JEFFRIES-JOHNSON PICTURES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 869, 16 July 1910, Page 3

JEFFRIES-JOHNSON PICTURES.

Sir,—By your kind permission, I.will' utilise your valuable organ' to voice an' opinion, which, I feel sure, will be heldby a large percentage of your broadminded readers. Numerous eminent and worthy divines whose uprightness and earnestness are beyond cavil, have raised their voices-in-company.-with a crowd of effeminate laymen to protest against the introduction into the Dominion of the Jeffries-Johnson pictures; but we hope that the Government will not accept the proposals of this narrow-minded minority. To those who deplore the so-called "disgusting exhibition" of boxing, and to those who persist in clinging to the belief that"a'stand-up fight "between two well-matched./ men : is a -•'■' brutal proceeding," I. would commend the perusal of a certain passage in "Rodney Stone," which reads as follows:— "When the ring has become as extinct as the lists, we may. understand that a broader philosophy would shon .that all things which spring up bo naturally and spontaneously have a function to fulfil, and that it is a less evil that two men should of their own frei. will fight until they can fight no mo'ei, than that tho standard of hardihood and endurance should run the' slightest risk of being lowered.in a nation which de-. pends so largely* upon ;; tho individual qualities of her citizens for her defence. Do away with war, if the cursed thing can by any wit of man be. avoided; but, until you see your way to do that, havu a care in meddling with those primitive qualities to which at any moment you may have to appeal for your own protection." May I quote also the opinion of an eminent, military,.authority of; the preBont day, .Viscount Esher, one of the' greatest leaders of the Territorial movement:—. ■ . ..-...•.. "The prize-ring as our forefathers know it has . passed away.' It was a rougU school, but it made men of its votaries, and helped to breed the qualities that three years later enabled a lot of raw country boys, under tho eye of Wellington, to stand for hours the terrible punishment of Napoleon's attack at Waterloo, and finally to defeat the. most_ gallant army and . the • greatest ' military genius the world has ever known. If aUr English lads cannot be saints, at any rate let them be virile." Thanking you for this space, and hoping that I am expressing the view of' a large number of your subscribers,—l am, etc.. •'..'■ DEFENCE.