The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1938-03-03
rs TT SATIRICAL2

- II 1<A1ANAAfAA4s
Rot y, now Inter- ational wa IS years ago
provincial group Of five men meeting in
Chicae5 each representing busiaess or pro-
fession, in order to improve theit social apti-
tudes
It's purpose was therefore, then severely in
sulated 8
There was no wider outlook than that of
simple fellowship among handful
The boys wanted to be jocular shake each
others hands, pat each other on the back, and
give each other a friendly push along into the
hard, gruelling grind Of their daily business ex-
perienceS.
Since then Rotary has vastly broadened, not
only in geographical scope and numbers but
in purpose.
international peace long ago became one of
its more serious and purposeful detectives.
Launched and now living in 80 political lati-
tudes of the world, Rotary IS international.
It's interest therefore in world-peace became
not merely laudable but propitious
It had its peace-minded members in all of the
countries.
Why not let them loose with the gospel if in
ternational friendliness even as Rotary from
it's infanthood had committed itself to person
al and professional fraternalism?
On its 33rd birthday, it may sound satirical
to be reminded that this vastly-fung organiza-
ton, flying the banners of world peace, with it's
45O0 individual clubs in practically every coun-
try and with membership of $4,000, has been
majoring on international friendliness, crying
peace when there is less of it today than when
Rotary set out on this Grand
But the realities of the present unhappy case
Of human society furnishes no absolute denial to
the localities of Rotary or any other movement
propelled by the idealistic impulse.
On the face of it, it seems hollow mockery
to contend that Rotary's preachments have been
of the slightest avail.
Where's the argument that they have been
when the society of humanity today is frustrat-
ed by wars and threats of war as seldom in all
its annals?
But the logicians are not left cropping as they
confront this question.
To all of the tantalizings of the Grad-grinds
and the sneers of the cynical, there are two an
swers
One of them is that, in spite of war-maling
and war-threatening on the part of governments
today, there is more sentiment for worldly peace
in the hearts of the masses than at any previous
hour.
1t is not the people who are guilty of this mon
strous crime of provoking international quarrels.
The other answer is speculative, to be sure,
but reasonable as reply.
One can never measure the progress of good
in material terms or tangible scales.
Who knows but that -mindedness in the
world would not have long ago been far more
advanced, vocal and developed except for the
quiet ine-by-line, procept-by precept, here-a
Gttle-there-a-little process of such institutions
and agencies as Rotary, spreading this gospel in
every nook and Granny of all of the peoples of
the world?
Or who knows but that now, even when the
prospect is so dark and dismal for the regime
of peace, that at long last it will be through the
elimination of such influences as have been ex-
erted by these organizations that the peoples of
the world viii CONCEAL in close and effective pha-
lanxes against the enmaddened hystrias of war
minded political lords?-The Charlotte OBJ
server.
TO COMPLETE PARKWAY