VICTORIA LEAGUE HOLD “ AT HOME.”

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19238, 27 November 1930, Page 10

VICTORIA LEAGUE HOLD “ AT HOME.”

PROFESSOR POCOCK ON IMPERIAL HISTORY. The quarterly meeting of the Victoria League, taking, as usual, the form of an “At Home” was held yesterday afternoon in the Jellicoe Hall. Maple foliage, palms and bowls of mauve, pink and blue lupins were banked against the platform and provided a prdtty note of colour in the hall. There was a large attendance of members, who at the conclusion of the address were served with afternoon tea by the ladies of the committee. Mrs E. G. Hogg, the president, before introducing the lecturer, Professor L. G. Pocock, spoke of the work done by the committee of the Victoria League in Christchurch, and also- the objects of the league itself. The chief object, she said, was to draw closer the bonds of the Empire. By assisting and entertaining visitors from overseas, by meeting and looking after the welfare of girls who came out under the migration scheme, good work was beifig continually done by the members of the league. Another branch of the work was in linking up the children of the primary schools in New Zealand and England. Through the library, books, magazines and papers were distributed to workers in outlying districts and also to the Chatham Islands. An Interesting Study. “To us the study of an Empire- on which our modern civilisation has been built and which lasted five times as long as ours has been in existence, should be full of interest,” said Professor Pocock in opening his address on “The Roman Empire and the British Empire—Some Comparisons.” Speaking of the constitution of an empire, Professor Pocock said that the primary object of all human institutions was the security of its individual members, and this was best achieved by the security of the whole community to which we belonged. “To be big and strong is to be secure” was a wellknown axiom which explained the position. To attain that security an individual must realise that while liberty was sweet, it was necessary to surrender his personal liberty and his personal interests and he must be amenable to discipline. The word “Empire” was derived from the Latin word “imperia,” which signified the authority of the city of Rome. Its symbol was a bundle of rods and axes, a symbol of discipline. Some Comparisons. Comparing the two great Empires the speaker said they were strikingly similar in temperament. Both were amenable to discipline, slow to change, redoubtable in war, essentially legally minded, excelled in the power to force the rule of justice and equity, and both were cool in time of crisis. While both ‘were capable of good organisation neither were over logical. The Roman Empire was more compact than ours, which was its strength and made it last for centuries. It had a greater power of assimilation of people than we had, France, Spain and Africa having gradually become Romanised. The colour bar was not apparent in the Roman Empire. We were weaker in this respect; in our failure' to assimilate, especially with regard to Ireland and to an extent India and Africa. Professor Pocock concluded his lecture with a few remarks on the private life of the Roman citizens, of which but little was known. Of special interest to merpbers of the Victoria League was the fact that the writings of Cicero showed that in those ancient times letters of introduction were given to travellers that they might receive hospitality in the places they visited. A vote of thanks was accorded the lecturer for his instructive address.