NATIONS AS FRIENDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22984, 11 March 1938, Page 9

NATIONS AS FRIENDS

VALUE OF SOCIETIES ADDRESS BY DUKE OF KENT (Received March 10, 7.30 p.m.) British "Wireless RUGBY, March 9 , Speaking at a dinner of the AngloPolish Society in London, the Duke of Kent referred to the lone friendship between Britain and Poland. He emphasised the value of such societies generally in encouraging international friendship. Ho said they were, perhaps, one of the great contributions of the last century to iho Western world. In spite of the Napoleonic Wars, the Franco-Prussian War and the Great War, ho felt that, taken as a whole, there had been in this period a iomarkable movement among the people of one country to get to know those of another. Travel had become so easy that one could go anywhere with *poed and comfort and make friends, but there was something lacking—something which such societies could provide. It was the exchange of "cultures'' —the sum total of the artistic and literary achievement of one's country.

Such exchanges, said His Royal Highness, contributed an untold amount to modern civilisation. The Earl of Plymouth said it was beyond doubt that many of the troubles which beset Europe at present were due very largely to lack of understanding by on 9 country of the point of vicnv and difficulties of another. Any movement to try to bring the peoples of two countries into clo6e association was likely to be of great benefit, not only to those particular countries but to thd world as a whole.