A BETTER FUTURE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24855, 3 March 1942, Page 4

A BETTER FUTURE

THE YOUTH OF RUSSIA MANY SUFFERINGS ENDURED PLEA FOR UNDERSTANDING (Rec. 7.45 p.m.) LONDON. Mar. 1. The Lord Privy Seal, Sir Stafford Cripps, speaking at a meeti<Jfccf the Anglo-Soviet Youth Friendship Alliance, in London, said he believed the work upon which they were engaged was of fundamental importance to the future of the world; Their work was to try to create a deeper sense of friendship and understanding between the youth of Britain and the youth of the Soviet Union. There were other nations who would, and'must, work with Britain after the war—the youth of China, for instance. Sir Stafford said. He had the privilege two years ago of staying for a considerable time,in Chungking and visiting many towns in western China. He was enormously struck by the magnificent,work that the young Chinese men and women were doing in laying the 1 foundation of the new Chinese civilisation. Then there was the youth of America, who were today feeling out, for the same kind of civilisation in their own country when victory was won over Fascist aggression. He would like to mention one other country/ in particular, not excluding all those European countries which were now oppressed by. the occupation of Nazism—the youth of Jugoslavia. Few people knew the devoted service which the young people of that country had given the cause of freedom in Europe. It was a tragedy to read the stories of what was being done to those young people by the cruelty of the Nazis. Nevertheless, they were continuing in the mountains of their homeland.most courageous fighting against the overwhelming forces of the occupying nation. Through a Hard School

Sir Stafford went on to say that “whatever may be their difficulties and their sufferings—and they are both great—the Russian youth feel that they are on the road to a better future. They and their parents have passed through in the last ,20 years a period of the deepest sufferings. They have since 1917 struggled as a nation through most difficult times and often as a nation have, felt themselves alone and isolated; but they have always been confident and strengthened in their convictions to win through to better things! THIS' hard-'schbol in which they lived has disciplined their bodies and their .ihihds^haS-'faugh t them to bear hunger and cold and suffering as a part of their endeavour to create for themselves a! better and finer civilisation, and- to-day these great qualities that have been born in the young people of Soviet Russia have come to, the rescue of the whole world. From these trials have emerged a brave, resourceful people, and a confident and courageous youth, who will play not only a great part in the vie-' tory over Nazidom, but also in the construction of a new world civilisationaffer victory/ " . >.;. Plea for Understanding ’ “It is because they have the same, aims, the youth of Britain phd Soviet Russia, that we must now learn to appreciate and understand one another, not a stupid and blind understanding, but an understanding which has a real insight into the conditions Which !.sur-> round the youth of the two countries,” he continued. “We have to forge new conditions for our own country. Our goal may be the same as the goal of the Soviet Union, but the path by which we shall reach that goal must be conditioned by our own environment and not by that of Russia or of any other country;, Whatever our iiirdividual political faith may happen to be, it ttiust be worked Out in native. British terms. We must, of course,' learn and appreciate the " lessons that can- be taught by developments in the Soviet Union or t any other country in the world where development is taking place, and from these-lessons we; can help to build up' our own native civilisation.” .

Sir Stafford asked the British youth to be frank and honest, in making clear their environment to the Russian youth, for enduring friendship should be based upon the solid rock of-critical appreciation and not the shifting sands of empty and vague emotionalism., . ' Sir Stafford concluded: “Soviet Russia is itself young in the comity of nations. The eyes of youth can appreciate its strength and its weakness better than the eyes of old age. it I.is for you to interpret this' hew phenomenon in the world’s history to the people of your own country, and in the discharge of that task with all the enthusiasm and single-mindedness that you can summon to your assistance you will have done something real and helpful towards the building-up of that new Europe and new world which alone make victory worth while.”