the good or mankind. It therefore falls to all who have the interest of humanity at heart to assist youth in the preparation for the time when youth will be fitted to go forth to take its stand in the conquests of distrust, disruption and all that is unhealthy and by so conquering create a happier and more contented world.”