A
.12
Interviews With MODERN YOUTH
"Johnnie Brown" was born in 1914,
a joto weeks before his father died of wounds in France.
His stricken
mother sacrificed herself in countless ways in order to give him a good education. He le now working as an assistent in a large London ware- house. Let us see how he faces life.
MEN
EN and women of, my generation would have been better unborn.
I speak for that great multitude of young men and women whose whole outlook on life has been warped and marred by the crimes at their parents. You may consider the stric- ture too sweeping, but I see no reason for mincing words.
Why should I? War is not an ac- cidental circumstance, nor an act of condition brought about God, but
by the follies and the avarice of men They were our parents, and women. und they stand indicted before the bar of youthful opinion.
When I hear people talking about "the next war" in the same tone of voice that they use when referring to the next meal, holiday, or train, I feel that all life and all human efforts are utterly useless,
ΠΟ
War came and cursed my genera- lion in its cradle. I have been cheated of my rights, like millions of outers thrown into a world that has talic useful purpose. People pityingly of the old men in the in- dustrial scrap-heap; but they forget that the men of my age have not even had a chance to make good in
were born on the world. We scrap-heap. What hope have we of getting of It?
Still Speaking of War
Youth is not usually credited with patience, but my generation has needed all the patience it could com- mand to listen without protest to the criticisms so gibly levelled at young people by their elders. We have stood too long in the dock, and is time that we were called to the witness-stand to slate our caso.
"War babies" we have been called; and, now some of us have attained our majority, war is still the princip- al subject of newspaper headlines.
Most young fellows of my age have scarcely any recollection of the Grent War, but we have had sufficient cause to loathe it for its aftermath alone."
fatherless, left Many of us were
later, we crippled, destitute; and,
ourselves to
jobless, found
be economically crippled-and, accord- ng to many of our elders, morally destitute.
These things are true, and they of the must be laid at the door
The generation which created them, Leneration which, if it did not actual- ly start the Great War, did not do sufficient to overt it.
Whoever may have been originally responsible for the events of 1914 to 1918, millions of young men of various nationalities died heroically causes and without question for
which they did not understand. They were crucified for the blunders of politicians, and cut off from life in their prime because they listened to the exhortations of men who
were
Jed
were
too old to fight. Worst of all, they lo belleve that their sacrifices would end war for ever.
With Open Eyes
Now, it seems, our turn-ins come. My generation has reached fighting age, and overhead hang war clouds
as black as those that broke
aver
THE HONGKONG
TELEGRAPH.
NOTHING NEW about the New Cabinet. Apart from the change in the Premiership it's just.
The Old Pack
RESHUFFLED
W
E have just scen quite 'a quick change in the Government of the country. Mr. Baldwin quits the Parliamentary arena and Mr. Neville Chamberlain succeeds, Seventy retires and is replaced by sixty-eight. Youth must be served.
Mr. MacDonald and Mr. Runel- man follow their leader into private life. For the rest there is a reshufio.
The only change of real import- ance is that of Prime Minister. Members of Parliament alone can appreciate the magnitude of this change.
Ma
R. BALDWIN 'was first and foremost a House of Commons man. Не was assiduous in his attend- ance. He had acquired an unrivalled knowledge of the moods of the House and an ex- ceptional skill in dealing with his own following.
Again and again when things looked difficult, he was able by an adrolt and often quite irrelevant speech to relieve tension and re- store harmony.
Mr. Chamberlain, despite his skill in debate, la aloof. He has hitherto been a competent depart- mental administrator who ad- dressed the House when neces- sary, but never seemed to share in its corporate life.
Whether he is temperamentally fitted to lead that dimeult assem- bly is open
question, From the point of view of the leadership in
country Mr. Baldwin, to an extent quite un- anticipated
became when he Prime Minister, has proved 1 the Con- most valuable asset to servative Party. Stated commer- cially, his personality has proved an eminently saleabic proposition.
T is yet to be seen whether the art of the publicity man will be able to do much with the rather Intractable material of his suc- cessor.
There are not many new pleces nor is there much new wood in Mr. Chamberlain's Cabinet, but
-To-day's Thought
To be acquainted with the
merits of a ministry, we need only observe the condi- tion of the people.
-JUNIUS (Letters).
Says the Rt. Hon.
C. R. ATTLEE, M.P.
Leader of the Opposition
old square pegs have been fited into new round holes.
The demands of the Quota Bystem introduced
when the "National" Government Waa formed still remain in force to preserve the illusion of National unity, and together with the re- quirements of individual prestige, ensure that too much attention shall not be paid to individual qualifications in the allocation of posts.
Sir John Simon leaves the one omee in which he was likely to be
a success, while Sir Samuel Hoare Roes to the Home Omce in order, presumably. that, as heir pre- sumptive to the Prime Minister, he may for the first time gain some experience of home affairs,
Mr. Oliver Stanley continues his to pilgrimage from one office another, while Mr. Duff Cooper is to bring to the Admiralty qualities which have not been appreciated in the Junior Service.
Mr. Hore-Belisha goes up an- other rung in the ladder.
L
ORD DE LA WARR enters the Cabinet, but the supply of possible the Under Secretarics from meagre following of Mr. Mac- Donald seems to have run out.
There is a general post among the Junior Ministers. As a variant to the crossword puzzle, it would be good exercise to try to work out who has been promoted and who down-graded.
The general complexion of the Government remains unaltered. The more it changes the more it General amiability Is the same. rather than outstanding ability is Its principal feature. Disraeli once described a Ministry as a range of exhausted volcanoes. The present Government is rather a range of low, green hills. There are no great elevations and no
Mr. rugged features.
Churchill And remains outside in armed possibly dangerous isolation.
There is. hen, only a change of leadership. Is there likely to be any change of policy?
Mr. Chamberlain is more de-
SUCH IGNORANCE!
WEDNESDAY,
cisive and direct than Mr. Bald- win. Where the latter was philo- sophie, the former is busincaz-like.
In what direction will the new Prime Minister lead?
Here we are in a dimeulty. The foreign situation continues to be disturbed and threatening, but the views of the Prime Minister in this field are quite unknown. He has rarely intervened in debate on subjects unconnected with his own departments, and when he has done so has given the impression of sticking closely to his brief.
JULY 14, 1937.
of Nations not as the be- ginning of a new world order, but as a plece of machinery to be kept in being so long as it is of use in preserving the British Empiro.
The whole record of the "Na- tional" Government, in which the Conservative element has always been dominant, has shown an entire lack of any desire to got away, from old traditions in foreign policy. Their
support of disarma- ment and collective security was half-hearted, to say the least.
Conservativea are now back in a world which they under- stand. It is a world in which powerfully armed States play the game of power politics. Some are out to increase their possessions, others merely to retain what they hold. Sooner or later the inevitable result is
war.
Mr. Duff Cooper's defence last week of bribery by armament manufacturers lifted the curtain and
rovealed the truc mind of the Conserva- tive which rojects alto- gether the possibility of a moral order in the world.
rearma.
The pursuit of such a foreign policy has its repercusalons at home. The heavy pro- gramme of ment will have a steady effect in depressing the standard of life of the people. The auccessful opposition of the City interests to the Na- tional Defence Contrl- bullon shows that the workers will be pected to foot the bill.
Prices have risen and will continue to rise. National Defence will be the excuse for re- fusing to do anything for the masses, while, as the new Agricultural
show. proposals
fav- oured interests will get Benerous dolca.
The Means Test will continue and the de- pressed areas remain the neglected, while
cries of the victims are drowned by the sten- The torian tones of Mr. Brown. duty of all Labour men and women is clear, We must arouse the people of the country to the danger of the position. The tem- porary and illusory prosperity in- duced in some areas by armaments must not be allowed to blind them to the realities of the situation.
The truth is that the world is drifting to another catastrophe.
A
LABOUR Government In this country pre- What his personal views on in-
pared to apply Socialist ternational subjects may be re-
principles in home and foreign mains hidden: - There is, however,
affairs can change the course of little reason to expect any marked
events. The Govern- change in polley. ment is to all intents and purposes Conservative.
The Liberal and National Labour elements have accepted the gen- eral principles of their ally even the more completely than did Liberal Unionists in a previous generation,
Conservatism regards the League
I hope that the people will disregard all attempts to divert them from the realities of the posi- in concentrate tion and will making known to all the electors the immediate programme of the Labour Party, which shows clearly the first steps to be taken to save this country and the world.
So This Is Dictation! By a Typist
cleared his throat.
Europe in 1914. Shall we also be HACKERY?" questioned a very Apsley House he said to the second "Dear Sira," he said,
cannon fodder for a quarrel? It looks like it,
greybeards'
There is, however, this great dif- ference between the lot of those who went to fight in 1014 and that of young men to-day. In 1913, I under- stand, the country was prosperous, the people were happy, and it is not dimcult to understand how patriotic fervour could be awakened in men who saw in the European conflict a menace to all that they enjoyed and held dear. There had never been a war like it, and they could not im- agine how prolonged it would be nor how disastrous would be its after-
math.
We are living in very different conditions to-day. Vast numbers of men have no work; some have never been employed at all. The condillons which exist to-day, especially in the depressed areas, bear no resemblanco to those of 1913; and we have the advantage, as least of seeing what war docs to a nation.
Suppose thie famous Kitchenor poster was to be reproduced on our time... hoardings in a few weeks
"Your King and Country Want You" Should we respond with flagwaving and patriolle songs? Or should wo reply, "Oh, Yeah!"
in-
Naturally enough, my attitude lo- wards every aspect of life is fluenced by the grim spectre of war. How can I, for instance, respect the Church, when its leaders failed miserably to put a stop to the mad homicide that went on for four years?
nay, they even egged on the com- batants, promoted recruitment and became, in fact, a militant church in a nense which its Founder never intended.
What, faith can I put in science.
having learned to what fiendish uses it has been put in warfare? What
BCD"
learned Oxford don. "Let me "Don't you remember," said friend. "Author of 'Vanity Fair
his
"Oh-ah-yes. Bunyan-clever but not orthodox."
Duke of Wellington, "I have heard that your father was a military man is that correct?" was later denied by the Duke, who said there was not
He took a deep breath. "Dear Sirs," he cried.
weariness in yet another business girl's mind.
tired
He was quite a good employer. I do not wish to complain, but I think he i duplicated at least once in every
There was a long pause. He then office, and his dictation, judging by expression when so engaged, want to
a word of truth in the story, But It Informed mo at two hundred words a his
is a fact that a certain "Miss J. who minute that he was in receipt of their hurts him so much that I "belonged to the smaller English letter of so-and-so dale. Inspiration help.
street WDE ogain. The failed of gentry," "was brought up at one of
This story comes by way America, But may be true.
"Who is this Dean Swift they are talking about?" a society Indy asked Lady Bulwer, "I should like to ask him to one of my receptions."
"Alas," replied Lady Bulwer, "The Dean did something that has shut him out of society."
"You don't say so. Do tell me "Well-about a hundred years ago ho died."
The story that when the famous American, General Grant, dined at
purpose do inventions serve if men are too uncivilised to beneft by
them?
along for а
and
May I offer a muggestion? Would it not be wiser for him to the best schools in England," and scrutinised. Agony was written on
study the art of dictation as his. typist studies the art of taking who wrote many letters to the Great his face.
He Imped
bit, dictation? It should not be dimcult Duke, confessedly in the hope of getting him to marry her, and re- ceived replica from him, had never substituting one word for another, to learn to write the average busi- taking pieces out, going back to the
when the sentence is difficult heard of the Battle of Waterlon!
Not so long ago the headmaster of sentence before the sentence before ness letter without pausing unduly
After on- n public school in Philadelphia ad- and putting a picce in.
letter to Nathaniel other pause I was informed that he running away with oneself when it is Often this dot-and-carry-one method of dictation is unfair to the dressed Hawthorne, care of his publishers, assured them of his best attention at y asking for his autograph to sell, in all times at a speed which was be- typist, as the time sho has spent a school yond me, and the letter drew to a staring at the calendar on the wall order to raise money, for
weary conclusion with the words, o
opposite her chair means so library. Evidently the library was badly needed.
"Yours faithfully pronounced ne
her, letters. slowly and carefully as though I had less time spent making a neat job of never heard them before.
I was once employed by a man It is useless to add that his words whose dictation was a revelation. It had not only to penetrate his lips, but flowed, I thought this was the real was enchanted, un- also his cigarette. He was only an- thing at last. other tired business man dictating a til I discovered he was reading from
Бесав of a scrap of paper.
Sometimes Ignorance la assumed for a good purpose. Arthemus Ward, on a long distance train journey, was terribly bored by a talkative gentle- man, who began by telling him the latest annecdole about Horace Gree
craft, to the League of Nations, 10 10% isreely-Horace Greeley? Who in letter, and sowing the
How can 1 pin any faith to state the promises of politicians at election time, to the treaties, covenants, or he?" obligations of any kind designed to ensure peace and progress? History on the one hand, and current events
five
The stranger was allent for minutes, pondering such ignorance in an American. After several other
on the other demonstrate that they tales of famous men, and finding that mean nothing.
for
Artemus Ward, who looked like on Young men and women of my age educated gentleman, had never heard
half of any of them, he was silent are often told that they are hearted In their work, that they have some fifteen minutes of blessed peace. no enthusiasm for anything, and that Then he naked what he thought of they are he forerunners of a drift General Grant's chance for the Pre- nge. There is, I freely admit much aldeney truth in these accusations; but we hnvo
"Grant? Grant? Hang It, man, you foundation for seem to know more atrangers than
man I ever saw."
good no ambition, if there is nothing mands The man was furious. He walked world as we find it which commands enthusiasm. It, In addition we find off up the car, but came back to say, confounded ignoramus-did the burden of our fathers' sins heavy that the task of remodelling you ever hear of Adam?"
fo "You'
the world is beyond then we Artemus looked up, "What was cannot well be blamed if we adopt, his other name?"
as I have done, the motto, "Every-
one for himself."
After that he was loft in peace.
M. D.
WHEN AT HOME
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