New Zealand To-Day

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23115, 13 August 1938, Page 4 (Supplement)

New Zealand To-Day

By AUGUR

IN" "Contemporary New Zealand" is collected a number of papers bearing on the Dominion's political, social and economic life. These have been prepared by members of the New Zealand Institute of International Affairs and will be submitted to the British Commonwealth Relations Conference, to bo held in Sydney next month. Those who, recollecting the object of the conference, turn with expectancy to what must be considered the chief paper and the one placed first in the book, may find themselves puzzled, if not oflended, by Dr. J. C. Beagiehole's treatment of the subject, "New Zealand in the Commonwealth." They might be ready to suffer the contemptuous regard in which Dr. Bengloholc holds their British loyalties, but most will resent the aspersions cast on the Union of South Africa, on Great Britain herself, and "on the metaphysical theory of the Crown " now. it seems, " rather the worse for wear." The whole essay is in bad tone, and the editors might have dropped it with advantage. It 'does not truly reflect New Zealand's attitude to the Empire and is therefore unscientific. Its " attempt at objectivity " tails into the morass of Dr. Beaglehole s subjectivity and so fails completely. As an introduction to New Zealand s contribution to a conference on Imperial relations', it cannot be helpful, reading like a pieco of juvenile mischief. Such a lead is unfortunate, because the book contains a number of excellent papers, which, while not necessarily acceptable in their entirety, con-

Domestic and Foreign Policy

tain evidence of faitliful -work and of regard for balance. Subjects treated include " Tlio Tradition of State Acti 1 vity," "The People of New Zealand," "Economic Philosophy and Structure," " Social and Labour Policies," " Dominion and Empire." '"The League of Nations," "New Zealand and the Pacific," " Problems of Overseas Transport," "The Defence Policv " and a valuable statistical section by Mr. G. 10. F. Wood. Among the contributors are Dr. W. D. Sutch, Messrs. A. D. Mcintosh, It. H. Junes. G. Lawn, D. 0. Williams, R. S. Odell, Angus Ross, ]{. R. Turner! H. F. von llaast, S. Morrison. F. McLaren, F. Milner and Quentin L'ope. A wise word is spoken by the Hon. W. Dounie Stewart in the preface. "To me," lie writes, " it appears that there is a certain degree of danger in searching minutely into the advantages and disadvantages of the existing (British) commonwealth association," and very aptly he quotes Jacob Bochme: " If thou goest about to comprehend it (a certain truth), then it will fly away from theo —but if thou dost surrender thyself wholly up to it, then it will abide with thee and becomo the life of thy life and be natural to thee." Thus in advance, and perhaps unintentional! v. does Mr. Stewart discount Dr. Beagiehole's " attempt at objectivity." Sharpening Boehnic's point and applying it, Mr. Stewart says: "In like manner the most vital elements of the commonwealth association mnv be apt to fly away from us if they are dissected and analysed with too exact an appraisement." "Contemporary Xew Zenjand," a Survey of Domestic and Foreign Policy, (New Zealand Institute of International Affairs, "Wellington.)