NEEDS OF PEACE.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16412, 4 January 1919, Page 5

NEEDS OF PEACE.

to THE EDITOR or "TEE PRESS." Sir, —In view of the high position | occupied by the Hon. Sir llobert Stout, and of the esteem in which he is held personally, any public utterances of his. are entitled to respectful consideration. . The address recently delivered by him • in the> Unitarian Church in Wellington, and reported in your columns under the heading "Needs of Peace," contains some excellent advice to which we may well take heed, especially on tbe questions of moeting our new financial burdens, and of giving greater attention to public health, and to intellectual needs. Nor can we do aught else than agree that a higher social and ethical life is necessary in the commu- i nity. Assent, however", cannot be given to everything that Sir Robert Stout is reported to nave said, and 1 should be glad if you could afford space to en- ; able me to refer to one matter that ho, dealt with. . I If he does not hold tlio belief that the character, loyalty, and power of our New Zealand soldiers are* the result of secular education, then his references j to the subject certainly a're open to 1 that inference. Ho* however, surely : I lias overlooked such influences as hered- j ity and environment. It should be re-! membered that the majority of New , Zealand children have a great inheri- i tance. They had, or have, for their parents, or "grandparents, some of the best men and women of the old lands. Especially in the earlier years of the j Dominion, only those who were resolute ; • and cntorprising ventured on& a long ' sea voyage to a distant land that must J' have seemed to be at the very ends of , ; the earth. They were of sterling char- t acter and most of them had' received a , ! good training: had been well grounded j 1 in Christian ethics, and had high ideals. ' Nor should it be forgotten that in the < earlier schools attended by the chil- I < dren of these pioneers, Scriptural in- i .struction formed a part of the daily ■ 1 programme, and that many of the ] scholars became teachers in our present- i day public schools —some of whom I < believe even now are rendering excellent service. It also should be borne in mind that a number of our soldiers have attended Sunday schools, and re-

■ tain tho influence of the instruction rel • ceived there; and, further, that there 1 aro niauy private schools in which ■. Scriptural instruction is. and always ' j has been, a feature of the daily work. J i And we should realise that New Zea- ' j land children receive their education in "' tho atmosphere of a free country; and ' : that they have numerous opportunities 1 for tho development of individuality aud " resourcefulness. * It is obvious thai other influences, apart from tho present system of secular education, may reasonably bo held to have contributed in no small degree to the making of tho Now Zealand boys tvho have displayed such remarkable qualities as soldiers. I am not under[i valuing the influence that tho devoted • and capable public school teachers have had on many of them. Although han- ! 1 dicapped by a statutory provision that permits only "secular" instruction, they j iiavo done their best, assisted by the ' i examplo of their own lives, to strike a high note, and to worthily equip the , scholars for their life's work. With such an inheritance, and environment, and training, is it to bo wondered at that, under tho influence , of high ideals begotten thereby, our boys responded so finely to' the clamant ' calls for help in a righteous causo? But, it may fairly be asked, if these '! boys have shown the possession of char- ! j acter, loyalty, and power in so marked , | a degreo, why not be content with ex- : isting conditions? The answer is that , the influence of the inheritance will' not ' last indefinitely unless it be adequately nourished during transmission. As new generations arise it will have a teud--ency to fade. Tho spiritual idoal must 1 ri6t only be kept alive, the firo must j ! not only bo kept burning, but, in view , fcf tho necessity of socuring greater efficiency in our children by means of physical and mental education, it must be intensified, if the achievements of tech- : nical science are to be used for their legitimate purposes, and are not to become the end itself. Germany allowed the desire for the acquirement of material things to so dominate its national life, that spiritual influence declined, and eventually the materialistic ideal became an overpowering force. Wo also on e a duty to the world besides that of sending our boys to iight for it. As a result of tho war there have; been released pent-up forces which still . threaten* the peace of mankind, and . unless these bo brought under control by some spiritual influence, it is impossible to say' what tho end will be. The influence upon which reliance must be placed is that of the spirit of love, the leaves of whose tree would make for tbe healing of tho nations, and for the bringing of all material things under control. Although that spirit of love may still find it necessary at times . to exercise physical strength, yet its j influenco alono can bring permanent Eeaco. We should therefore seek to ave our children inspired by and to spread abroad the idea which is er- ; pressed by that word, love ; and it ! should be possible for all, irrespective l of creed, to agree to the use in our public schools of simple Scripture lessons b as °d thereon. The restriction imposed on teachers by the statutory . "secular" limitation should be removed, : and they should be allowed to spend a few minutes ' daily j or, as occasion suggests, to explain to the scholars how the lessons should be applied in their lives. Sir Robert Stout himself says that w© must consider the rights of out neighbour, as well as our own affairs, and havo love and consideration for our fellows. What is that but another rendoring of the Royal LaWj the: second of the two great Christian commandments ; and surely Jje will realise that the subject should have a legitimato placo in our public schools? Is not love the ideal that could, according; to Benjamin Kidd, through the mind' of woman, effect tho transformation of the world in a generation? And if its cultivation would make for the uplift of humanity in tho new era upon which ; tho world is entering, is- it not. our i bounden duty to ensure that nothing is lacking in our educational system that ; would contribute to that end?— Yours, etc*, J. C. MtfJDHOE. 1 Cashmere Hills.