The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-04-27
Carl Miller, Director Of
ROtayInGTDdtlOnd|, Heard
At Meeting Last Evening

In asdelightfully informal tall
to the Key West Rotary Club
with President Ernest A. Ramsey
in the chair, which assembled in
St Paul's Parish House last
night. Carl Miller, Director OF
Rotary International, of Dodge
City, Kansas, held the close at
tention of his audience while he
carried them, in imagination,
with him from the Dust Bowl OF
his native State, across the seas
to Rotary in Western Europe, the
Far East, South America, and
back again to mis- native land.
f.. In order that Key West Ro-
tarians might have the privilege
of hearing MIR. Miller's talk, the
meeting this week was set for
ward from the usual Thursday
noon, to last night. MIR. Miller,
In accordance with the practice
of International Rotary to send
one of the International Direc-
tors to each of the District Con-
ferenceSs was in attendance at
the Conference in st. Petersburg
where Ernest Ramsey and the
other delegates from Key West,
persuaded him to come to the
SouthernmoSt city for what he
termed was a much too short
visit.
Leads Singing
Before his talk Mr.. Miller, by
request, demonstrated his YER
satility by leading the Club in a
spirited rendition of his favorite
song, Home On The Range.
In his introduction of the
speaker, President Ramsey said
that on being asked to choose
his own subject, MIR. Miller had
selected the Fourth Object Of
Rotary, international Service.
as the one which he felt would
be of vital interest at this time.
Mr.. Miller began his talk with
a vivid description of two of the
most famous products of the
State of Kansas:-its sunflowers
and its dust storms. Unlike the
tropical storms which occasionally
visit Florida, he said, the dust
storm gives no warning of its APP
proach, in addition to which he
believed it was more destructive
than our hurricanes.
MIR. Miller said that the soil of
Kansas had not been entirely
blown away, and that all the
Kansas farmer needed for his fl
nancial rehabilitation was Just
three successive good crops of
wheat. eff we get them" he said,
none of us will need to ask Uncle
Sam for a cent"
Stresses Point
In that portion of his talk up
on the international situation MIR.
Miller stressed the importance of
acquaintanceship, which is one
of the principles of Rotary. "Ac-
quaintance", he said, "begets
knowledge, which leads to un-
lderstanding; from which the next
step is tolerance, which is essen
tial to international peace"
I'VE should be careful, he adj
vised. ''if we wish to preserve
peaceful relations with other ma
tons. not to allow our patriotism
to be changed into nationalism.
By Anationalism" I mean that
principle for which the Nazi re-
gime in Germany stands today"
He said that the reason Hitler
has abolished Rotary Clubs In
Germany and Austria is because
Rotary is international in its
scope and influence, as well as
democratic in its principles
1T is the opinion of many, he
said. ''that Rotary could be re-
established in the Dictator coun-
tries today if it could be organ
lied as German Rotary. Italian
Rotary or Austrian Rotary, in
stead of International Rotary. It
is the International phase of its
activities of which Hitler was
afraid. in my opinion.
Refers To Europe
While in Europe, several years
ago, attending the International
Rotary convention in Nice, Mr..
Miller, together with a number
of other delegates. had an OPP
portunity of meeting and talking
with Mussolini on the occasion
of his dedication of a large ma
ternity hospital. He said that, in
his estimation, Mussolini viii go
down in history as one of the
great. builders. On a large table
in his study were three relief
maps of the Italian Empire. One
was the old Roman Empire. an