MAJOR NEY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26545, 21 August 1947, Page 3

MAJOR NEY

VISIT TO WAITAKI Major Ney, founder of the Empire Youth Movement, was accorded a warm welcome when he visited the Waitaki Boys’ High School yesterday morning. The rector, Mr J. T.' Burrows, in welcoming Major Ney, stated he was visiting New Zealand and Waitaki for the first time. He was a great figure in the British Empire and one who had believed in the co-operation of the Empire both in war and peace, and had worked hard to this end. The rector also reminded the boys that Major Ney was mainly responsible for the visit to Canada within the last few years of a party of boys from the school, and he had also organised the interchanging of teachers within the Empire. In closing, Mr Burrows said Major Ney had proved by his deeds that patriotism was more than mere words, and expressed the hope that the guest would be impressed with the school. Shaping the Future Major Ney, in thanking the rector and boys for their warm welcome, stated he had promised the late rector, Mr F. Milner, that he would call on the school if he visited New Zealand. He had always thought of Waitaki' as the capital of New Zealand, where boys were taught to rise to high positions, and to take upon themselves great responsibilities in‘the governing of the country He impressed upon the boys the necessity to prepare themselves to make a better job of administering the affairs of the world than the previous generation. Australia and New Zealand m the future were faced with a huge task, he said, that of bringing the east and west together. If this did not happen chaos and terror would rule the world. As long as those three countries—America, Russia and the British Empire—worked together with equal strength the world would be a happy place in which to live, but it one of these countries should collapse there would be another war even more terrifying than the last. If all the coun tries would copy the example of the British Empire in harmonious woiking and co-operatioh, the world would be a much better place. People within the Empire had to work very hard for the securitv of the Empire, because within this security lay the only possible hope of freedom and justice. Individual Responsibility The Empire had fought in two world wars for this freedom mid justice. Major Ney said, and it was to be hoped that some day freedom and justice would rule throughout the entire world. He lm pressed upon the boys the r>n ou t into the world and give of tneir best. They would have to stand alone at times, but when one stood alone that was the time when one gave of his Dest. The head prefect, P. Z. Harris, on behalf of the boys, thanked Major Ney fo his informative address.