TOPICS OF THE TIMES

Southland Times, Issue 22362, 29 June 1934, Page 6

TOPICS OF THE TIMES

The Professional Critic. “We hope that eventually, out of all the diverse and vigorous efforts that are being made to-day, permanent value of a more settled character will result. This we look for in all the arts,” writes Sir William Llewellyn, president of the Royal Academy. “In these fresh developments of the arts the professional critic should be of much more use than he is. In many instances, I regret to say, he is much more of a menace than a help. His views are generally unstable, and bo shifts his ground as the latest freakish production comes along and offers him, from his journalistic point of view, more to write about. His language is usually as involved as his ideas are confused, and he often does nothing more than increase the bewilderment of an already bewildered public. There are some exceptions; but what is needed to-day to guide the young and inexperienced student and the less instructed public is more constructive criticism from well-educated men of an impartial, considerate and helpful kind "

Youth and War. Youth and its attitude to war was discussed at a meeting of the international service section of the annual conference of the Rotary International Association of Great Britain and Ireland hpld at Douglas, Isle of Man. Dr. H. Scholfield, teacher, of Loughborough, said that one of the outstanding characteristics of youth today was its combative instinct, which in' Great Britain had an outlet in the realm of sport. The task to-day was safely to guide it away from the dangerous ground of war into the spheres of national development in industry, science and exploration work. Mr Palmer (Portsmouth) said: “It is no use talking to young people to-day of the horrors of war. Thev are adventurous and like taking a risk” Trouble was caused by old history books, which in each country gave widely differing accounts of great battles. They should be scrapped or rewritten. Mr J. Bell, a schoolmaster of Stockport, said that educational bodies all over the country had been urged to preach the doctrine of the League of Nations and peace to the children, and on the other hand invitations had been extended by the Air Ministry for parties of children to see the latest bombers. How could these two attitudes be reconciled? Dr. Scholfield said that he would accept such an invitation. “A fighting aeroplane or a magnificent battleship will draw a boy every day, and he will take the opportunity of seeing them whether you say ‘Yes’ or ‘No ’ After all, they are wonderful examples of human skill and ingenuity. . Our task is to bring home to the children the necessity for that skill and ingen uity being turned into more peaceful and less destructive channels ”

Replanting England. Though 1933 was a dry and inhospitable year for trees the Forestry Commission are once again able to record progress, says the Morning Post. Their annual report shows that slowly the devastation of the war period is being retrieved—though, as 478,009 acres of woodland vanished between 1914 and 1918 and the area since planted is less than half, it may bo argued that State afforestation is not yet vigorous enough. However, the establishment of the commission was among the most useful pieces of work the Coalition Government contrived; and considering that later Governments, when pinched for money, have usually economized in forestry (trees having no votes) progress has boen remarkable. Fells and moors, boxlands and naked heath, inclement regions where once it was thought nr< tree could flourish, have been changed into close-set plantations, and last year at their busiest time the commission employed upwards of 4000 men. Thus they have done something to recreate the old race of foresters and, since “the wood grows fine men as well as fine trees,” their labours are doubly valuable and worthy of encouragement. The commission is obliged to plant not for comely effect, but for q;iick profit, and hence the report tells that of the 16,459 acres stocked last year only 8 per cent, were sown with hardwoods. It is a profound pity that economics are gradually altering the familiar face of England; that instead of oak, ash, beech and the rest of our gracious, slowmaturing trees, alien conifers are rising in dark walls across the landscape. What the war left of native woodlands the builder has been swift in destroying, for whenever ancient estates are sold those who “develop” them hew down the stately trees at once for what they will fetch. And no one plants hardwoods now; they are not “commercial.” If this generation could be reborn a century or so hence looking around they might fancy they had awakened in some corner of Canada, Norway or far Japan.