1947-05-31 — Page 7

THE HONGKONG TELEGRAPH, SATURDAY, MAY 31, 1947.

THE GENERAL HAS

A SCHOOL IN THE BALLROOM

N an ideal democracy the electorate would do its duty at the polls in the way in which a jury reaches its verdict--free from pas- sion and prejudice.

There are ardout politicians who are pruSE ... heaven that they won't live to see that ileal attained. But such zeat for political combat must not blind as to the fact increasing element in this coun- try which desires to study cur- rent problems objectively and to weigh the evidence rather than judge the issue according to a particular political philo sophy.

that there is a considerable and

But the men and women nt that way. The college has no Ashridge were not assembled in

political affiliations whatever:

party organisation sbunds u "Fall In" for Ashridge. Students register in response to publish- ed announcements, or they are animated by what they have heard from friends who have

...deurlet gouFTER,

BUT what WIS the common Ineptile that brought these the people here for Easter from Manchester, Birmingham. South Wales, the Home Counties and London's suburbs?

The conclusion which I reach ed by contact with them is that,

Men and women of all ages between 17 and 70 attend General Sir Bernard Paget's citizenship courses By H. A. TAYLOR

He has faith in this project. So have bis staff, headed by Colonel C. J. Harper, who did notable work for Army educa- tion when General Paget was Commander-in-Chief, Middle

East, and who has introduced into the technique of the college some of the best inspirations of the Army educationalists.

Evidently, too, the General's faith is shared by the men and women who have been to lecture nt the college, for they are all extremely husy people, most of them of national or international reputation.

Their names emphasise the non-Party character of the One feels that when, in the college. Among them are Lord brief, devotional preface to the Cranborne, Mr Chuter Ede. day's work, General Paget snys, Lord "Let us pray for our country,"

Oaksey, Sir Edward you have got not only the rea- Bridges (Secretary of the son why a large proportion of Cabinet), Mr George Woodcock the students threw nside their (TUC), Mr Arthur Bryant, Mr newspapers to join him in the

Dingle Foot, Mr R. C. K. Ensor, Sir Donald Somerville, and Mr Francis Williams (PRO to the Prime Minister),

little private chapel, but why these diversified, unassociated people came to his college at all.

almost entirely. they had been impelled by a very real interest in the country's problems, by a

General Paget has hopes and desire to have the facts of those THERE was conviction and plans, and he will not be satis WHATEVER the causes, you problems presented objectively.

there was faith behind the fied until the financial arrange- see something of the effect and

to join in the clarifying General's words as he said to ments ensure that an Ashridge in the flow of people taking the process of discussing them with me, "Public opinion is awaken- audience is a cross-section of courses of instruction conducted others similarly interested. ing; there is no doubt about the community, and that voices the old ducal mansion of That is the view, also, of that. And if you can create an from the workshop give their Ashridge, Hertfordshire. since General Paget, who has mixed educated public opinion there own rendering of the expression the beginning of the year, when with successive contingents of need be no anxiety about the most commonly heard in the the establishment opened as a students, who talks little and future of our people or Britain's stately ballroom-"May I ask college of citizenship with listens much.

in

General Sir Bernard Parel as principal.

In little more than a quarter of the

year D thousand students have attended. Il- though the work began without any flourish of trumpets and is still, relatively, little known.

At times, snowploughs have had to clear long stretches of road through the wooded coun- try surrounding Ashridge before the students have been able to fnake their way up the hill from Berkhamsted to the college, but Arctic conditions have had no

R

place in the world."

BORSTAL under fire

ARELY has any attempt to reform young offenders in Britain been subjected to such pungent criticism as our Borstal system in recent years. These attacks have been so

by Sir Alexander PATERSON Commissioner of Prisons 1922-1947

The lecturer-?"

POCKET CARTOON

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173

·By “Candidus” HONGKONG'S HELP FOR FLOOD VICTIMS

TODAY brings to a close one of the most impressive ex- Pressions of goodwill, friendship and sincere regard ever record- ed in Hongkong towards the British people. The universali- ty of the gesture is unparalleled. Co the final result is that three out Even from the needy inmates of of four Borstal lads make good a home for blind girls came This is not so poor a record.

contributions to the British Burrial starts with everyone else's Flood Relief Fund to aid the failures and reaps a harvest from distressed people of the British

its firee-quarters of rather un-

If the

pubile Isles. of this country received only the failures of the preparatory schools, I wonder whether they could claim so good a record.

ho chaff

There is a widespread complaint that Borstal

boys are released too

soon.

Their humble gift was enriched beyond measure by the thought and sentiment which prompted it.

From Hongkong fishermen, coolies and amahs; from crews of coasting

effect upon the stream of people widespread and have come from influence is wider than they can and the threat of further bombing i mountain

making their way to it from all parts of the country to increase their knowledge of the problems of our times.

FOR the Easter week-end a

such

in well-informed and fluential quarters that they can- not be disregarded,

Every year a thousand lads between 16 and 23 are sentenced by British courts to three years of Borstal training.

ever know.

In the third place the Borstal lad is brought into a community where the general spirit and morale are higher than his own. Insensibly he accepts a higher standard than that of his over- crowded school and home.

What are the results?

every-Borstal-boy-is-finger--

from

This complaint was adundantly vessels; from the congregations of justified in the period that followed thirty-four churches and the children the outbreak of war. The bombing response to the Lord Mayor's Appeal; of nearly fly schools, came the of prisons, and Borstal Institutions from monasteries far away in their

retreats;

humble made essential, to discharge som farmers and tillers of the soil: from thousands of boys, whose training bankers and merchants; soldiers and was by no means completed.

sailors; from every race and every Circumstances now are more nor creed in this small outpost of the a training which lasts from twelve taneous gesture which can never be mal, and every Borstal bay receives Empire came a heartening and spon to twenty months before the Prison forgotten. Commissioners, on the advice of the Visting Committee at each institu- tion. decide that there is a reason- able prospect of his leading an IT is the universal warmth of feel- Bonest and industrious life and Ing for Britain which will be equally wormly reciprocated by license him to be at large.

Remember that the Commissioners those who have received oid from

Comm

whom are In

++

be-

These lads represent the typical, general course was failure of our State education provided. It dealt with such system, of our probation system, subjects as the problem of and of our Home Office approved DAMAGING, indeed; devastat. Germany's future: Eastern schools-failure to combat the

ing figures of the failures have a statutory duty to release auch an unexpected corner of the Europe; industrial relations; disadvantage of poverty, bad have been given. The truth is these lads when they receive this earth. To many at Home, Hongkong

is almost legendary, but It will

be civil liberties; the Empire as housing and pre-war unemploy. not difficult to discover, for assurance. "factor in Anglo-American-un-tment.

realised now, in these days of political

and scem- derstanding.

ET printed before sentence, and on me deal next with the coming uncertainty, that there are ties They have been beaten at reconviction after training his plaint that is made (not unna- which still bind the Empire together. Attending, were 140 men and court and beaten at home. They identity is bound to be establish-mises are burgled by Borstal es children of the Colony, thousands of turally) by householders whosć pre- Thoughts turn especially to the women of all ages: 17 to 70 is have enjoyed the kindness of ed.

сареса,

In humble circumstances, my estimate of the range of the probation officers. They have

Now In this matter The facts established in the Commissioners have to make

the age groups, with people between belonged to boys' clubs and a

to be a fine opt Prison Itnaugurate pen friendship

opportunity 3. to 30 and 50 predominating.

score of kindred organisations. finger-printing system of the choice and abide by the consequen-tween these and school children in

But still they break the law. Criminal Record Office at Scot- ees.

the British Isles. Not only would A glimpse of the college re-

Yurd show clearly that They can, of course, lock up these the interchange of ideas and ideals cords discloses among their And so they go to Borstal for land

approximately two out of three lada securely by day and night, and be worth while, but the very prac-

treat them as prisoners. occupations, laboratory assis-three years.

But you lice of exchanging letters would of all boys sent to Borstal never cannot train boys for freedom by surely prove of considerable educa- lant, clerk, air marshal, pro-

They tonal value. captivity. duction

Colier OBSTAL deals with, adoles again fall into the hands of the keeping them in BUHOK

police.

must be given a chance to show banker, nurse, WARF officer, } cents who have failed to

their real selves before they can be schoolboy, Civil Servant, artist. profit by any other form of The third boy does lapse into judged it for freedom.

or private discipline or crime. We can be sure that on State

It is sadly true that many Bor- may well be that Britain's aid to Chinn in the past was one of Although they were as un-

stal boys do escape and. commit But it does not ex-

adventures. But remember that on

port to the Fund. It may be that guests of any middle-class hotel of them.

any day throughout the year nearly tion from Japanese rule created, the tremendous reliet which übera- in Bournemouth, they presented pect to work miracles.

3,000 boys are deprived of something of a mystery to the

awakened gratitude, Whatever the silent. For what Major-general want to break away and go back majority of those who subscribed liberty in Borstal. Most of them гедвор. we do know that the Inquiring observer,

or Admiral will admit his to mother or wife or girl. They suffered those years of torment and Obviously, it would be quite

Borstal *past?

can do so at almost every hour of deprivation, and that now they are for a political party to In the second place it brings The third boy fails and pro- the day or night.

free people once again. assemble such an audience for a them into daily indeed hourly bably receives a prison sentence. THE law-abiding citizen, reading week-end course; enthusiasm contact with Borstal house- But anyone who follows up as that two out of three thousand for the Cause, ambition for office masters

officers. men diligently as I have sought to Borstal boys have broken out and in the party, the prospect of the specially chosen for and train do, the subsequent records of done damage may condemn tho companionship of people with aed in personality, psychology those so-called "failures" will Borstal system.

But he may say, more reasonably. Just as their find that more than half of them row wonderful, it is that Interest and outlook, and leadership. -common would provide plenty

of hearts are greater than their stabilise themselves and make thousand might escape and only two entrants.

salaries, so is it true that their good citizens in the end.

exceptional in appearance as the training. It seeks to make men reappearing in the dock the fact much damage in their subsequent the factors influencing Chinese sup-

easy

In the first place it gives then an all-round training for three years-industrial, educa- tional, physical and spiritual.

and

that he is an ex-Borstal boy will be widely advertised.

The successes of Borstal are

1

have done so?"

WAR

0,00 DEBTS

their

three

reason to be grateful to Britains, and The people of Hongkong have

Juke they have shown it in no warm manner. The people of the British Isles have reason to be grate- ful to Hongkong, and from Buch mutual understanding and fellow ship must arise a closer and better understanding

of Coch other's problems.

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