N.Z. CULTURE

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 32, 2 November 1942, Page 8

N.Z. CULTURE

Criticism By College Lecturer

CHRISTCHL’KCII, .November 1. “You may be offended by iny next remarks, but as far as New Zealand is concerned, we have no culture, dtud .Mr. Winston Rhodes, lecturer in huulisli at Canterlbiiry College, during the course of an address to the New Kducation Fellowship Conrereiice on toe “Influence of I’acilie Culture. He said that New Zealand should be very proud of certain tilings aecouiplislied in the past and also accompli shed in tlie present. New Zealanders should lie happy and proud of its traditions and ashamed of others, but as a nation and a people, New Zealanders had no culture. The jieople were merely in the throes of developing a national spirit. There was nothing to join the people so that they could give their contribution to the ■world in ■thought and ideas. New Zealanders must be able to adapt themselves to the 'best in the world and so be able to contribute something to the world. Mr. Rhodes said that there were a number of men and women who had contributed .something to the world, but they had one it in their own way, not nationally. Nationally, New Zealanders had contributed nothing to the world. Prominent scientists and others who had distinguished themselves had gone overseas. In literature also New Zealand- had produced nothing. If they were to attempt culture in New Zealand, perhaps the only thing they had to work on was literature. No Roots in the Soil. “We are not New Zealanders, but merely a number of people. We have not piit down our roots into the soil, and that is .most important in an attempt at national development. AVe have nothing to join us together as a people. We look upon ourselves as exiles in a strange land. In our literature we express ourselves merely as exiles. Everything that has been written, has been witli tlie dominant note of exiles from somewhere —exiles in our own land.” added Mr. Rhodes. Mr. Rhodes said that New Zealanders still talked of England as Home, and not of New Zealand as Home. It was not realized, until the war, tliat New Zealand was a Pacific country. New Zealanders knew all sorts of things about France, Germany, Europe and England's relations generally with the rest of the world, but now, because of the war, it had been forced on the lieople, that New Zealand was a Pacific country. America, he said, was going to influence New Zealand very considerably. Tliere were two Americas. There was the America of super salesmen, chewing gum, cities of dreadful joys, Hollywood, etc. There was also the other America which was emerging, the America of great writers, great scientists and culture. It was a question which America New Zealand was going to accept.