WALES AND THE WORLD

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21413, 4 March 1935, Page 12

WALES AND THE WORLD

SIGNIFICANCE OF WELSH HERITAGE POSSIBLE CONTRIBUTION TO FUTURE OF NATIONS Some thought on the possible contribution of Welsh tradition and culture to the world in the future was offered by Mr C. E. Jones, president of the Cambrian Society, in an address on "Wales in the Modern World," on Saturday evening. Mr Jones emphasised the importance of the duty of the Welsh societies throughout the world in fostering the traditions and culture of Wales. "The title of my address may sound an anachronism," he said. "I wonder whether some people regard Wales and what the Welsh societies stand for as the dry bones of a dead tradition. I have chosen this subject to emphasise that there is a Wales in the modern world and that it has its place there. It may play a considerable part in the modern world in the realm of ideas and ideals. Members of Welsh societies well know that they do not stand for a dead tradition, but for a living spirit, a formative power and a creative force.

"If Welsh people wish to see their children grow up Welsh they should teach them a little Welsh history. That will grip their hearts and fire them with enthusiasm. Welsh people have, throughout history, maintained a separate and distinct existence, and have cherished, maintained, and developed their own national tradition and culture and their own language. During that time many peoples of greater numbers and more powerful material resources have entirely disappeared." Importance of Language Some people might wonder why Welsh people persisted in emphasising the importance of the language. It had been throughout the ages the clearest mark of the persistence of the Welsh traditional culture in that mountain region of Western Europe. Did they realise that the people who spoke the Welsh language that day were the survivors of the most tremendous attacks throughout the whole course of their history? Attempts at Romanising, Anglicising and Normanising had been made, yet in spite of all, Welsh people retained their individuality. He believed that the Welsh people must be the most mixed people in the world. In the past, race wave after race wave had slowly worked westward. When they reached Wales they could not turn back because there was wave upon wave following them so they stopped in the mountains with the result that in Wales there was represented every race type that ever made its way across the plain of Central Europe. Everyone of them had inherited and developed the Welsh tradition and to this day all who came to Wales and made Wales their home had a right to that Welsh heritage. Throughout history some of the greatest leaders and the most outstanding benefactors of Wales, some of the men who had done most to enrich the life of Wales, had been people of absolutely alien blood. Some of them had come to Wales with the avowed intention of slaughter, or of subjugating the land, but contrary to everything they had intended, even to their own instincts, they had been eventually led captive bv the spirit of Wales and had become her leaders. For the last 500 years and more Welsh people had been subject to the government of England. Since Tudor davs they had become the first part of the British Commonwealth of Nations, and Wales had done a great deal towards the success of the British commonwealth of nations. Development of Culture

Welsh independence had been finally extinguished in 1282. From that time the golden a£e of Welsh literature dawned. It was because men could no longer fight for their country and sacrifice themselves for political independence that they put their best into the maintenance of Welsh cultural traditions. From that day to this the Welsh );ad lived in harmony with the English and had shown themselves loyal subjects in the partnership. Since then Welsh people had maintained their cultural nationalism and devoted themselves to the maintenance of the Welsh language. In spite of many set-backs, the love of culture had continued. The cultural traditions of the Welsh people should be fostered and grow into something fine and noble which should stamp the Welsh people as people who had a real contribution to make towards human progress, Mr Jones said. He was certain that when Welsh people and others who lived in Wales became conscious of their heritage, there would be a political revolution, but for the present that was not being considered. The Welsh people were prepared to allow it to take its course. Their work in Welsh societies was to foster as far as they could the Welsh tradition to make clear the meaning and significance of the Welsh heritage. The kind of tradition represented by Welsh people was wanted in the world to-day. He doubted if it had ever been more deeply needed. The one thing which they represented was the right of people to work out their own salvation. From her own experience in the past, Wales had learnt lessons that would enable her to develop something that would be really worthy of the great fellowship of national life—of freedom and liberty. There was less personal freedom in the world than there was before 1914, and the spirit represented by the Welsh tradition was urgently needed and was absolutely essential. It might be that eventually from Wales would come the real vision and the true meaning of freedom and liberty of the civilised world. WELSH CLUB CELEBRATES Members of the Welsh Club and (heir friends celebrated St. David's Day at the Young Men's Christian Association rooms on Saturday evening. The president, Mr R. Wynne Owen, who presided, read messages from Australian Welsh societies. A warm welcome was extended to the club's patron, Mr Owen Jones, of Hawera, who had come down for the occasion.

Mr A. A. Evans gave an interesting address on the life and work of Dr. Joseph Parry, and items were given by Miss C. James, Messrs Griffiths, M. E. James, and Roberts. The following toasts were honoured: "St. David," proposed by Mr O. Jones (Hawera), "Wales," and "Mr Wynne Owen and the Visitors," proposed by Mr D. James. A pleasant feature of the celebrations was the presenlation of a large flag of the mystic; red d'ragon to the club by Mrs H. Williams.