IMPERIAL PRESS CONFERENCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2896, 15 September 1909, Page 15

IMPERIAL PRESS CONFERENCE.

UTERATURE AND JOURNALISM.

LORD MORLEY'S GREAT SPEECH.

(Faou; Otjb Own CbaBBsroHDENTj

LONDON, June 11. Tl» conference concluded yesterday with T'?5 o ? J r.? f o™* o'*.0 '*. ™ which Lord Morley, I^wd Milner, Mr AiMpustino Birrell, M.P., Mr Winston Ohurchai, M.P., Mr W L Ooarteny Mr T. P. O'Connor, aad Sir Edward Russell took part. The subject was Literature and Journalism*" and the sitting was notable in every respect. Lord Morley, w fao presided, made a great 3?<»ea, m whroh ho propounded some thoughtful questions for discussion. These included:— l Is the newspaper the enemy «f the book? 2. Do th* people read more DOofcB? 3. Bo they appreciate the difference between a bad book aad a good book? 4. Do they consider that the influence of the press overseas- and at Home is systeinaticaUy and persevering^ used on behalf of peace among nations? rr&l™ 6 - 0 * * heh ' c a * n * of k* "Peoeh were:— lh«e is a connection between literature and Empire I know not in the history »t mankind a. more stupendous, a. more -overwhoknins fact, .than thfe supreme domMMon of "the English tongme over milJions in the new worlds of the West and in tiie ancient, worlds of the East. Alike in ite practical ana.,*pecu]ative bearing, thi# is a scientific k&e. The high-class puMicist' is -a. real persuader, a real ruler of the .world. I do not agree that journalism is literature in a tutry. Journalism mm* be in a hurry; literature is not. Many persons who take up literature as a profession have no more right to tafce to writing books than Mr Birrell or I would have to take to painting oil pitures. When all is said, the fiterary element makes all the difference in the world between the editor or the writer and the newsboy who shouts ecare headlines at the street corner. "My brethren, I beseech youl in the name of Christ, if it ia not possible that you may be mistaken," said Cromwell to a band of Presbyterian ministrs. I would have that written in letters of gold in all the editorial rooms— not the- news rooms— in great newspaper offices. If journalism is not infallible, it is- not omnipotent. In niv day the improvement in all respects in British journalism has been enormous. There has never been so much critical power and knowledge as you will find in half a dosen quarters in English journalism to-day. Authors of books were never more favourably placed. I am bound to say, when I see a man coming up of a morning in the suburban train with a financial paper on one arm, a sporting paper under «le other, a general paper written crisply, an illustrated paper— when I am told that this genftfomdn is having hie character shaped, his opinion* .moulded, I confess 'I am -eosptiosl. ' ■ ' Lord Morley told a- story which convulsed the' conference. When he vns, in charge -of a. paper, a young -man came to him for «mployment. Ai r asked him/"sa id- Lord! Mbrfey,- ",*i>at wa»> His special quality. He rsaid ""Invective.* "— (Laughter!. "I asked him if it took any particular form-. 'No,' he 6aid, ' general "invective.' "—(Renewed laughter.} " During your proceedings, a good deal has been said of a re-barbarisation of Europe," said Lord Morley. " I wonder how far the prees has a share in the general processes that have brought and are bringing this about? Thene are those who say that though a Minister ma-v make' a bhmder, though a permanent official may wear his official blinkers too large and too tight, though personal egotism may Wind l a. statesmain to larger considerations, yet the press is move answerable than all these things put together. I have heard that view expressed, a«d I pot that question to you to consider whether the influence of the press, over the seas, at Home, n systematically aad peroeveringly seed on behalf of th« peace among nations. Well, we will see. I will only say this: that theme is nobody ■who is not bound to recognise that the press ie a great centre of public-hearted duty and moral force; that it is a guide to an intellectual .*rasp of the facts of the world; and, thirdly, that it is, in its best forme, the organ of practical: common sense. Gentlemen, t am very proud to have met you, add I am always wry proud to have been a nieovber of your profession."— (Applause.) M* Douglas (Auckland), ?ho followed, remarked that tits discussions bad been devoted to mattees of high Imperial import and to t&* -momentous Impsrjal problems. Whatever tixsr might think of the respective merits of ft local, or Imperial navy, it was evioant that tihe destmws of New Aealand in *. greats way must depend npon the strong arm of England.— (Applause.) They in New Zealand were p»epar«d to cooperate with the Mother Country m whatever manner it migjbt b* thought most expedient in maintaining and defending Mie Empire. They were ready te supply the Mother Country with men or ships or money, for they knew that their national freedom depended upon, the Empires ability to keep open the g*e*t waterwaysof the world. New Zealand waited for a lead from England, and the Dominion would do its duty. If the strong arm of EajrJandl should! fail, not only would the sr«*t «lory of England pass away, but thss etapenlotis and wonderful Empire un-o-ralleied in the history of <fre world, Wild inevitably fall to pieces. Passm* ■to- the functions of the newspaper, ftlr Douglas ©aid that its purpose was the -Mesentation of news; it had to present a concise, livinar «hroniole and interesting picture of what was happening throughout the world, and in his opinion never was that done so well and so promptly as today ._(,Applaiise.) He believed that the honest traditions of British journalism were ( hek^ maintained, and so long as this was to the press would be a wise and benenceot force.— (Applause.) \ Mr Winston ChurcLili. m the course of his address, said: "It has been w«U said * Words are the only things which l»st for ever.' Utterances which appeared to have been stilled almost the moment after they had been uttered were enduring today in the world, while the most durable monuments wLich human beings had erected had crumbled and passed away. Wojds, if they were true and wise words, survived not merely as archaeological specimen* of a vanished past, bat as somethinsr with even greater and more vehement

meaning than they possessed at the moment they were spoken. He ventured to say that the way- in which the British press could best' serve the Empire would be to write good word*., wise words — words which proclaimed the solidarity of Christenxkian and the imterdependenoa of nations." Lord Milmsr was brief, but concise. He said: — "We hear talk about the re-barbari-sation of Europe. I think it is dreadful ronserse. What is meant is a greater tendency to settle disputes by war. Disputes > between nations are settled by war much 'less frequently at the present epoch of the world's history than at. any time before. Re-barbarisation — there is nothing- of the kind. One of the most powerful reasons why there is less recourse to w»r is that the nations of Europe are now organising a system of national armaments. I deprecate the suggestion that the discussion in this country on the question of national defence can have a tendency calculated to make for re-barbarisation. I think the discussion is inevitable in the circumstances. I think the opportunity which these conferences afford of leading representatives of the Empire to confer about it is most valuable." Sir E. Russell (Liverpool Daily Post) said he thought that the best journalists went; into journalism . as he believed Lord Morlay did, for the love of it. It was not for the love/ of disseminating newß, or for any idea, of the influence they might have on '-he world, but because of the instincts of literature. Mr -HirreU -treated the conference to & racy and witty speech. - He -said he- could not for the fife of him understand why newspapers and writers for newspapers shouid deliberately assume the shackles of party. Why the fourth estate of the realm . should assume the shiiolcies which the three orfupr estates of the realm were historically ! and for the present moment compelled to I wear, he did not know. It was said that they wanted to- get a market — the Nonconformist, or the Church of England, or the Liberal, Tory, Unionist, or Socialist maVfcet, — and, therefore, they would write in such a way as to secure these persons as purchasers. Once say that and there was an end of all rational thought and responsibility. They were far too apt to blame the public for their own folly. He did not say that they should write deliberately above the people's heads, but any honest effort to improve the public and give them the very best thing which could be got in a particular way had never vet been otherwise than financially successful. He hoped they would see a freedom in the prees from purely partisan alliances and loyalties. — (Applause.) The- fortunes, not only of the Empire, but of the whole world, would depend largely upon the honesty and the truth and the fitness for their task displaced by persons, whether they wrote books which they fondly imagined might last for ever, or whether they wrote day by day for their fellow-citizens. Mr W. L. Ooortaey, Mr 8. Ba»nerji, and Mr T. P.. O'Connor, M.P.,, delivered critical and thoughtful speeches. Mr J. & Macdouakt (Toronto) moved a vote -of tfiaaks totfea speakers. This was seconded ' by Pi J. W. Haekett fWest Australia), and carried 1 .