VICTORIA LEAGUE

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2159, 27 May 1914, Page 6

VICTORIA LEAGUE

TO HOLD AN EMPIRE TOGETHER

SOCIAL SYMPATHY ADDRESS BY SIR lAN HAMILTON. The annual meeting of the Victoria League was held last night. Sir John Findlay presided, and thero were about 300 members and supporters,'of tho league present. General Sir lan Hnniilton was present, with his staff-officers Brigadier-General' Ellison and Major Ashmorc. Major-General Godley and several officers of tho New Zealand §taff Corps, arid the Hon. R. H. Rhodes also attonded. ■, The New Officers. Following are the New. Zealand officers of .the league:—Patrons, tho Earl and the Countess of Liverpool; president. Miss Coates; vice-presidents, Mrs. Godley, Mrs. J. P. Luke, Mrs. Grady, Mrs. Rankine Brown, and Dr. Martin; council,. Mesdames Massey, Corrigan, S. Kirkcaldio, Snelson,. J. D. Gray, Lai , - nacli, P. Myers, Tripp, H. Hall, I' , . Ward. E. F. Hadfield, and F. Samuel, Dr. Martin, Dr. Platts Mills, the Mayor of Wellington, Messrs. A. Atkins, R. Darroch, C. B. Morison, C. P. Po.wles, and C. R. Smith; executive committee, Miss Coates, M&dames Salmond, Harris, Rankine Brown/ and Stott; lion, treasurer, Mrs. J. P.. Luke; hon. -secretary, Mrs. Chatfield. These officers were not elected at the meeting last night, but their election was announced there.-

The Annual Report. Mrs. Chatfield road the annual report, a fairly long compilation dealing with a great many details of' the league's work.. Following is tbo concluding paragraph of the report:— "Vie wish to. ask our members to seriously. consider the work of tho league, as a whole. There is no doubt as to tho usefulness ■ nnd. necessity of. the.' league as a bond of union and a help in consolidating- the Empire.' If wo consider the position of colonials years ago, when, they went to' England not.knowing many (or' any) .people, the ■ loneliness and disappointment, tho lack of friends and friendliness, and,contrast it with the .position-iio\v,« when'friends are found .everywhere/- and opportunities for. pleasure and advantage arc continually offered;. We have-also tho pleasure of reciprocity here, where "we meet and' .welcome' all those recommended to .us, 'and take care that they feel, thatthey are among friends, thus robbing' tho' landing in such a far-off land: of most of the terror of home-sickness and strangeness. If this was our only work there cah surely be no question as to our justifying our existence over and over again. 'If" our members would realise that giving parties • for their amusement, although very pleasant, is the least important factor in our work. Tho care of • strangers, helping our brothers and sisters in the back-blocks, and educating the young ones to realise their privileges and responsibilities as members, oPa great Empire, aro the. truest best aims .of-the'league, and worthy .of■ the ■• memory of- the great Queen , whose name we bear. Each branch is absolutely necessary to the parent league, which cou|d hot exist but for us, and it. is for us to see that wo use every endeavour to extend its power and influence." . '

Mrs. J. P. 'Luke, treasurer of tho Wellington ■.branch', in presenting the balance-sheet; made a strong anneal for moro members and more subscriptions. Sho remarked that the balance in hand was £28.145. Bd., as against £35 13s. 2d. last-year. -.'.■'■'

Speeches and a Presentation. Dr. Platts-Mills moved the adoption of the annual.report. S'ho discussed .the objects and aims of the league, malting reference also to the health conference recently held-in*England, under the auspices of the- leasrue. : At that conference one- of the subjects dealt with was and Dr. Platts-Mills went on to speak of places that she knew which furnished evidence that there was . in Wellington squalor, wretchedness, and poverty demanding attention. It was a mistake, slie said, to sunpose'that there was no field in New Zealnnd for the chnritable activities of the league. The report was agreed to. ' ' Captain Hudson.' N.Z.S.C. delivered a, brief address cm the operation of our military training scheme. As ho ox'piained, his address consisted altogether of; factsand 1 figures, relating to the organisation -'and -Braining of , the Now Zealand Army. ' *' Mies' Joyce Eggers received a prizo awarded.to her for her poent on the death of Captain Oates. At the invitation of Miss Coates, who presented the prize, Miss Eggers recited the /prize ■poein. . ■ .

SIR lAN HAMILTON. THREE ESSENTIALS FOR PATRIOTS. General Hamilton, who arrived shortly after 9 p.m., delivered a brief address. ■ , . "I. understand," lie said, "that the object ofvtli£ Victoria League is to hold the Empire together. There are three ways an empire can be held together— by a tariff (which appeals to self-jnter-.est), by defence (underlying which is the element of fear), or by social sympathy (underlying which is tlio element of affection), and.tlie.rela.tiye'importance of these three'factors is not as I have put tli'e'ni, hut'exactly" tic other way round. What demand, then, does the cultivation of this precious quality df Imperial social sympathy make upon us? ' ."(1). Imagination to grasp how, aggravating as the differences between a New Zealander, an Australian, a Smith .African, a Canadian, or a Britisher may .sometimes seem to be, .they are really trifling—really no more trouble to get over than a shallow stream. You tiick up your skirts and; have crossed it before you know where'you are. Whereas the fundamental differences between the New Zealander and the m?n from Chicago, St. Petersburg, Berlin, Paris,, or Rome, are like a tidal river: you must swim ; yrnir are out of your depth ;. courage, adaptability, and tenacity are required before you can evar hone to make yourself at homo on the other side of thn wr.tor. '' ' . ' "(2) Energy and loynlty wherewith to mako that iittlo effort of crossing the. shallow stream; energy strong enoiwh to iiuluno tlio members of each.of the five nations to bo prepared to put themselves out of their selfish routine so that they may now' and then make an effort to be specially jolly anil friendly and hospitable to their own kith and kin from over the seas;, loyalty to move a Canadian, letns-sav, so that he will make a New Zealander feel at home- m Ottawa, in a way which it would be impossible for liim to feel at homo even, in the United States of America. ThaC means, of course, something more substantial than' the; airy bunting of the Union Jack—something rather in the more solid line of beef and cakes and ale. "(3) Self-restraint to heln us to turn a blind eye to ono another's shortcomings.

Analogy of the Family. "Now granting the imagination postulated in (1), ho'.v are tlio precepts put forward in my (2) and (3) to bo carried into practice? Tako the analogy of that foundation of all society, the real family—a father, mother, and a lot of boys and. girls. I liavo known several such groups, and watched them closely. When .truly united they.possess power and influence quite beydnu the measure of; the- aggregate power and influence of tie individuals comprising them, Thoj

possess thorn in virtue of their loyalty. Such are those families of whom it is often said, 'For tlio Lord's sake, bo careful you don't say anything against one Smith to another Smith.' Just consider the Kmpiro for a moment, and realise how far wo- are at present such an ideaK Actually wo are more like members of-a mutual criticism society. Wo let our own little- AngloCeltic variegations jar more upon our imitcs than the fundamental cleavages existing between a- real foreigner and ourselves. But wo must not do this. Wo must restrain our carping tempers. If,, for instance, a New Zealand .officer says openly in England that ho. considers the whole Canadian war- system pretty rotten, he may mean well, but ho is not helping the Umpire. Canadians may tako a certain amount of criticism lying down if it be administered by the old mother who boro them, but they are darned if they are going to stand that sort of talk from a sister.. Anyway, that sort of talk is not the- energy and loyalty, I havo referred to as being required by those who would bind tho Empire together. Energy and loyalty are ho doubt very big words, " .'

Tho Real Power. "Arc the family of Smith conscious that energy and loyalty underlie that cohesion-which makes them lords over their provincial balls, golf coursos, and hunts? I very much doubt it. Tho force which actually holds the Smith family together, arid makes every member'bravely toe the line, takes tho shape of.constant untiring-little unselfish -efforts by the women of that aristocratic connection. It is they who write every ,day or two.to their father or mother. It is they .who force their husband to givo up a week's hunting or shooting and to conic and spend Christmas at the old home.. It is they who utterly -stamp upon and annihilate tho Jones .connection hocause they did not ask the unmarried Miss Smith to their.ball. In fact, it is they, and they alone, who keep tho family going. . Tho men, immersed in. selfish, pursuits, are totally, useless, and worse than useless,, for such a purpose. . Lefii to fc them, the families, oven in Scotland, "where their bond is still so strong, would disappear from existence in a year." . .General. Hamilton went on. to enlarge upon the superior aptitude of woman for-tho carrying .on of the work, of such societies'as. tho Victorian.League.' Ho particularly, thanked and the . League, for. undertaking tho duty of caring for. the-'.graves of old soldiers. '." : '.'.'.. '..Vote of Thanks., Sir. John,Findlay spoke of the.growth of-tho Imperialistic idea": , .in the mind of the nation in tho last. 50 years, and of .the .League's effort to foster this idea. He .also expressed the pleasur/o and the. honour members of the League, '.had'felfe by the presence at their meeting of General Sir lan Hamilton.

Oil the motion of Mr. C. P. Powles a- vote of thanks was accorded to the speakers at the meeting.