NOTES AND COMMENTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23382, 26 June 1939, Page 10

NOTES AND COMMENTS

INEVITABLE NEMESIS If wo look at the world realistically at the present time, says Dr. William Brown, the psychologist, in his book, "War and Peace," wo must feel that wo are going through a period of apparent, if not real, reaction, a period of retrogression in political affairs. It is the inevitable Nemesis, the result of lack of courago to go forward when possible. If more benevolence of feeling, inoro generosity of action, more understanding of tho human mind, especially tho minds of those in defeat, had been exhibited at the end of tho last war, wo should not now be complaining of tho sentimentalism of the one side or the callousness of tho other, nor facing a new world upheaval, uncertain how best to ride the storm or for what port to steer our course.

FRENCH FOREIGN POLICY "I have said, and I repeat, that Europe has tho choice between collaboration and subjugation," said tho French Premier, M. Daladier, in a recent speech. "The French Government have made and are still making, every effort to enable Europe to live happily in free collaboration. But at tho same time I wish to assure tho world that France is in the front rank of those Powers which will prevent Europo from being drawn into catastrophe by attempts at domination. Can such a policy be regarded as ono of encirclement, as certain people would like to make out? It is an empty pretext invoked for propaganda purposes. We are for collaboration, which is the reverse of encirclement. But every time wo have made a step toward collaboration, wo have been answered by an act of force. Every time we have made an offer of collaboration, it has been declined. Those who repulsed us claimed at the same time tho right to forbid our collaboration with others. It is the collaboration they have refused which they call encirclement. What more striking proof of their desire for hegemony could they give?"

INTERNATIONAL SPEEDING One outstanding impression of -this remarkable book, strong not by shining literary merit, but a singular voracity of mind, is of the frightful speed of massed passions, the gathering momentum of the avalanche, the oblivion and mist into which sink more politicians' devices and compromises, writes Mr. Keith G. Foiling in reviewing the new book, "Peace With Gangsters?" by 31 r. George Glasgow, the well known diplomatic correspondent. Even now it is a bare three years since Herr Hitler made his offer of a [ European air pact, and not four since the Italians invaded Abyssinia. Before those things democracy had 16 years given it after Versailles in which to consider its work, to weigh the cost of protecting it, to estimate its justice and its durability, and, since then, as many months to weigh other matters, of which we may select three made prominent in this book; that Allied policy taught the Germans they would get nothing except by force; that Italy, for 20 years a friend, was made an enemy; that out of 1,140,000 square miles of Colonial territory taken from Germany, 826,000 were added to the British Empire and most of the rest to the French —all under President Wilson's "free, open-minded and absolutely impartial adjustment of all Colonial claims." "Neither generous nor wise," has said Mr. Neville Chamberlain, and let us leave it at that.

ELECTRICITY AND MUSIC Sir James Jeans' recent lecture at the Royal Institution may be remembered in years to come as a decisive moment in the development of electric music in England, writes a correspondent in the London Observer. There can be no doubt that we have shown too little interest so far in all that is implied by the fact that it is now possible to convert electrical vibrations into sound, and through electric media to dominate and control sound-vibra-tions. It must be clear that to be able to control sound-vibrations, and thus the timbre, or tone-quality, of sound, is rather the same as having invented an infinite number of new musical instruments. Timbre is determined bv the number of harmonics which sound with the fundamental (i.e., the note that is actually played or sung), and also by the intensity with which each of them is present. Thus, in considering the clarinet, we may think of music which lias shown its qualities to perfection, such as Mozart's clarinet quintet; or we may say simply that its tone character is due to its having over 20 harmonics, of which Nos. 7 to 10 are so prominent that they contribute over half the energy of each note. These harmonics, and tlioso of other instruments, can be reproduced by electricity, so that timbre "ceases to be a fixed and particular value of each instrument"; but what is important is that entirely new timbres can be created in the same way.

REVIVING CRAFTSMANSHIP Tt is partly bad, partly Rood news, that tlio supply of local craftsmen in England is becoming unequal to the demand, writes Sir W. Beach Thomas. Tho virtual extinction of the apprentice system whioh survived for a while the end of tho guilds, rapidly reduced tho number of boys and young men who learned tho various crafts. Machine-made work (which includes even tho common horseshoe) depressed most of tho local crafts, and was thought to threaten their completo extinction; but a number of the crafts —in iron, wood and leather —refused to die, and lately thero has been a strong reaction in their favour. Buyers desire handwork. That Saxon word is identical with tho Latin word manufacture, but lias a quite contrary meaning. This revival of the craft, or at least this revival of a desire for craftsmen's work, has been noted in Lincolnshire, among other counties, and special emphasis has been laid on it by tho Lindsey Community Council, which is urging an alternative to the prentice habit. Tho nation looks after the bright boy, who may extend his education by aid of a scholarship, and it looks after tho mentally deficient, but it does nothing for tho boy (and ho may bo intellectually slow) who has a native gift for making things; is, in fact, a creative artist. Tt is high timo that craftsmanship took its place in tho curriculum of tho elementary school, especially now that the school ngc is being increased. Thero is room in tho country for a great many more craftsmen.