The Daily News. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7. HUMILITY AND BOASTFULNESS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 153, 7 October 1910, Page 4

The Daily News. FRIDAY, OCTOBER 7. HUMILITY AND BOASTFULNESS.

The British nation does not mention heatedly that it is the greatest nation in the world. It keeps quiet about it, but thinks so all the time. As a general thing, the bulk of Britishers are humble in their assertions and thorough in their laotions. The habit of self-depreciation, alleged to be common among Britishers, is the subject of a fervid epistle from a man in Canada to the London Spectator, and that paper pithily and with perfect impartiality admits "the habit of selfdepreciation and to make out a case for poor old effete Britain. The main point of the contention of the Canadian correspondent is that at one time the colonies regarded John Bull as a capable business man, but goes on to remark that nowadays, at least in Canada, the native-born wonders if any good can come out of the Old Country. We have many times tried to point out that the colonial habit of believing that Britain is decaying is a bad habit, because it is a boastful assertion that the Old Land should "wake up" and copy the colonies. In a former article we mentioned that during a colonial tirade in London against all things English, the great English audience showed no anger. It sat in self-criticism. This is the national characteristic that the Canadian people are said to object to. From Canada, from Australia and from New Zealand, time out of mind the opinion has been expressed that England in blaming herself has shown weakness and fear of foreign powers. In Britain one never hears a (successful tradesman boasting about his millions. He would much irafcher pretend . that his affluence was poverty. In Ame- ' rica, where the general conversation is bound to include the statement that "we air the greatest nation on airth, sirree," and a general debate about the number of dollars each man of the company has, the habit of self-depreciation does not flourish. On the other hand, the American papers, battening on the Englishman's undesire to "skite," uses every phase of self-depreciation to show; that Britain is on her last lejp. Tihe "greatest nation on airth, sirree," has, as a .matter of fact, not yet reached tie general affluence of the country that appears not to want to boast about anything, being content to act when necessary. In the correspondent's letter we. have mentioned, he sets out the well-known fables—printed as gospel truth in America and Canada—that Germany has captured the trade of Britain, that German war balloons are hovering over St. Paul's, that most of the people are getting ready to go to the work-houses, and the rest to the lunatic asylums. He says: "Maybe all this is soon forgotten by the British public, but this is not the case in regard to the colonies." Maybe so; maybe not. But while it can be shown that in America, in Canada, in Australia and in New Zealand self-glorification is a real fetish, it can never be shown that "frantic boast and foolish word" are more admirable than modesty, self-contdnence and quietness under accusation. As with persons, so with nations. It is the empty-headed man who boasts x about his prowess. There are few records of attainment about which a great doer has boasted. The world has no permanent use for the swashbuckler of the barrack square, the explorer of the office, the admiral of the docks, or the engineer of the written examination. Here is a very fine paragraph from the Spectator's reply to its correspondent:—

"Many a father finds that as his sons and daughters grow up a certain amount of self-assertiveness, if (not, indeed, of self-appreciation is necessary if he is not to give a false impressioto of weakness and futility to his children. The prosperous business man was brought up at his public school and his university never to boast about his money, his physical strength, or his abilities, but rather to assume a very humbl>e air in regard to them. If he has a flourishing business he likes to represent himself as a pauper. Though he fancies himself in the hunting field he would rather cut out his tongue than say he was a good man across country. The .most he is likely to say is that he "potters about" with the hounds. Although, a well-read man with plenty of brain power and > knowledge, he always pretends that he is an ignoramus, if not a positive noodle. He however finds its advisable to adopt—though he may hate to do so—a certain assertiveness of demeanor, physical and intellectual. It looks very much as if, as a nation, we shall have to imitate him, and unwillingly forego the national luxury of saying everything is 'going to the devil.' If we do not do so, there seems to be a danger of our being badly misunderstood in the colonies."

That is very true and very gently satirical, and very well deserved, too. But does it matter to Britain that American papers and Canadian papers and Australian papers and occasionally New Zealand papers assert that Britain is going to the devil because she is not following their example? Does it really matter that those countries boast and Britain does not? Does an absurdity like this. for instance, threaten disruption of relations between Britain and her colonies? Canadians hold that the Canadian fleet should be under the control of Canada, T>eeau=" they do not think th» Rir-r ■ XlvV '•■'. 1 '.-I I.P t »•.!-'•( M-l. I „„., ;,,.

ships. And suppose that Canada and the rest cut adrift because England docs not boast loud enough —what then? Does anyone really believe that in any one of Britain's colonies the bulk of the people < have assured themselves that Britain is decaying because she does not get on the housetops and yell derision at the world and challenge the universe? Happily the whole population of the colonies and America are n<it convinced that the wagging of toastful tongues is a sign of competent brains, or the shaking of a fist an indication that its owner will do or die. Just one more word from the Spectator's article: "No doubt as a nation we ought to !>;• greatly ashamed of overdoing the pride that apes humility, and thereby acquiring the habit of self-depreciation. But the daughter nations ought also to be ashamed of being so foolish as to fall into thv error of thinking nations are not strong unless they go about strutting and swearin <» and giving themselves certificates of character."