"MAN OF THE YEAR"

New Zealand Listener, Volume 16, Issue 401, 28 February 1947, Page 26

"MAN OF THE YEAR"

Sir-Both Mr. Bertram and Mr. Corwin will be sorry to know that newsprint is being used to debate who of them is the more sincere exponent of a way to a better world. They would probably much rather see that space devoted to their good cause. Because Norman Corwin, as a professional broadcaster, delivered his speech more fluently and with greater showmanship, "A Mere Listener’ concludes that his humanitarianism is less sincere. He even ssserts that the difference between the two speeches lay only in the personality of the speakers. Surely "A Mere Listener" cannot have understood Mr. Corwin or Mr. Bertram or he would know that they approached the subject of world peace from different angles. James Bertram spoke with great conviction and warmness of the need to repair the damage as a prelude to a better world. Corwin, however, spoke aggressively, and to my mind not at all religicusly, but very convincingly, of the necessity to prevent a recurrence of the disaster and of the means of achieving permanent peace. Corwin has many critics: those interested in maintaining the status quo, people with racial or religious prejudices, and people who don’t care whether it is war in some corner of the globe or not. They all see their bad conscience in this man, who was given the "one world award" for his contributions to world-wide toler-

ance.

W.

A.

(Pukekapia). ;