ROTARY CLUB

Wairarapa Daily Times, 31 July 1936, Page 8

ROTARY CLUB

ADDRESS BY DR. GRAHAM BROWN Various aspects of the situation in the Near East were touched on in a highly ■ and' infoVmative manner By Dr. Graham Brown in the course of an address at yesterday’s luncheon of the Masterton Rotary Club. Dr. Graham Brown sketched- the historical background leading \ip to the modern position in Palestine and then went on to deal with the political situation.

Observing that for some reason oi other the Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem was regarded by tho populace as the mouthpiece of tlie Government, the bishop requested that his remarks regarding the political situation be not reported. He had, he said, to maintain a stolid impartiality and as far as possible to view the scheme of things impartially. “I have to try as much as I can not to look too much like an Englishman, an Arab or a Jew,” he said.

Tho president, the Rev. E. J. Rich, presided over a large attendance of members and visitors present were the Rev. N. S. Barnett, Vicar of Tinui, Messrs Win. C. Mann, P. Wallace and A. D. S. Duncan. In welcoming the bishop, Mr Rich said it was an honour to be president of tho club on such an occasion. Too often in the past,, he said, Masterton had not been included in tho tour of the distinguished overseas visitors and he was particularly glad that they had been included on this occasion. The Masterton Rotary Club felt that it had a definite connection with Jerusalem as its foundation president, Sir Herbert Hart, had left recently to take up an important position there. . ■

At the conclusion of his address, the bishop was accorded a hearty vote of thanks by acclamation on the motion of Rotarian H. M. Peacock.