Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1918-01-24
NOTED ENGL|ShMAN
GAVE FINE LECTURE
DR.. George Parkin, Director OF
Rhodes Scholarship Trust,
Lectures at College.

Or. George Robert Parkin, Of Lon
don England, Director of the Rhodes
Scholarship Trust, spoke in the college
chapel Friday night. on "The Rela-
ton of American and British Democ-
racy TO the War;
Because Of his pleasing personality,
MS wide travel and his knowledge Of
r.er and affairs, DR.. Parkin gave his
audience not ony a most instructive
but "a thoroughly enjoyable evening.
Before leaving England, DR.. Page
said to him, "No man has a more real
mission than to interpret to the people
If the United States the attitude and
relation Of our British Empire to this
War" And DR.. Parkin now says, 81
feel when go back to England have
another mission that of Interpreting
America to England when l see the
amazing progress made by this coun-
tly."
He said in part: Rhodes vision
fNr the future Of the world has become
the most important question of the
whole world Rhodes idea was that
the sympathetic understanding be-
tween our two nations would go fur
ther than anything else to secure
peace and prosperity for the world.
Russia cannot be counted on; Italy
is shattered; France is almost at the
end of her man-power, her sacrifice
has been tremendous; the small ma
tions like Belgium have been crushed;
Norway Sweden, Denmark and Ho.-
land are terrorized. Our two nations
are left.-The British Empire and the
United States.
I'VE are engaged in the most tre-
mendous struggle the world has ever
known. This struggle has got to be
fought out by our people, and after
the War is over the settlement of the
greatest problems that the world has
ever known are going to lie largely
upon the shoulders Of our two democ-
racies. Therefore feeling Of SYM
pathetic understanding is necessary.
An analysis Of the text books of this
country used in the public schools
shows that the impression is made
on the young that Engand is tyrant
nation. England is not a tyrant ma.
ton. Let me give you few examples.
"On August 4, 1914, the signal was
sent out England erpects every man
e do his duty 1t was not sent along
line of battleships, as when Nielsen
years before gave the command, but
sent along line of nations, Canada,
Australia, South Africa, New Zealand.
There was not a point where English
people lived where men did not drop
iheir professions and activities; 5000
from Argentine paid their passage
across from South America and asked
only for the privilege to fight for their
flag. A tyrant nation does not pro-
duce that kind Of people.
The Revolutionary War, was iii
reality civil war. Men who had lived
in England but five years before,
fought with Englishmen. The English
colonies by evolution got much
greater democracy than the United
States by revolution. A tyrant ma
tion would not give democracy like
that.
The American slogan--"safe for
democracy"-vas not the reason that
England entered the war. 1t was
national honor that swept England Oft
Der feet. When Germany treated her
pledged word as a scrap Of paper,
England was reused. To make the
world safe for democracy, only slowly
dawned on US. England is democratic.
She is more democratic than America.
Bot England has thousand years of
history to start with, and appearances
make it seem as if she were not so
democratic. America cannot help be-
ing democratic, because she opens her
doors TO all people. America has the
spirit. but England thinks she has
done better than America in working
out the problems. England has
government of the people, for the
people, and by the people. In as
great an industrial country as Ameri-
ca. you would expect to see working