MR. WRENCH AND THE ENGLISH SPEAKING UNION

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 263, 27 January 1928, Page 4

MR. WRENCH AND THE ENGLISH SPEAKING UNION

“MOST. DANGEROUS ORGANISATION” 1 The . name of the English-Speaking Union appeared prominently at the Chicago text-book trial, and as it was apparently misrepresented, Mr. J. Evelyn Wrench, hcgiorary secretary of the English branch of the union, wrote to “The Times’* making clear the position of the organisation. A copy of the letter has been sent to the Wellington branch of the E.S.U., says the “Fast.” This states that there are two English-Speaking Unions, both independent societies—the one of the British Empire and the other Of the United States, with headquarters in New York, with the direction of which the British E.S.U. has nothing to do. Mr. C. Ei Russell, speaking in Chicago recently, stated that the E.S.U. was “the most dangerous -organisation in the world, for it threatened the worPd with its greatest, menace—-the advance of the Anglo-Saxon.’* He asserted that “agitation” for Anglo -American understanding was drawing the world into two hostile camps, the .Anglo-Saxon and the Batin, and by listening to the former they had alienated nearly all of South America. Mr. Wrench says that the British E.S.U., has no political purpose, . and. never has had any. Its sole aim is to promote friendship between the people of the English-speaking world, and to make the different sections known to each other and to Great Britain. No part had ever been taken in advocating an alliance between, the British and American Commonwealths. Lord Derby, in speaking at a meeting of the E.S.U. in. Manchester, said that he was one who believed in getting the people of different countries to understand each other, in the hope and belief that if that came to pass Governments might understand as well. The task would be much easier for the British Government if that were accomplished. It is no aim of the E.S.U. to fdrtn an Anglo-Saxon “bloc,” and its aims cannot be hostile to any nation. Its great aim is to help to establish the peace, of the world by the means of friendly, understanding. They wished to establish this friendly feeling with America because they believed that ultimate w r orld peace could only be efisured if a good understanding existed between the two great English-speak-ing Commonwealths, who, by reason of their position in the comity of nations, must always play an important pdrt in world politics. Mr. Wrench added that the E.S.U. knew nothing of Pan-American relations, and Mr. Russell’s remarks could not be discussed. The E.S.U. had received no subsidies whatever from the Carnegie endowment or from the British Government. “May I regretfully state,” he concluded, “that no such luck has been ours.” FIELD SPORTS V. CRUELTY Dean Inge, speaking before the British Science Guild in London, made a prophecy as to the state of society 50 years hence. He made keen criticism of some present mistakes, such as the recrudescence of superstition, the destruction of natural beauty, the waste of such resources as coal and oil. He acknowledged, however, a redeeming change in the popular attitude toward animals. “The ethical implications of Darwin’s discoveries in the origin of species have hardly yet been fully recognised,” he said. “I mean that the certainty that the lower animals are literally our distinct cousins ought to make some change in our attitude toward them. Those who have tried to organise public opinion against such cruelties as tearing the wings of from the living birds or killing the parent birds during the breeding season, have found to their surprise that they can get no help or sympathy Crom • the Great Church of the West. It is not likely that the feeling of kinship with other animals will go so far as to stop the consumption of ar.imal food. Vegetarianism will probably remain a. fad of the few. What is likely to change is the popular attitude toward field sports. The killing »of birds and beasts for the pleasure of killing them is mainly an aristocratic diversion. The amusement is supposed to be that of a gentleman and of a gentleman with means; it is also healthy, giving plenty of exercise in the open air. But in view of what we now know of our relationship to other forms of life, it seems a barbarous and degrading form of recreation. I believe that this view will gain ground steadily, and that the most indefensible forms of sport, such as pigeon-shooting and coursing, will be given up in deference .to public ppinion*”_^