The Hokitika Guradian MONDAY, AUGUST 7th., 1922. RHODES SCHOLARSHIPS.

Hokitika Guardian, 7 August 1922, Page 2

The Hokitika Guradian MONDAY, AUGUST 7th., 1922. RHODES SCHOLARSHIPS.

i At the annual dinner to Rhodes scholars held in London in June, the Prime I Minister, in a message described the I Rhodes Scholarships as among the greatest of all legacies loft, to the BriI tish Empire by any single man since I is history began. (Cheers). He added : "Rhodes had the forward-looking mind I and the strong faith of the pioneer. I His name is ineffaceably written not only in South African history, not I only across one of the. most splendid | territories of the South, African Continent. but also, through the scholarships, upon the nll-important relationship of the British Empire and the United States. (Cheers.) The Rhodes Foundation is the outcome of a noble inspiration such as only a groat man combining the dreamer and the man of action would have carried out, and will hear abundant fruit in completing the understanding between the British and American peoples whose cooperation is essential to the peace of the world.’’ Lord Milner, who presided said as years go by, it becomes less and less necessary to embellish the memory | of our founder by any verbal praise. His fame rests upon the solid foundation of accomplished work which has stood the test o'f time. Rhodes always appears to be like one of those great mountains whose shape and size can only be appreciated from a certain distance. We who knew him well always realised that we were dealing with a very exceptional man, hut the extent if his greatness and its distinctive character. we have only realised since, and we are learning more about it every day. The names of Rhodes is written on the great territory which he gained for the Empire and civilisation, and on the Union of South Africa, Uni it Is, written nboyp all, on tho confraternity

‘ of Rhodes scholars, and I believe he would be very happy if he could see the v ay and direction in which that confraternity is shaping to-day. It is indeed true he never expected that all, or even the majority of those who benefited by his foundation, would be inspired by his ideals, or would become in any sense his followers.' But lie cast his bread upon the waters. He gave what he gave freely, without imposing any 1 conditions or reservations as to the use they would make of it, 01 ns o their future lives. He no doub thought and hoped that if even n small proportion of them having breathed the atmosphere of Oxford and having derived the same inspiration from it as he himself, would keep in touch with one another in future years and k,.ep its traditions alive, they would exercise 'a very great influence in the world And that is what has happened. and is happening. Tn the United States there has sprung up an organisation uniting the old Rhodes Scholars which practically covers the whole country, and similar organisations are bc-intiing to spring up in various British Dominions. I look forward to the time when the whole Rhodes’ organisation throughout the world will be rim very nearly completely by old Rhodes scholars themselves, and that there will bo.local centres in every Diminion. This wood promote the object which Rhodes had so much at heart—the unity of the Empire and the amity and co-opera-tion of the British Empire and tbe United States. These. Rhodes thought, were tbe two great bulwarks of our common civilisation, and there never was a time when,those bulwarks were more necessary in view of the dangers, internal and external which threatened the loundations of civilisation to-day-civilisation as Britain and America alike understand it. If that seems too imaginative. I can only say a little excess of imagination is not altogether out of place at « Rhodes gathering, for it was by virtue of his unique gift of imagination that Rholes was the great, man he was, and did the great things he did. We cannot honour his memory better than by trying to catch something of his spirit.”