Feb.
At the Rotary Club meeting on Thursday the audience present had the fortune to be addressed by an acknowledged authority on the Rotary movement. Mr. James. W. Davidson, as a former vice-president of International Rotary, was peculiarly fitted to impress on Shanghai Rotarians, the exceptionally international character of their own club and the remarkable international appeal which the Rotary movement, in the few years of existence, has been able to make, Unprejudiced observers will cordially agree that to the Rotary movement may attributed the elimination of misunderstandings and ignorance in communities where special social and political difficulties derived no little of their potency for ill from the persistence of those obstacles to complete knowledge. The Rotarian is in a real sense a public man; he has also his private capacity as_a comrade to his fellow-Rotarians. This distribution of functions is important. On the Rotarian as a public man the Press, as a mirror and discerning critic of public affairs, is bound to comment. On the Rotarian as a Clubman or private cave-dweller no such duty can be asked of. any journal; it would be unseemly therefore to ponder on. the significance of the nickname in Rotarian philosophy, on_ the special disciplinary rules which are, apparently, enforced in Rotarian assemblages or on the culinary zeal which seems to be the necessary" prelude to Rotarian oratory.
short it Is with the oratory and not with the hors-d'euvros that the Press is mainly con The Rotarian has to be hho, therefore, is used to cutting the cackle and coming fauiekly to the osses but. the Journal which would set out to Zomment on his doings must, in point of fact, cut the osses and Come to the cackle, "In so doing ie"would "naturally accept. as well-planned and appropriate the various rules which govern the composition" of the Rotary Club. "The frst "fact of ime portance adduced by Mr. David-fon on Thureday was the numerical significance of Rotary.
the world's commerce of thought. "There are 3,200 Rotary Clubs in 70- different countries, comprising in all 194,000 mem bers. Te will be agreed that this shows. a vigorous growth yet the actual figures are f Tower than would be imagined from the prominence to shiah this movement has attained in 50. short a. time, The basle desize of the Rotarian to know the truth, to establish contacts, eradicate that most wasteful and uneconomic passion, hatred, has stimulated 'a force which Inevitably creates. efficient. pub-city." If the Psalmist's contention "All Men are Liars" could ever be justified, instead of being excused on the' ground of Dre cipitaney, surely this" mere endeavour to administer mankind commodity of which it'stood in some need would attract more than ordinary attention, So the Rotary Clubs, all over the world, cast their' nets to invite addresses. from men who can speak of things which they know. "The movement. esta bilshes a number of inhibitions, due to. its. desire. to. promote friendship rather than rivalry, to avoid secrecy and t0 cultivate tolerance in religion, Ite tially has its ear to the ground and 'Mr. Davidson seemed to. be Sustained in his argument tha its ideal of. "service for the advancement of understanding, goodwill and international Peace" is fully deserving of esteem. 'To-day' when the world has. discovered "for" itself many new. measures for improving ite communications the Falue' of the Rotary Club. must assuredly appreciate. The form of its constitution indeed pute it in the way of so supplementing the world's other means of com munication that it can correct errors and provide palliatives. Whatever may be the merits of the broadcasting boon of modern invention it cannot. be denied that, unless due care be observ-od, there is a danger of deluging mankind with scrappy and fccemeal knowledge. 'The same Ganger has been long discerned those circles where moh attendance at lectures is regard-fed as of itself a suificiont pass~ port' to knowledge and. to Teputation for civic respons bility. The Rotary. Club, bringing to. their feet in' its midst expert after expert, will not be performing the duty Which its charter prescribes if it Goes not at the same time encourage individual and independent study of the problems thus expounded. 'There are authorities and documents reference to which no speaker however able and concise can possibly render Supererogatory. In. its' aim. to disseminate. knowledge the Rotary Club should sedulously. invite direction to the sources of. knowledge, Otherwise. the Gevotoe of Rotary is liable to he exposed to. the evil of dram-drinking. That would be Tepugnant to the movement which he is giving" such intelligent support.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.