THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 289, 4 September 1942, Page 4

THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY

Comments —Reflections Things used in moderation last a long while. —’Seneca.

“The British Empire will'be great just in proportion to the . extent to which its people seek to live in righteousness—in right relations to God and one another. When the war broke out we were getting into the age of agnostic secularism. You were no longer to teach boys or girls religion. That was unnecessary. All you had to do was to teach them science, and to tell them to make the most of themselves. So we were producing all over the world a generation of clever devils, of whom the Nazis are just special specimens. The worst blasphemy is not swearing, but shoddy work; making' a worthless article and selling bad stock. The bad workmanship men despise in jerry building, poor and vulgar plays, etc., is also an offence to God. God is the enemy of alt shoddy things. The man ■who does his work as well as he can and uses his talents responsibly and honourably is, by so doing, obeying the ■Spirit of God as truly as any man alive.” —The Bishop of Bradford, Dr. A. W. F. Blunt.

“The carrot must be reckoned as our main source of carotene on a large scale ... a valuable source of vitamin A activity. The need for this must be frankly explained to the public. It is not enough merely to say ‘Eat more carrots,’ for this slogan will arouse no response in the indifferent and in those who do not like carrots; the public must realize that since they can no longer get their pint of milk, egg and ounce of butter they must make up with carrots, helped out with vitaminized margarine. The campaign to introduce new and attractive ways of cooking carrots is a valuable step in this direction. There seems little point, however, in making particular efforts to boost the raw carrot. The carotene is not destroyed by cooking, and only small sftnounts of the heating vitamins B and C are present in the roots even when raw. There is evidence, too, that cooking increases digestibility, with a corresponding increase in the efficiency of absorption of the carotene.” —“The Lancet.”

“Somehdw the framework of party government, with its practical equipment, its electoral force, and its educative power, must be maintained. Bu t it must be turned into something more representative, something which, instead of smothering ideals and enthusiasms, gives to each of them (for what it is worth) its chance, and permits an ordered balance between conflicting theories of life and politics. The first condition,- therefore, of efficient party government after the war will be an alignment of men according to genuine principles, not according to personal dislikes, personal,Jealousies, personal animosities and personal ambitions. Whatever may be possible elsewhere, the party system in Britain can only function if each party has a coherent political philosophy, which expresses the views, articulate or instinctive, of a very considerable body in the country. It may be. that the old two party system will be restored; if it is possible to do that, without dragooning or suppressing the extremist and the heretic, then the problem of honest Parliamentary government will have been greatly eased. But the imperative need is for the inspiration of party by principle.” —“The Economist,” London.

“We have emphasized and encouraged a broad cultural basis in education, even for those who are to specialize in the trades and professions. By so doing we have succeeded in making education an enjoyable process for the individual. We never looked upon our education as flawless ; but we have been confident that a gradual evolution would finally produce that type of education best suited for us. Perhaps too confident. Our methods have never really been challenged. We have lived along with them, changing a little here, a little there, 'but without deeply realizing either the fine qualities or the possible weaknesses. But our methods are being challenged now. Hitler’s youth shout from the school tops that our system is decadent, and selfishly abused by individuals at the expense of the group. They point fingers of scorn at our lack of enthusiasm, lack of discipline, and seriousness. We do not teach devotion to a cause, do not emphasize love for work, they say. German youth of today is totalitarian not only in its action, but in its thinking. It is arrogant, fanatic and Urooks no opposition. And it challenges everything that is weak; not only weak in body, but weak in intensity and loyalty.”—Dr. Zeimer, in his book “Education for Death —the Making of a Nazi.”

“Those to whom we of the United States of America are indebted for our heritage of political, religious and economic freedom, saw to it during the formative period and the long debates of the Constitutional Convention, that the rights of citizens and of the several States were safeguarded against centralized authority. If these safeguards are not properly observed and preserved, the fault is our own. The tendency, even honestly, may be to ignore them in times when remedial or defensive measures seem to demand unusual or experimental expedients. Even with the energies and strength of a united nation directed to the prosecution of a war which will make increasing and continuing demands for service and sacrifice, it might be prudent and wise for the Governors ot the States to take counsel together, not as critics of established war policies, but as the guardians and chosen protectors of tirae-honbured Constitutional authority. The road' toward centralization is dangerous because it is so easily mistaken as the only way to insure solidarity. It sometimes seems easiest, in times of emergency, to shift the responsibility for decision and action to the shoulders of those willing to bear it. Recent experiences have shown to what irreparable disaster such surrender leads.” —Mr. F. L. Perrin, in the “Christian Science Monitor.” ♦ * * Invocation. Teach me in dewy silences to know On the pruned bush the loveliest roses grow, ® That when the shears of sorrow shall be laid Against my life, serene and unafraid, A sturdier faith shall flower there and be A richer crimson in my love for Thee. —Molly Anderson Haley, in the “Churchman.”