PROBLEM OF YOUTH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22722, 7 May 1937, Page 9

PROBLEM OF YOUTH

WAR AND CHRISTIANITY STRONG DESIRE FOR PEACE : The position of youth, under presentday conditions was dealt -with by Dr. T. Z. Koo, travelling world's secretary of the Student Christian Move- < ment, when addressing a large audience at the luncheon of the Optimists' Club at' the Y.M.C.A. yesterday. Dr. Koo said there was a rising interest among youth in the whole question of economic readjustment in 5 human society, the depression of re- | cent years having brought the eco- V 1 nomic situation vividly into the minds £ and lives of youth. They were also =*? disturbed on another issue. After the war there arose in every part of the £ world a desire to see a new kind of £ international relationship to take the place of the pre-war relationships. In countries like Germany, Italy .-4 and Japan there were political organisations which had given rise to " strongly nationalist ideas that were 5! colouring the outlook of millions of youths in the modern world. The question of peace and war was very much > in the minds of young people in every part of tlie world, and it was surpris- ■,». iiig to those not familiar with the out- ;; look of youth to learn what a large part of their interest was directed to % the promotion of peace. Dealing with the attitude of youth toward Christianity, Dr. Koo said lie had been struck by the peculiar hunger or want for knowledge about - God in the youths of many lands. The real problem was how to remedy this * position. Some way must be found to | communicate the reality of God to j young people. It could no longer be % done in the old terms, true though g they were. The problem was to con- 4 vey the knowledge of God in such a way that youths could attach them- * selves to it. '