1940-12-04 — Page 39

THE CHINA MAIL, DECEMBER, 4, 1940.

Page

CHINA MAI The Empire Through

WINDSOR HOUSE LEF

THE BRITISH NAVY

IN CONTROL

When France surren

American Eyes

terest.

DURING the past decade, sundry ever the descendants of the Saxon personalise the Crown again. Bri-concept-declared as early as 1764 dered to Germany and British writers have politely race has gone, have sailed or htain paid for the transition in the that the real tie which bound the Italy sprang heroically to deplored their fellow-country- otherwise, made their way, even loss of her American colonies. American colonies to the Mother

men's alleged ignorance of Ameri- to the remotest regions of

the In the share the prey of the con- can history, Logically, however, world, they have been patient, George III tried to force the bond through the British Crown.

eighteenth century. Country was free-will allegiance queror, there were anxie-British ignorance of American his persevering, never to be broken of overseas dominion by the bayo-

tory is natural, however shocking in spirit, never to be turned aside net; while to-day, George VI holds George V and the British Govern- Iri other words, he forecast what ties in the world lest the it may appear to certain ultra-from enterprises on which they it in "fee simple" by the forcement accepted more than one sea and air power of the patriotic groups of United States have resolved. In Europe, Asia, of sentiment, and mutual self-in-hundred and sixty years later. Duce, stiffened by the citizenry; the fact that the States Africa, on the sea; scorched by a

In every essential, therefore, the represent British offspring is con- burning sun, or frozen by ice that Returning to Dickens's summary democracy of the British Domi-. Fuehrer's resources and siderably blurred by the circum- never melts; the Saxon blood re- of Anglo-Celtic achievement, one nions resembles the democracy in orders, should compel, the stance that something over a cen-mains unchanged. Wheresoever has but to glance at the globe to- the United States to-day.

tury and a half ago the offspring British Navy to abandon sprang off.

day to realise that except for a By Matthew Page

If anything, the present Ameri- few bright spots, political liberty can concept since the war be- the Mediterranean. A few

and freedom of conscience is to tween the States, is, the more im- months of Italian effort

Andrews

be found in its fullest development perialistic, for here no State may in English-speaking countries, of withdraw from the American has made it clear to our

which, thanks to John Cabot's dis- Union, as against that right or. friends, to neutrals and to

continent under an Anglo-Celtic minion. covery. of the North-American privilege freely accorded a Do- the enemy that the com-

king, the United States is one. mand of Mediterranean

Yet, while the writer recognises the world civilising qualities and waters, western, central

unparalleled political achieve inclined to deprecate the emo- ments of the British nation, he is tional and rather ostentatious idealisation of Great shown by some Americans.

Column."

is

after the invasion of the Angles, union with the native Briton that Saxons and Jutes, it was their brought forth the best in both races.

countries and

ships. The result is that siderable bulk, in which

teenth-century volume of con- On Britain's soil the stolidity to Americans the true nature of

2.

On the other hand, American ignorance of English history utterly inexcusable, for from Eng- land. Americans have derived not legal procedure; but also the basis dustry, and safety for life and only their language, customs and that race goes, there law, and in- for their free representative in- property, and all the great results session stitutions, the most precious pos- of steady perseverance are certain

A certih class of talk much, often with Pharisaical Americans of any liberty-loving to arise."

smugness, about ideas of interna civilised people.

Dickens wrote for children in

tional comity as practised in the and eastern, is held by American acquaintance with Eng-warmly inspirational rather than

tionists seem incapable of visualis- Having thus stated the case for an age when textbooks were

western hemisphere. These isola- our squadrons.

lish history, this writer, at least, coldly scientific, and, in so doing,

ing a. Nazied Reich, on our bord-: Mussolini set

now ventures to deplore the long- he emphasised the truth of history great growing tendency in American rather than its facts.

Britain ers In so talking, they use store and spent much schools and colleges to minimise In one matter only, may one at- Like the Americans, the Eng- American superiority to "these peculiarly smug phrase implying, money on his submarines. this tendency, which has been ensian summation, and that is in ments, as such, are not primarily

Anglo-American origins. Perhaps tempt to improve upon the Dick-lish are practical, and govern-European family quarrels." His reward is the loss of a noticeable in the past few de- the substitution of the compara- actuated by altruistic motives. English history and traditions, Knowing less and less about fifth of them without any subtle workings of what has in for "Saxon" or "Anglo-Saxon"; for abound in shortcomings as well cannot grusp the thought that

cades, is to some extent due to the tively rare

Both term "Anglo-Celtic"

peoples many of the younger generation achievement of note. He Europe been called the "Fifth

as virtues. advertised the largest ex-

"The British Empire" was the of war but absolute assurances of

there would not only be no fear. The writer was brought up on

writer began this rather rambling the ideals of modern British de

which pectations from flinging Goodrich's

original title under

the world "Great Events in

resume; but the "British Common-mocracy held sway in Europe and peace-with freedom-if), his air force upon our American History," an early nine-

wealth of Nations" makes clearer the and hard ruthlessness, of the Teu-the British concept and what Bri-

Asia, our naval guns and air-American Revolution was the ton was modified by contact with.

I will not slander the real, craft have brought downlightfully chauvinistic chronicle spiritual qualities inherent in the

piece de resistance. No more de- the emotional, imaginative, un tish accomplishment means to the ostrich but I would compare them

world to-day.

to the fictional bird that buries its at least 50 Italian bomb-was ever written, Hardly any Celt.

head on the approach of a poten The present status of the Com-tial foe. ers and sustained no dam- praise was too extravagant for the And be it remembered that.ma-monwealth's wide-flung Domin-against "British, propaganda" by.

Persistently warned American Patriots; nothing age of importance.

too dern England survived the grace-ions from Newfoundland to New actual and very active propagan- black with which to paint the Bri-lessness of the Hanoverian Georges Zealand was predicated or anti-dists backed by Berlin, this de- tish and their hirelings. As for the Italian fleet,

Happily, however, through the ness into the English. Court and Bland, a truly great Ariglo-Ameri- understanding what a totalitarian who introduced the Teuton aloof- cipated by the Virginian, Richard 'luded element seems incapable of it has shunned contact at companionate study of English first removed: it from, the people..can political philosopher, who un- triumph in Europe would mean the top of its speed and the embattled farmers was

history, this idealised picture of It took their descendants in the der George III-a monarch.not far for the world-even in the west- yet three or four capital beside a similarly idealised story

set third and fourth generations to enough removed from the Teuton ern hemisphere! ships have been immobil-main-and the combination was of the extension of the British do- ised, its fastest cruiser and by no means incompatible! three others and twenty to-day, as the American child of In fact, the. American youth of destroyers have

been yesterday, has a right to be in- sunk. It has been im-spired by a review of a double THIS present War has, amongst heritage, of which one part is

other things, forced all think- potent to prevent the de-illustrated in "A Child's History ing Christians to consider with struction of a number of of England," wherein Charles greater intensity the implications supply ships and the shat- epitomised the significance of the tian Church, and four of the Re- Dickens, simply yet powerfully, of their membership of the Chris- tering bombardment of expansion of the British Empire solutions to be considered by this ports and communica-

over the Seven Seas into the four Council bear witness to the re- corners of the earth. The writer sults of such thinking: tions of the halted, army knows of no child of the rising. of Libya, while British generation who has read this book, convoys have brought our well?

Is it lost to English children as troops in the Near East their reinforcements un scathed. So far is Musso- lini from the realisation of his dream that the Me- diterranean would ever he his sca.

Mr. Churchill made the right reply to the Italian

Towards A Christian

·

One of the most fundamental of all these considerations is that of the family unity of the Church resulting from the common shar- ing of each member in the divane life of Christ.

World Order

family of God; and secondly, by Christ had not refused to enter. stating the fundamental issues in into a sinful world and to endure such a way that men's consciences the consequences of so doing, and will be aroused and the moral and those, who were His, could only spiritual: atmosphere created, follow him. Freedom could only without which the better policies be retained, and redemption could will assuredly come to nothing." only be won, if men were ready to...... Readers of the life of Frank fight on behalf of others and offer Weston, Bishop, of Zanzibar, will themselves in their defence. (From recall how be found himself in the "Frank, Bishop of Zanzibar, by H. paign in the last War, thick of the East African Cam- Maynard Smith).

fore, must always be our supreme The desire at the heart of our

concern."

Omitting the details of English achievement in words that should shortcomings, Dickens wrote of continue to uplift the soul of every the true goal of history, but the "World-unity is no mirage but don to Melbourne-regardless of the wrong road. We have tried to English-speaking. child from Lon- world has been seeking it along Bishop. Weston then had no Lord for us His children, there- his racial origin so long as he secure union through material hopes to enjoy the usufructs of links, instead of basing it on u Anglo-Celtic freedom and pro- spiritual relationship. It seems as gress.

though we shall have to begin all fred," in whom "all the

Going back to "the great Al- over again with the original char- best, ter of the Church in our cars: 'All

+

doubt about the righteousness of Great Britain's cause or of the duty of fighting for it. In 1917, he

By The Rt. Rev. C. D. Horsley.

bid for a share in Ger- Dickens truly stated that: "Where therefore, and make disciples of was asked to write a small book contacts, we find, as a rule, that

many's ungained victory

:

He repudiated

the

invalidate the general conclusion,

result of fear,"

"The secret of our Lord's "tre- mandous moral influence was. His trust in the inherent goodness of points of the English, Saxan authority hath been given unto

man, a trust which persisted in character were first encouraged;"me- in heaven and on earth. Go ye

-spite of avery temptation to aban- don it. In our, ordinary personal

when he announced that among the achievements the name of the Father and of the and in a few days produced "Con- in them. The conception of the

all the nations, baptising them in on the religious attitude to war,

our influence on other people is in proportion to the faith we have we should maintain to the of the British Navy.

Son and the Holy Ghost teaching quering and to Conquer," the sim- full our control of the Let us not minimise the ever I commanded you: and lo, I books.

them to observe all things whatso-plest and most popular of his family unity of humanity, suggests that exactly the same thing would Middle Sea and almost task that lies before it am with you always, even unto Here he set forth his conception prove true in the relations of doubled.

the end of the world. The failure of Eternal Love. the effective Great as the strength of of a common loyalty, a common Calvin's God, sitting afar off, and sense of right is being openly and ono nation with another, That the strength of our Fleet the Navy is, and growing science, a common-material civili-punishing His disobedient peo- grossly violated in many parts of there. Sir Andrew Cun- greater day by day, it has actua common path of intel-ple by famine, pestilence and the the world today does not really

lectual progress is proof of the sword. He repudiated also ningham. has swept its to hold the Mediterranean need of a common spiritual rela-easy-going Divinity who should since it is being violated, as the waters again and again in with force sufficient for a Union of Christendom," an essay War showed that the God,

tionship to make men one." (From make everybody comfortable. The triumph, and his gallant grand action, to keep pow-by G. D. Rosenthal),

50 It should be realised, that, the many were prepared to worship, Church has never since the first: eruiser captains have erful squadrons at home, Despite the setback which the did not exist. He recalled men to ages interpreted the Gospel as to made the most of every to guard the narrow. wa-encing by the propagators of the Calvary. It was there they were sensus of Catholic theologians has world, as a whole, is now. experi- the God revealed in the Christ on preach pure Pacifism. The con- opportunity. The advan- ters round our island, to gospel of - totalitarianism and to and the God of Love:

held war to be permissible, though tages which Mussolini fight the submarine cam always learn to look beyond the War seemed to him as irrelevant they allow its lawfulness are 50 racialism, we, as Christians, must "To ask why God permitted the the conditions under which counted upon from the paign and still have ships immediato present and think in as to asic why God created men stringent that probably most wars betrayal of Britain. by the on all the seven seas. terms of the mind of Christ, Whose with freedom of will und did not in the past have been unjust wars.

Will shall be men of Vichy are inade- Long months of ceaseless is in heaven done on earth as it resume His gift. The War was the In the present condition of the result of men's self-will, and God, world, however, the Church can- quate to make good the vigilance and intense hard Then we can best help forward as on Calvary, was man's victim. not condemn war entirely, until inferiority and losses of work lie ahead. The fu-World-Order by getting back to Cross, was bringing good out of for settling all disputes between the establishment of a Christian And yet, Eternal Love, as on the there is adequate legal machinery his fleet. When we consi- ture will bring vicissi- arst principles, and by insisting evil. Love was being triumphant States, and an adequate interria- der how great those ad- tudes, but what has been or political, will be of permanent "Such, being, the case, he could decisions of the legitimate, au- that no plans for peace, economic through its capacity for sacrifice. tional police force to execute the vantages were it will be done already assures us value unless they are accompanied not understand tow any could thority, and above all a wilt to seen that the supremacy that the Navy will hold by a change of heart. The call to stand aside. In the War, he did not respect and obey laws which are which Sir Andrew Cun- for us "an Empire none ningham's squadrons can take. The realm of maintain ranks high the circling sea."

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1

“the Church... to-day is to help to see the Will of God, but the in- made for the benefit of mankind bring about the change, first by evitable consequences of man's as a whole. At the same time repenting of its own disunion, so sin. That sin had yet to be over- there is no doubt at all in which that it can once, more be an ex- come and the world, had still to direction, the influence of tho cmplar to the world of the united l bg redeemed, by blood and tears. - Church ought to be directed.