NOTES FROM NEW YORK

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 290, 3 September 1919, Page 4

NOTES FROM NEW YORK

(Bv a New Zoalander.) An Amorican institution unknown to mo in New Zealand is the open forum which mnnv churches substitute for tho evenine service. "Come, let us reason tozether." is the niotto of '.he forum. • Thfi audience takes an activo- part, not merely accepting whit is handed to it x from tho platform as in the old style lectures. An address ia given on some nuestion of social interest, then questions . either written or verbal as may be stipulated, are answered, and, permission being L'iven bv the chairman, four-minute SDeeches bv way of comment aro followed bv a final explanation by the speaker, and the meeting clows to tho minute at the time arranged. The chairman preaervee a strict censorshifi over the questions, permitting no wandering from the noint.. If a four-ininute man is unusuallv interesting, the chairman grants an (intension of tinio if the nudience agrees. Tiis frce-nla.Y between preacher and hearers enables the former to judge how his ideas roaot on other minds, gives opportunities for correcting misunderstanding, and often generatos. some very pleasant wit and humour. I believe the birthplace of the forum in New York was tho Cooper Institute, a large buildhut standing at the heal of the historic Bowerv. : It is munificently endowed, has a. library and reading-room whero the leadinirnewspapersof the world may be read, and air immense auditorium where the proletariat gather to hear the Questions of the day discussed by ex•nerts. While" he was a professor at Princeton President Wilson frequently lectured ■ at the Cooper. Institute, and recently recalled his appreciation of tho keen, thoughtful Questions and comments of manv of his Hearers.. Ono_ Sunday nieht I heord the Bishop of Oxford sneak at the institute on Labour's interest in the League of Nations; it is probable he never before spoke to such a cosmoDolitan audience of workers Of the . larae number who questoined or commented not one spoke without a foreign aC Th n ft t- interest in the forum brings stranre audiences together in the churohes Atone I attended mn BirthAv7nue Episcopalian Church the speaker formerlv an actrees, now the wife of a millionaire, described her experiences m a Eed Cross worker in 1 ranee. She had heen entrusted with many personal meseafrea and commissions from soldiers to their relatives in New York. Theso she delivered personally, and m so much eood will in doing so that people of all ranks cauio to hear her address. On - another occasion the audience jot ■?«» gloomy and- concerntd,over Englands attempt to enforce conscription upon Ireland, where a Topsy-hke coloured girUot permission to. spoak. She they only had to look at her to be reminded,that they had problems nearer home, tone sooke of the disgraceful lynchings.and huniiiurs alive of negro men and women, . •arid vet the coloured on had gone will- , Srlv to fight. "Let hWaril reland settle their own affairs, she finally

"At present the League' of Nation*.to the tonic of mo9t general interest from fienato down to afternoon ten-tab o gath- ™. although -the labour situation throughout the world is.claimed to be of vastly creator immediate importance by imnv thoughtful people who have cold shivers of apprehension regarding. BoBhflvism.' Intense iutorest is taken m tt situation in England[whereLab™:* morehichly organised thaninthe State*, and the outcome,' whatever, it is, is. bound to liave a tremendous, influence m this country, and I «upp*e throughout the world. If Lloyd George can bring orter out of chaos in the world of Labour he will bo acolaimed tho eaviourof ,<»ir civilisation. Not only on the Bast side aje the niutterings of: 'Bolshevism 'heard; there is a section- of- intellectuals who ro.eard'Lenin as tho'prophet of ft new and better order of things. ~ , One dav at Waiiamakere I heard that a "British. Empire wae the attrition in the. large auditorium of the store, and that day happened to be.Australia'* and New Zealand's. Wondering at my good fortune in happening to be there 1 proceeded to the large, taste-fully-decorated theatre, where every atternoon a free entertainment is given tor tho store's natrons. The progranime_ooneisted of three parts; Music of Great Britain: official British speakors; official British motion pictures! ■ Each day there was a different speaker for the different dominions. Trooper H. H. Scott of the Anzacs. sooke for Australia and JNew Zealand. Hβ made rather a happy beKinniiiK by saying he would not address them as "Ladies and gentlemen, but as "Brothers and sisters," because that' was how he felt towards New Yorkers since he had -received so much kindness at their hands.. He. told of ■hM.wp'Wg" on GalliDoli. aud maintained that the lieayv sacrifices of the Auzacs were not invain. as they had kept the greater Dart of tho Turkish forces engaged, and so kent them out of Russia, and weaken--11 then, for the later fighting in Pa estine. He praised the Maori as a nistolasa firiitine man. and rather startled tue ftiidienoe" with an imitation ot a Maori war-cry and haka.. I spoke.to lrooper Scott afterwards, andfoniid that he had been in the employment of a firm of electrical engineers in Wellington. . AnKiLc" is a name to conjure with in tUe States, but though familiar with the deeds ("When shall their glory fade ') nssociated with the namo few people know now it oriirinated, and I am often questioned on. this point. . The svfens constructed last year to eive warning of air-raids en«mv submarines appeared off. these Ss now blare, out a welcome ntao dailv to returning troopships. lue stnJts are full of eoldieie, m; many tionl to others. The Pennsylvania (said I the togest hotel on earth) aocammodatee two thousand two hundred an the Commodore, opposite Grand Oentml Station, two thousand.

lister Penstelly, A.R.H.C, left by, the Mofowai last evening for the south, to take up-her position of n.atron at tie nm iioUal for neurasthenic cases at "phTDwaßemrat is announced.of CaptoirA' G \^l°v Bii!- E O fVe c et: ter d ■Mγ. 'G; Mi. M'Kay,