DEPENDENCE ON GERMAN

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2420, 27 March 1915, Page 30

DEPENDENCE ON GERMAN

LORD MOULTON'S GRAVE WARNING,

,At the annual prize 'distribution and conversazione of tne Northampton Polytechnic Institute, Clerkeuwell, recently, among others who had accepted invitations were Lord Moulton,' who distributed the prizes. The Principal (Dr. It. Mullineux Walmsley) reported a substantial increase in the enrolments ill the day classes of the Engineering Day College, and also in the part-time wfttch and-clock-making classes. About 20 of the students had joined the colours. Aeronautical classes wero started last year. They Tver© exceptionally well attended, and prizes were offered by the Aeronautical Society. Many of last year's siiidents of these classes wero now either actually at the front or at the air-craft factory. (Cheers.) Lord 'Moulton said', that for many weeks, as chairman of a committee appointed by the Board of Trade, he had had" to deal with ;, th'e difficulties caused by the war having severed commerce between ourselves aiid Germany. Tho ivar had made. England take stock of tlie extent to which in peace we deluded on Germany. The lesson the inquiry had taught liirn was'that in industry Eng'and had been asleep, and that, quite, apart from the military subjection which ..Germany sought 'to put us under, there was the danger of our. being under voliiiitafy' subjection by reason of the apatliy. of. the Eliglish people. who would not accept the burden necessary if they were to keep:-in the forefront in industry as their fathers

did, If England was to hold her place in peace it was be&use a school jvas rising up which was shaking off its apathy and accepting the condition of success—voluntary devotion to study and labour. He had examined into the whole question of supplies from Germany, and had seen where we fell short. He had slowly arrived at tho conclusion that in those branches <of industry whore, in addition to mero skill, shrewdness and gumption there .hadbeen the necessity to study and learn what was already known by the world—branches of industry where intellectual labour was necessary to keep us in the front rank—England had been rapidly falling back, and therefore there was no hope unless the younger generation, the middle-aged, and above all, those who ruled business houses, realised that the intellectual mastery of ,a subject was necessary beforo they could do cood work in it. There was 0110 thing, however, which made him bear the revelation with more hope and cheerfulness than lie otherwise would. lit* had thought that'the ease of our life had softened the nerve and muscle of the people, but he had been cured of that. It had been shown to all tho world that in fighting, at all events, that was not true. (Cheers.) Our character had not deteriorated,' and he wanted to asfc them whether the brain and energy of England had deteriorate, od. If it had not, England would talis the lesson of its dependence on Germany and accept tho duty of learning just as it. had accepted the duty -of facing the awful artillery whichfor years had been designed to. exterminate our hosts, would accept the necessary discipline both of mind and. body in order to'seeure for England the position which in war it was securing at tho present time, (Cheers.)