STUDENT "HOWLERS."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18170, 16 August 1922, Page 9

STUDENT "HOWLERS."

IDEAS ABOUT THE EMPIRE, [FBOM OUK OWN COBBIESPokbEKTY] , London; July 7. Professor F. J.. C. speaking at the annual meeting of the Yictprja;;. League, gave some amusing instances... of • ignorance concerning the .Empire. ;VHequoted Sir C. Lucas, who said many people feeientEßsiaem about'the Empire. There are fewer who study it."/' In his long experience of dealing with the examination papers-of s£udshts,! said .-.t Professor Hearnsbaw, he had come across '-■• many "bright", examples of Imperial knowledge. In a general knowledge paper the question• was asked; "Who are", the" T" colonial Prime Ministers!!" It was"at k J tune when; the Imperial Conference wast sitting. One student answered: colonial Prime Ministers are the Prim.e Minister of China and the' Emperor>of* America." ••: : .■• During the past week he had received '. an answer from a student whom he regretted to admit he, himself had been ' teaching for two years. The question dealt with the period from 1770 to-1760 and the influence of various statesmen! the history of .that time. "The\i?rito£c Minister of England/' the student "was really George lII* and not,lfbrjg*--Northcliffe." ; 1 ..--.»=.: Strange ideas were sometimes fcsld""<sjn»*vrj cerning Australia.. " In AuatraUa,'* wroto.Li'one pupil, " wine is manufactured from >'& & =tfi bird called the emu." ' "'■'■ •:.! "" ~*-^•>,.-"■ ~° l ~ The ' ignorance concerning': India.was '■ sometimes profound. -"The dimateptßcarjiJ: • bay," said a -particularly Echp'ar.j ;. ~ "is such that the inhabitants haye 'to X. ? live elsewnere." "Calcutta is :• coaling station. Hence it is sometimes • ■ called the Black Hplo of another efforts " r~~"—^~r~~