HAMILTON EAST.

Waikato Times, Volume 104, Issue 17533, 15 October 1928, Page 8

HAMILTON EAST.

! Rev. Percy Paris spoke lo the boys of Standards' V. and VI. at the Hamilton Hast School on Citizenship and the l League of Nations. He began by explaining the meaning of Boys' Week, and said it was a recognition on the part of the older folk of the importance of the young people—this week, especially the. boys. Among the boys were the future mayors, councillors, teachers, business men, and citizens of our Dominion. Citizenship began when people first started to live together in communities. Then rules had to be made and laws passed for the happiness security, and prosperity of the people generally. The duties of citizenship involve the keeping of the rules and obedience to the laws, of the town and country in which we live. There must be the consideration of others, and their wishes, and their freedom. Mr Paris went on lo show that often the liberty of the community involves the limitation of our individual freedom He illustrated this from such notices as "Keep off the grass," and "Keep to the left," etc. To-day we have reached the stage where each nation has learnt keep of the rules of national citizenship, so as to bring the possibility of health, peace, and prosperity to all. The speaker then explained that we were living in a different world from Ihot which our fathers knew as boys. Tt'is a smaller world. Speed m transit is for all practical purposes niuuclng the extent of oceans and continents It is as if the oceans and s eas were drying up. and the countries of the world coming closer together. Sixty years ago Mr Paris' father came to'New Zealand, and the journey took six"months—by sailing ship To-day the steamers do it in six weeks. In a few years the air-ships will do it in six days The world is shrinking. In the home of a young man belonging to his) church Mr Paris heard the other | waning a man giving a speech in Hoi- J

land. This same lad has "picked up" Japan, Siberia, and America. So we must get the larger vision in our day, ithat we are citizens not only of Hamilton and New Zealand, but of the world. Soon we shall be rubbing shoulders with the people of all nations. If then we are to live together as citizens of the world, we must have world rules, and learn to keep them. Thus, in the wider city of the world, we shall live together in peace and prosperity. Mr Paris went on to explain to the boys the Covenant of the League of Nations and the Kellogg Pact, and the influence of these things for better understanding and peace among the different races. The final story told by Mr Paris was from Basil Mathews' "The Clash of Colour." It was of a college Soccer football team, whose captain was an Abyssinian. The backs were a Turk and an Amenian; the others included a Syrian from Lebanon, a Greek, other Turks, a Persian, and a Copt from Egypt. Their trainer was an Irishman. The principal of the college was an American. In the college were 900 boys of all those races. The chief difficulty of the captain was to teach the boys to pass the ball. "Each at the beginning of his training," he said, "wants to dribble the ball down the field at his own feet and score the goal himself for his own glory." "So," he went on, "I have won the battle, not only for the boy as a member of the learn, but really for his whole life-job, when I have taught him to pass." Mr Paris showed the boys how the League of Nations is teaching the nations "to pass."