The Hokitika Guardian THURSDAY, JUNE 1st. 1922. PATRIOTISM.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 June 1922, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian THURSDAY, JUNE Ist. 1922. PATRIOTISM.

In connection with the recent Ministerid visit, occasion was taken by the Chairman of the School Committeo to mete out to Mr Parr well deserved praise for liis energy and enterprise in endeavouring to inculcate into the rising generation an understanding for patriotism, so that it might be practised all through life. At the School ground on Monday, after the simple service of saluting the Flag, Mr Parr gave the scholars an address on why they should be loyal to their country. Ab we are almost on the eVe of the King’s Birthday, it will not be out of place to-day to refer further to the subject, and i.o note with pleasure that in the New South Wales schools similar action to

...at taken by New Zealand is being initiated by the Mother State. The Sydney Herald in noting the effort to cultivate patriotism in the schools, goes on to remark that Australians are not a demonstrative people; they ure slow to give outward expression of their deepest emotions and in particular they regard anything in the nature of flagtlupping with distaste. Nevertheless, they will approve of Mr Bruntnell’s decision to introduce into the State schools a Weekly ceremonial which will il'niind children of their obligations to their King, their Empire, and their country. Patriotism is a thing, of the spirit, not of forms or of lip-service, and the liuhit of saluting the flag at regular intervals is not iri itself a guarantee of good citizenship. But there is ffo doubt that such proceedings »s those which the Minister has authorised possess a distinct value. Children require symbols. To them the Empire may seem an abstraction and the King a remote and unapproachable ruler who has no’relation to their own life. But the repeated act "of declaring their allegiance and honouring the flag must make an impression. This ceremony will bring home to them the reality of certain institutions by which w* set great store and certain ties which wo would not have relaxed. The value of such demonstrations has been abundantly proved in America, whero the practice of saluting the flag has long been in vogue in the schools. Of course the conditions in America are, or were different from those obtaining here, as America had a problem which we have not to face. She had to assimilate a huge number of immigrants from a score of European countries, many of whom knew no language but their own. Thu American flag displayed in the schools wag something tangible to grip their imagination, a starting point fpr the development of a new sense of patriotism. As they saluted it they were made to realise that they were no longer Germans, or Poles, or Scandinavians, but Americans; ami it was America’s boast that even if the adult immigrants were somewhat slow to be absorbed the children invariably grow up “good Americans.” In Australia we have a homogeneous population. In no other dominion save New Zealand is so large a proportion of the inhabitants of pure British descent. There is no question of assimilation, nor do wo suggest for a moment that there is any want of patriotism among our people as a whole. Our record in the war testifies to that, and the extraordinary enthusiasm with which the Prince of Wales was received shows that on a suitable occasion the unemotional Australian can he stirred from his calm to give voice to the most exuberant expressions of loyalty. But it cannot be denied that in the community there are certain forces at work whose avowed object is the disruption of the Empire. These advocates of a half-baked internationalism disparage patriotism and honour no flag but the Red. Their number may not be great and their influence may be negligible. Nevertheless any tendoncy to take things for granted, any appearance of indifference in the matter of patriotism, plays into their hands. For that reason the propaganda work in the schools is not without value, cultivating a feeling and creating impressions which will not readily fade away. It is worth the while of tho country to cultivate the spirit which will maintain law and order and give the assurance of national security in which is hound up the liberty, justice and freedom of our citizen-ship—-which is too precious a possession to permit lightly to pass away.