THE WORLD AS A UNITY.

Shannon News, 9 July 1929, Page 3

THE WORLD AS A UNITY.

OPENING LECTURE ON INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS. HELPFUL FACTORS DESCRIBED. "Some Phases of International Relations’' is the title of the series of lectures to the Levin branch of the W.E A. by the Rev. W. Beckett, the first, of which was delivered on Tuesday evening, in the Band Room. Considering the severity of the weather, there was a very fair attendance, and much interest was shown in the tutor’s remarks, a libeial discussion following them. An abstract of the lecture is given below: —

Internationalism has come very much to the fore, especially since .the War. The-nations of the rvorld, beingbrought together, were made tc feel how small and few were the differences between any of them. Now everything that happens, even to distant peoples like the Bolivians is of interest, for we know not what may result. No longer can any race take up an attitude of splendid isolation or refuse, to take cognisance of what others are doing. We arc coining to see that no nation or people live to themselves; each is more or less dependent on others; each has something to. give and something to receive that goes to make, up the happiness and well-being of tile whole. In the days not long past there was distrust and suspicion of everything "foreign,” largely through ignorance of the facts; everyone who Heed in countries over which the Union Jack did not float was "alien” to us. But, thanks to the means of knowing what is happening in every country under heaven, we arc realising that, no matter where a man lives, what language he speaks or what is the colour of his -skin, he is a human being, with as much right to "a place in the sun” and the enjoyment of the good things of life as we have. The prejudice arising from misunderstanding is being swept away by conferences of all sorts, made up of representatives of - all nationalities. PEACE AND EDUCATION.'

A World’s Youth Peace Conference was held at Edearle, Holland, from August 17tli to 26th, its aim being to bring together'’the youth of all lands who were working for peace, and to co-ordinate their work, so making it stronger. This congress was said to have been an achievement well worth while; 45(1 enthusiasts from many lands exchanged their views. There were present Anarchists, Christians, Hindoos, Communists, Catholics •and P; otastants, all earnestly considering matters of vital importance. Later in the year an International People’s College was held at Elsinore, Denmark, at which students from Denmark, Sweden, Germany, England and America attended. This college embodied the spirit of the English Adult School Movement, and it aimed to promote peace. PART PLAYED BY RELIGION.

At Easter, 1928, a great Missionary Conference took place at Jerusalem, where 240 persons- represented •50 nations. Missionaries of the Christian Church have in many instances been pioneers, opening up the country air! making it safe for the trade. The World’s Sunday School Convention, held in Los Angeles in July, of last year, was attended by 7631 delegate? from all parts of the world. The Christian. Endeavour movement, originating in the United .States in ISBI, has spread into 37 different countries. It has fou, million members in 80,000 societies. It would be impossible to rightly estimate the great work of the British and Foreign Bible Society. It has trails lated the Holy Scriptures into over 600 different languages and dialects. The Y.M.C A. and the YYW.C.A. are British in origin, but they find their greatest support in the United States, and through the great Republic they penetrate into the Far East and many other parts of the world. BOND AMONG ' STUDENTS.

The World’s Student Christian Fed tration is also worthy of mention. Born in 189*, and including to-da;. .300,000 students from 40 different mi lions, it has proved a bridge-builder, uniting together different nationalities. It found its great opportunity after the War. Th 6 distress in Cen tral Europe was terrible, and no classufferod more than did the students xo help the needy young people, the Christian students of the world pro cidod food, clothing and money Through the European Student Rebel Fund, 33 figured as giving countries and 19 as receiving countries, and the work was the means of bringing ali into a close friendship. One of the leaders in this relief work was Mr Donald Grant, M.A.. who afterwards spent three years in New Zealand as general secretary ot. its Student Christian Movement. In June of this year he left for Vienna, to undertake the dut ies of secretary of the Fellowship of Reconciliation.

OTHER WORLD MOVEMENTS. The Society of Friends has made a splendid experiment iu racial under standing, and everywhere has always emphasised the thought of the brotherhood of man. Its good work in eoming to the help of the distressed in Centra’. Europe was, to say the least, a splendid piece of internationalism. They rendered great assistance to suffering childrens during n.c blockade period. Though Uicsc children have now grown to young manhood and womanhood, they are anxious to maintain their connection with England, remembering vividly the months spoilt ir •English homes, recovering from the starvation and sickness of stricken Vienna.

Recently the Salvation Army celebrated the centenary of the birth of its founded, General William Booth. To-day that Army is an international institution. It has found an entry ;nto every continent, and has established. itself in practically every inhabited country. A fine contribution to international-

ism is made by the Red Cross organisation, which has branches and representatives all over the world. The Minister of Education has sanctioned the Introduction of the Junior Red Cross movement into Hie schools of New Zealand.

The Boy Scout movement is of quite an - international .characater. In the forthcoming Jamboree 42 nations will take part, represented by between forty and fifty thousand boys, of whom fully nine thousand will be from foreign. « countries.

There are societies for linking men up with a world-wide outlook, such as the Rotary Club. This has branches in over forty countries and covers nearly fiftyi'religions. The formation of' a New Zealand Esperanto Association recalls that Esperanto is one of the few artificial languages that has survived the test of time.

An excellent illustration of internationalism is the .Postal Union, established in 1874, which, makes possible the conveyance of letters at a very small charge. If we can trust foreigners to carry our letteers, why not other things?

ADVANCEMENT THROUGH SCIENCE.

Wireless has, in a sense annihilated all bounds vof nationality, providing the medium for an exchange of messages all around the globe.

Airmen now fly over all countries, and, should they make a forced landing, they meet with good treatment, even among half-civilised people.

The International Service of Public Health is another instance of mutual dependjence. If an' epidemic breaks out in one country, all other countries are immediately made aware of it, and precautions are taken to .protect the health of the people. If there were not this neighbourly understanding/ whole populations would be swept off the face of the earth. COMMON CAUSES.

New interests are constantly link-ing-up the nations. A world’s Police Conference is held, and the president declares that the checking of crime is no longer a civic or a national matter, but a question of international moment. The Conference on Safety of Life at «Sea reports that a wide measure of agreement exists among maritime nations regarding. measures for 'preventing collisions. The Byrd Expedition to the Antarctic is not thought of as an American adventure; the results of the scientific discoveries will not be American exclusively, but international.

in almost every country in the world, the 'temperance question is a live one. The 19th International Congress against Alcoholism, held at Antwerp, was under the patronage of the King and Queen of Belgium, and drew together a largo number of delegates from all over llie world. This is not a prohibition congress, but is concerned .with research mid education m regard to all aspects of the liquor problem.

One of the great factors in promoting international relations is sport. The visits of players of various games from other countries does mere than business or diplomatic relations to promote good feeling. - Finance lias international ramifications. The complexity of modern finance makes New York dependent on London, London on Paris, and Paris on Berlin —all to a greater extent than has ever yet been the case in history. Commerce is one of the greatest powers for the unification of mankind. TEUTONIC GENIUS. The work of scientists is international, and it is well to think of the debt we owe to foreigners iu this respect, likewise in art. Germany will always be famous for such names as Bach, Handel and Schumann, iu music; Goethe, in scholarship; Humboldt, in natural science; Liebig, in agricultural science; Rontgen, for the X-rays; Einstein, for a re-statement of the laws of energy; R'och, who identified the tubercle bacilli us; Behring, who discovered the anti-toxin for diphtheria; Ehrlich, who found anti-toxins for syphilis and sleeping sickness; Haeckel, who popularised Darwin and studied the development of animals; . Weismann, who ■disproved the inheritance of individually acquired characteristics; -and others who made valuable contributions to international knowledge.

THE DOMINION’S OPPORTUNITY'. “I would like to think,” said the tutor, in concluding his initial lecture, “that we in New Zealand, who have been credited with leading the world in some branches of social legislation, might also duive the honour of leading the world in the display of a broad, intelligent international spirit; that we are more than New that we are “citizens” of the worm, in the best sense of the word. I am glad that the visit of the German battleship Emden is being treated above all national lines, showing that we are capable of forgetting what is unpleasant and that we are able to extend the hand of good fellowship to an aforetime foe.”