NATIONAL SPIRIT

Hokitika Guardian, 17 August 1932, Page 6

NATIONAL SPIRIT

IS ABSENT IN NEW ZEALAND. AUSTRALIA AND DOMINION.

CHRISTCHURCH, August 17

/ Australia lias what New Zealand has not—a distinct ‘ and: growing consciousness of nationhood,' ; 6f an individual . destiny. This ' Was oiie challenging'. statement made'' by' Prbfessor T. Sin1 ’ . •.- '■ ■ , .y ■ ■ • • "( *3xio*s elaire, in the Course of fail address, last evening. ' “Inlmahy ways,” added. Professor Sinelaire, “New Zealand has been. voluntarily denying herself' the possifet;' ity of. a national art)''(‘literatxif'e ' an'd life. When New Zealanders third (and fourth generations' still. 1 talk' of Engiairf as ‘home,’ foe VealiSlfe the lack of any great national consßißiisness. '■ So long as -w,e' fix'"our"byefe abroad for our standards, So we doomed to inferiority.”-

Australia' Emphatically ■ hacT.a’.'bqh-/ sciousness 'of a distinct destiny, '.fibfc necessarily as a corollary - to the Em- 1 jure of which 1 she' was a part, but Ash nation in her own right. The intense?/ patriotism of the Australian whs 117 reflected in the country’s’ patriotism which was a little aggressive and which n 0 doubt sometimes jam# the - reader. '-'Yet this national pride' 4 was a more’hopeful foundation for al'ty ‘ literature and spiritual life generally. ‘

Australian literature, he added, Was pervaded by a- peculiar quality of humour. The was shy about exhibiting publicly any deep emotion, which led him to adopt, a cynical mask of);“insouciance.” Thus a humorous twist was given to things intensely painful. At the same- time the idealism of Australian literature was marked.