The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is in corporated the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1926. THE CALL.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 February 1926, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is in corporated the West Coast Times. WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1926. THE CALL.

In this time of doubtful pro pec'.s ; reuuuk- the British Emjiire Bcvicv.. die future of England and ol Ihe Empire occupies much thought, and the cry of ‘‘\V.d-. • up Eli.elaml lias many meanin;.:-, and perhaps sonic new le-suns tor ah. ! ji e i!i it isli ]>eo| e have never leva given to self-praise, nor i.s Midi a on a! dc-irable. It has been te.ore inclined to .'■ell-depreri.il ion. this quality has. it. may he. been more marked in rro'ilt years, and its harmful .•li’e.-i - are becoming more apparent. .More than a generation ago Herbert Spencer -writing on Sociology when dealing with the ill-effects caused by the bias of patriotism or undue sclfe.stimation. took pains at the same time to pass judgment on the perverting ellYcts of anti-patriotism or undue self-depreciation, “in no peon l ,? more than our own,” lie 'said, “lias nnder- \ ablation of ourselves be; ome a fashion; it seems to imply a wide knowledge of what is foreign, and brings a reputation lot culture." The one habit is to be deprecated as much as the other. .Most of us in our generation must have met with numerous instances of tlic latter habit, which may. and indeed docs, co-exist with an “undue valuation of material prosperity.” Tt was hut a few days ago that l.ord Beavi'rbrook, while contending that the great danger of Great Britain was that “She. will not advertise her merits,” said: -- “Take the ease of American opinion. I have lived nearly all my days as a neighbour, and nn intimate of the TTiitcd States, and t understand something of what they think. They li'ganl us to-day. as a result of pessimistic articles published here, and republished there, ns a decadent people.” That:, too, was said to be the idea of the German Kaiser and his people before the kit.? war. And now we have Mr Harvey, in America, a sin<i?re friend of Britain, taking a very gloomy view of our position and outlook. Seeing the depressed state of so many of our industries, he holds that we are hopelessly on the downward grade, doomed to industrial decay, nn the verge of bankruptcy, and destined to .subside into the position of the world’s middleman, at host. Judging from the pessimistic articles that have recently appeared ill British papers, this would seem to he also the view of many at home. Tt is indeed rather difficult for an ordinary man in the street to decide to what conclusion lie should come. On tin? one hand lie is told that the British debt of A’8.0'):).000,020 is overwhelming, seeing that wo ourselves are not paid by debt-

or States: that taxation is ruinously crushing traiV and enterprise: that shipping is in a liiul way ; that debt and unemployment increase; and that coal mining though in suspense threatens serious danger, while Labour pursues a suicidal path. Ou the other hand, lie hears that there are many hopeful facts and signs to he plaeed in the halanee: that business is undoubtedly reviving; that we are still the first commercial nation; that our percentage of world trade is larger than in 1913; that more people are working, than in that year; that most trades, though depressed, are being reorganised on new and pronging ]inos ; that a w.'w spirit of co-operation is ■springing on. and that when “brains are pooled” in industry there will be little to fear. Lord Beayerbrook’s remedy is to conquer a false modesty which fails to make known our goods and merits by self-advertisement. But, whatever panaceas may he proposed, there seems to he a fairly general agreement that the chief difficulties that confront us are of our own maxing, and that we must seek those remedies which are in our own hands. Kvory man and woman can help. The duty of every or.:- j- to work, eaeli in his or her sphere, as in the war, in what is a national and world economic crisis; and to do what is possible to prove that those pessimists are wrong who say that the virile qualities of ths British people are diminishing, and

that a “paralysing fatalism’’ lias overtaken the race. It must seem strange to foreigners that a call to buy goods of our own Kin pine should he so much needed ; but needed it is.