Evening star., 1937-02-14
Continued From Third Paee)

to an English Parliament which in the
last session gave less than a day and a
half to Scottish affairs, and only three
hours TO discussion on her agricul-
ture-and no time at all to fishing,
afforestation and local government.
For these facts have the authority of
Henderson Stewart, Member of Par
Lament for East Fife, in a speech to
his constituents at Newburgh. And
Mr.. Henderson Stewart is not a mem
Der OF the Scottish national party!
1t is to be questioned if Scotsmen
hnd this treatment of their country's
problems a matter for congratulation.
Industry's Drift South"
One at least of the root causes of
6cotland's decline in prosperity would
appear to be the drift south" of in
dustry. Industrialists are neither sem
timental or altruistic. The fierce COM
petition Of today does not encourage
those qualities. During the last 20
years a large number of Scottish in
dustrial undertakings have been trans
ferred from Scotland to England.
Now, what do the Scottish people
themselves think of this movement for
self-government? If election returns
are the criterion, then it must at once
be conceded that the party has not
succeeded, as a party, in capturing
the interest of the electorate. There
are, however, several reasons which
may account for this failure
In the industrial belt the Labor
party is now very strongly entrenched
and Labor, having adopted interna-
tionalism as a slogan, will do nothing
that may defect their supporters from
the ultimate goal of "workingclass
solidarity" The Liberal party Is
wearing ava like snowdrift in
thaw," and the Conservative shows a
polite apathy and waits upon events" !"
Scotsmen are proverbially canny -
their memories are long and dwell per-
haps overmuch on nineteenth century
prosperity, which, as the government
and the newspapers are constantly
assuring them, may be gone for the
moment, only to return at some un-
specified date!
They are suspicious of bellicose ma
tionalisn, both abroad and at home,
and the utterances of some extreme
nationalists have made them ques-
tion their wisdom. They no longer dis
like the English, though they are
occasionally sorry for a race so in
ferior in education to their own. after
all, we are one people," said a Scots
man to me last month.
Intermarriage Problem.
: And-and here is one Of the prob
lens which confront uS-intermar-
fiage between the Scots and the Eng
1ish has now become so common that
It would be interesting to discover the
proportion of families in either coun-
try which are not of mixed blood. In
termarriage entails a breaking down
Of barriers. Scotsmen do not believe
overmuch in barriers. Witness their
devotion to the principles of free trade
They are of an adventurous spirit and
the worlds edge is their horizon
until at long last their homing instinct
brings them back to the glen or the
town. They fear to become parochial,
and are proud to be citizens of an
Empire which is so largely Of their
own making.
But have discovered lately when
talking TO Scotsmen Of all classes that
though the Scottish Nationalist party
may not have-as yet-succeeded as
Q party, yet its members undoubtedly
are making their countrymen think.
And thought precedes action if ac-
ton is to be effective. An uneasy feel
ing is stirring in mems minds that all
is not well with Scotland, that she is
n fact - tin can tied to the tail Of