GOOD YOUNG DAYS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18294, 11 July 1921, Page 6

GOOD YOUNG DAYS

By Viscount Curzon, M.P. The “good old days” are the good young days! Youth makes its good days as it goes along. They are neither good old days that have passed nor are they good old days to come. And that, surely, is where Sir Claude Champion de Crespigny, the distinguished baronet, who wrote on the subject in the Weekly Dispatch, makes a mistake. Tor to him the really good old days are in the past, when men fought with rapiers to wipe out insults. ‘T shrink from being a critic of a dis tinguished gentleman. I do think, however. that he is a little hard on tile youth of to-day. I submit that they have passed through an ordeal bv battle whicli has no precedent whatever in the good old days. It may be that the customs, manners, and morals of to-day are different from what they were. But I cannot help thinking that as the years go on the manners, customs, and morals of every ago are constantly subject to change, and I also cannot help thinking that the change is more apparent than real.

Life is very much like the pendulum of a clock, swinging to and fro, and the real point from which the pendulum is suspended never really alters. With us it is undoubtedly in the heart of England. Youth ever presses forward, and when it no longer ceases to do so it is undoubtedly no longer youth, but in its turn has to give way to.a new generation with new ideals, new modes of expression, new hopes, and new manners.

—There Was a War.— Undoubtedly the great and distinguished people whose privilege it is to watch the advance of youth liave great opportunity and at the same time a great responsibility, for they it is who see with an unerring eye in view of their ripe experience the numerous faults and failings to which no doubt the youth of our day, in common with probably the youth of every other day, are subject, but surely is it not possible for their cnticis n to be constructive and helpful rather than merely destructive? The noble and distinguished baronet says that we are namby-pamby and that our schoolboys fight no more—we are ultra-refined., Such a criticism is very harsh. Think of the glorious episodes of the iate war—whether by sea or by land. Think of the youth of our navy drawn up with folded arms upon the dock of a stranded submarine, facing with a smiie the deadly machine-gun fire of German destroyers without a single weapon to defend themselves or an avenue of escape. Think of the youth of our merchant navy going to sea again and again in the teeth of the ruthless submarine campaign. Think of the nurses repeatedly going to sea in the hospital ships in spite of the declared intention of the enemy to sink them at sight and of their heroism when they met with disaster. ,

Think of the youth of our army in the retreat from Mens,, in Gallipoli, Mesopotamia. Ypres, and on the Marne ? and in a thousand battles. Think of the youth of our Air Force, of their undying, never-to-be-forgotten deeds of pure and unadulterated heroism.

—Force of the Bully.— Can it ever be said of our people that they are namby-pamby and that our schoolboys light no more? To say that we are. not- ready to fight as a result of a heated argument is surely not a fair criticism. What do we think of a bov whose only argument is one of force? Are wc not often inclined to look upon him as a bully? Does not an appeal to force, indeed, beget such a type? It is possible that some note a change in the attitude of men towards women. I think there mav be something in this reproach; but is it all to be laid at the door of youth, or should it not be to a certain extent ascribed to the changed ideals of our time? I myself was onoe an anti-Suffragette. My chief reason for this was that I considered that, as women did not serve at that time m the navy or the army or the police, they should therefore not have the supreme power in moulding our destiny. But is it not true that since 1914, at any rate, have come into the world as the real comrades in-arms of the men in every sphere of action?

Are we to deny them the rights they claim? Are we to deny the ambitions they so much desire. Are we not to bo allowed to welcome them as onr equals, to extend to them the hand of a comrade and a sportsman? Women themselves have changed their attitude. They claim to enter into every walk of life. Thev refuse to admit that sex should he considered as a. disqualification. Thcv claim the right to live their lives as English women, to think fdr themselves, and to carve their destiny. I am quite certain that the voung men of to-day are not going to deny this right and to break th° snirit which we have learnt to love and admire so much.

The voting man of to-day dislikes dictation. The vouth of to-day has fought for itself, saved itself—nay, more, has saved its country and the world. Impetuous it may be,' shortcomings in full measure it mav have, but I would ask Sir Claude Champion de Crespiguv to he to its faults just a little blind and to help to mould the youth of to-dav to he the worthy successors of the glorious heritage beonegthed bv our noble and distinguished forebears of the past.—Weekly Dispatch.