The Morgan City daily review. (Morgan City, La.) 1916-1920, 1919-01-09
Study of World Politics

The offer made recently by Majo
David Davies, M. p, and his sisters
of 10000 to the University Of Vale!
for the purpose Of founding a chai'
Of international politics, is a wei
come recognition of ,ong-felt need
As Major Davies remarks, in his let
ter to the president Of the university
the plenipotentiaries a, the Peace
Conference can lay the foundation OF
a league Of free peoples, but they
cannot rear a temple of peace. That
he saws, is the task of the coming
generation, and for its achievement
will be needed consecrated energy
good will, knowledge, and enlightened
public opinion in all quarters Such
a contention is, of course just enough
Those who have made even a most
cursory study Of history cannot fail
to be struck by the fact that the maj
ority of differences between nations,
they have not been toned by
the primitive -r'r't I@asion,
have been occai0ned by-lgnorance Of
each others viewpoint. The better
peoples know eah other. the more
they understand Of each others just
aims and aspirations, the more SYM
pathetic they are likely to become.
and the less probable are differences
of opinion. The graf need at the
present moments is, indeed, that old
problems should be confronted in a
new spirit. that insular and vested
prejudices should be removed, and
that an understanding of federation
should be greatly developed.
AS Major avies says, 1T is an i'm
mense task. and a myriad agencies
will be required to discharge it." Not
the least important of such agencies
is that which Major Davies would
inaugurate in the University Of
Wales. For centuries it has been
the custom, in almost every country.
to regard questions Of foreign poll
tics as being the exclusive preoccupa-
tion of the government. High mystic
ries Of state were for highly trained
officials, and liberal understanding
of foreign politics was never. until
quite recently, at any rate. regarded
as a necessary equipment Of the or
binary, mans education. The world.
however, during the last few decades
has been shutting up like telescope.
and every day that passe sees the bar
riers of space still further done away
with. The need. therefore for a full
Ter understanding of the worlds af-
fairs every day becomes more urgent.
It is particularly interesting that
. start should be made in Wales to
secure this fuller understanding. For
Wales, during the last few years, has
displayed curious tendency toward
narrow nationlism in its education
which has been greatly regretted by
by aducationists everywhere. AS
pointed out in recent official re-
port. the comparatively late devel-
opment of industrialism in the prin-
cipality has hindered the growth of
such workingclass organizations as
the cooperative mvement. whilst uni
versity extension lecturers and SINH
lar efforts have made no direct ap-
peal to Welsh workers. The place
OF all these movements has been lar
gely taken by the propaganda of the
Independent Labor arty, which in
cludes widespread educational
movement on rather crude lines. II
confines its activities to the study Of
economics. industrial history, and the
n odern working-class movement, and
thus seen to be narrow in its con-
cept. and based on the recognition Of
class distinction. Anything that will
TEND to counterfeit this narrowing
and TO broaden the view is
much 70 he desired No doubt Major
Dawes example will find followers
IN other quarters, and, as the wider
idea thus promulgated filters down.
i cannot fail to broaden the basis Of
as whole