Speaking World

Federation of English- Speaking World

By Nicholas Hagen, Noumea

1 THINK readers of the “Pacific Islands Monthly” will be interested in some thing that I came upon in a book, the other day. It was written by Julian Thomas, otherwise known as “The Vaga bond.”

He was a great advocate, in earlier days, in of what may be called “The Renaissance of the South Seas.” His books gave a vivid picture of South Seas life in the early days.

His view of the future was expressed in the terminal lines of his book, “Canni bals and Convicts” —published in London in 1887, but written some years earlier. I quote:—

“Looking into the far future, I see a time, not that of which the poet wrote When the war drums throbbed no longer And the battle flags were furled In a parliament of men, The Federation of the World. but of a Grand Federation of the whole English-speaking world, when cannibals and convicts will have disappeared from the South Seas; when our dear old Motherland, with her eldest-born, the United States of America, and the Dominion of Canada, and Australia, peopled by millions, all bone of one bone, flesh of one flesh, shall be joined together heart and heart, hand and hand, and shall be so mighty in war that they can impose peace on the nations of the world.”

Let us continue to have confidence in those who have our destinies in their hands. Let us be well disciplined, and prepared for the after-war.