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The Spike: or, Victoria University College Review October 1911

The Spike or Victoria College Review

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The Spike or Victoria College Review

The Spike

The Editorial Committee invites contributions, either in prose or verse, on any subject of general interest from students or officials connected with the College. All literary communications should be addressed to The Editor, Victoria College, Wellington.

Subscriptions, 216 per annum, are now due, and are payable to Mr. J. Mcdowall, Financial Secretary, Victoria College.

Editorial

During the past ten years the people of the British Empire have devoted considerable attention to the question of Imperialism. The need of an Imperial enthusiasm has been incessantly dinned into our ears. Imperial Federators, Tariff Reformers, Navy Leaguers, and Imperial Missioner, have urged us to knit closer the bonds of Empire. The efforts of these people have resulted in at least a certain measure of apparent success. Imperialistic sentiment has become fashionable. The red cloak of the Imperialist is now as respectable as the black coat of the cleric. Nevertheless, all efforts after greater imperial unity will, we think, ultimately fail. The dominions of the Empire will, we believe, become independent nations, and in such a result we see reason rather for joy and hope than for lamentation and despair.

The feeling of patriotism is immeasurably stronger than that of imperialism. The people of this land of ours, for instance, can have no real pride and joy in the page 6 far distant parts of the Empire. What to us is Imperialism? A name. What real loyalty can we have to the English sovereign? None. We see nothing of him; he has no influence on our national life. The office which he holds has no connection or association with our land. If the English sovereign were not, who among New Zealanders would be greatly troubled?

All the patriotism of us who are New Zealand born is called forth by our own country. The little town in which we live, its harbour, its gorse-clad hills the great white mountains in the distance—these are things which call forth our deepest love. The patriotism of which most men are capable is, it must be recognised, frankly parochial. Their patriotism consists in the love of some small spot, of the street, the house in which they live.

It is vain for imperial missioners to point out that the British Empire is the most glorious in the history of the world—that it is an empire on which the sun never sets, and that, if it holds together it may aspire to world dominion. These things simply do not interest the man in whom has been aroused the patriotic, the national spirit.

The conclusion which we draw from this almost certain growth of nationalism, is that the bonds which unite the various dominions to the Empire will be weakened rather than strengthened.

Some Imperialists maintain that the growth of a national spirit is not necessarily antagonistic to Imperialism. Self-interest, the exigencies of defence will, they believe, force the dominions to maintain a close union with the Empire. It must not be forgotten, how-ever, that the dominions are continually growing in strength. The time will come when in matters of defence they will be able to stand alone. When that moment has arrived, if the spirit of Nationalism should even in the very smallest matter come into conflict with the feeling of page 7 Imperialism, there can be little doubt as to which sentiment would prevail..

As we have said before, we see no cause for dissatisfaction or dismay in the disintegration of the British Empire, provided that the disintegration is the result of the growth of a national spirit in the dominions. To be specific, we had rather see the people of New Zealand enthusiastic Patriots than enthusiastic Imperialists.

Great enthusiasms and great empires do not, we believe, go hand in hand. An empire which has become' so great that it has no longer the spur of competition to spur it onwards and upwards, has accomplished its useful work for the world.

It is, as a rule, in the struggling nations that great thoughts are thought and great deeds are done. The people of the small nation have always before them the hope of making their nation great and glorious among the people of the world. It is to the small nation, not to the unwieldy empire, that the world must look for its advancement. Therefore it would seem to us that Imperialistic sentiment is a feeling which it is undesirable for the people of this or of any of the other British dominions to cultivate. Let the energies which have been devoted to the building up and strengthening the national enthusiasm. It is, we think, in this direction that the hopes of New Zealand must lie.

To aid in arousing the spirit of nationalism, to spread that feeling among all New Zealanders must be the work of the men who will be leaving the University of New Zealand during the next few years.

Until this feeling has spread throughout the whole people we cannot hope to produce much of distinction in any direction. There is at the present time a tendency for our best man to be drawn away from us. Give them a national enthusiasm and they will stay and work for New Zealand.

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Complaint is often made that there are no signs of the growth of a New Zealand literature. No such literature will arise until there arises in the people a national consciousness. Give us that, and there will not be lacking literary men to breathe forth the hopes and aspirations of the nation. Not only in our literature would the benefit of this enthusiasm be felt. Every sphere of our national life would be given an added enthusiasm.

Our scientific investigators would be given an additional spur if they felt that their discoveries were adding not only to their own fame but to the prosperity and glory of their own country.. Our politicians might be able to rise above a mere grasping after power if they realised that to some extent they had in their hands the destiny of a nation, and that on them rested the responsibility of up building an honourable and dignified political tradition.

Our men of commerce would have an additional pride in the extension of their trade if they felt that they were adding to the dignity and importance of a nation. Every ship launched would be something towards the up building of national greatness. Every increase in trade would be more than a mere financial gain to the individual. It would be something accomplished for the New Zealand nation.

It seems to us, therefore, that it would be wise for the University men who will be entering the public life of the dominion during the next few years to do all in their power to build up an enthusiastic national spirit.

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Some men will, no doubt, call then little-minded, parochial, disloyal. These things, however, will not trouble the man who realises that the true patriotism is love of one's own land.