CONFLICTING NOTE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23435, 25 February 1938, Page 8

CONFLICTING NOTE

SENSATION AT ROTARY CONFERENCE SEQUEL TO DELEGATES’ SPEECHES NOT IN ACCORD WITH IDEALS (Special to Daily Times) CHRISTCHURCH, Feb. 24. A sensation disturbed the National Conference of Rotary Clubs this morning. Mr F Milner, of Oamaru had just concluded a speech denouncing the Japanese policy in the Far East and had sat down amid prolonged applause, when the official representative of Rotary International, Mr Angus Mitchell, of Melbourne, rose to his feet to deplore the utterance of such statements in association with Rotary Mr Mitchell also took exception to an earlier address on European affairs by New Zealand’s district governor, Mi F. G. Hall-Jones, of Invercargill. Both speeches, he said, might go a long way toward undoing the great work of Rotary’s founder. Mr Milner’s address engaged the keen attention of 200 Rotarians and, when he argued that only British and American co-operation could prevent Japanese domination in the Far East, he was interrupted by applause and general expressions ot approval. “ The pity of it is that Japan was allowed to get away with the spoils in Manchuria,” Mr Milner declared “ The logical result of Japan’s scoop v'as Herr Hitler’s subsequent break and militarisation of -the Rhineland and defiance of the League of Nations. So, too, was Signor Mussolini’s rape of Abyssinia and withdrawal from the League.” Mr Hall-Jones two days earlier had spoken of German ambitions ir Europe, and said that poison gas and aeroplanes were necessary ancillaries to peace and were not to be spurned or despised. He said that Germany, rearmed and aggressive, was determined to alter the status quo in Europe. When Mr Milner finished his address, a vote of thanks was accorded him, the mover remarking that the address had been worth coming a long way to hear. Mr Hall-Jones congratulated Mr Milner and pointed out to members that the addresses given by Mr Milner and himself were expressions entirely of their personal opinions. “ Now Rotarian Mitchell will speak, though I know that Angus has got his hackles up,” Mr HallJones said.

Mr Mitchell said: I have listened to the addresses of Rotarian Milner and the district governor and, though I admire them as good oratorical efforts, I am afraid that if these two speeches are sent round the world they will go a great way towards breaking down Paul Harris’s good work in founding Rotary. I deprecate the indictment of other countries, where also there are Rotary clubs. I don’t agree with many things that Mr Milner said. After visiting 35 countries and going to Japan three times, I believe that friendship is possible and, unless we believe in it, we should give up Rotary. We should stand for fellowship on the right lines, not indictment of peoples who have got their place in the world and are entitled to it as much as we. We should stand for co-operation of the peoples in fellowship, not for the co-operation of two nations to subdue the others.”

The adjournment for lunch was taken after Mr Mitchell,’s speech. Several Rotarians before leaving mounted the platform to shake hands with Mr Mitchell as an expression of approval of his statement.