IMPERIAL UNITY.

Otago Witness, Issue 3801, 18 January 1927, Page 36

IMPERIAL UNITY.

APPEAL TO TEACHERS. GOVERNOR-GENERAL’S ADDRESS. AUCKLAND, January 11. “'Because children born in New Zealand to-day, not being so closely tied to /Great Britain as were their fathers and grandfathers, are apt to drift away from the Old Country, it behoves us to redouble our efforts to keep up the feeling of Imperial unity and kinship with the Motherland.” In these words the Governor-General (Sir Charles Fergusson) addressed an earnest appeal to 200 teachers assembled at Cambridge to-day in connection with the Teachers’ Summer School. “What,” asked his Excellency, “would we like to see most conspicuous in the character of the chil-

dren from the point of view of citizenship, and what ideas would we like to implant : firmly in" their minds so that they may he worthy of their country and generation?” For an answer he touched on three con-.

siderations which he regarded as being of importance: “There is no need for me -to speak to you of loyalty,” ho said. *‘ln no country is it more thorough, and in no country can you get a more delightful picture than by going round the New Zealand schools seeing the children in their attitude of loyalty to King and country. It is an inspiration, but it is necessary to remember, that conditions change. Lately we have seen in the proceedings of the Imperial Conference how the conception of the Empire is changing. We hear the words ‘equality’ and ‘independence’ used in a way that strikes us as somewhat different from what we have been brought up to understand by those terms. We have been accustomed for years to say that the dominions and the Mother Country are united by a thread as bright as gold and as strong as steel, but. with the new conditions growing up and the new ideas coming in that thread is being stretched —I will not say dangerously, but to a thinness that makes one anxious lest it be stretched to the breaking point. It is, therefore, more necessary than ever that the children should be brought up in the knowledge of the ties of blood and kinship, of the glory and the responsibility of the great heritage that has come down t them, and of the immense importance of keeping up a whole-hearted allegiance to the Crown and the person •f his Majesty the King.” ■ Continuing, his Excellency said: “Youngpeople should be taught that what man

becomes in this world he becomes by reason of his own exertions. Help the young people to get out of the idea of always looking to the State and the Government for help.” Sir Charles appealed to the teachers to see the glory in their work, even though it might seem at times laborious and sometimes drudgery. He urged them, whenever the opportunity occurred, and they were allowed to instil into the young minds in their care, appreciation of the one sure foundation of their lives, the best pattern upon which those lives could be modelled.