Is This The End Of The
p. 76 · Read in the full issue
Empire?
Letter to the Editor AN American friend said to me re cently: “Say, I guess you’ll have to reintroduce duelling here. This is the most discourteous community I have been in—and I’ve travelled around the world lately.” He also said: “Australia has now given herself the kind of Gov ernor-General she deserves!”
The people of this country appear now to care for nothing except pleasure especially gambling. It is typical of what is going on all over the Empire. These are the symptoms of the decay that marked the passing of other great Empires —lndia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, France — and now, Britain.
It seems to be impossible to tell this generation that when it takes the ruling power away from the class that has learned how to control a majority of half animal humans, and given it to those who have no real sense of racial or social responsibility, it is simply following in the footsteps of nations which once were great, but are not great now. That is what History teaches; but our present rulers are incapable of learning anything from History, The wisest man I ever knew said to me 60 years ago: “Trades-unionism will destroy the Empire. I shall not live to see it—but you may.” I think I am seeing it, now.
I am etc.
A.J.V.
Sydney, 8/5/47.
Mrs. Alice Bowring-, who did a particu larly good job of work as a Red Cross officer in New Caledonia during the war, and who returned to her battered home on the New Guinea Goldfields in 1946. arrived in Sydney in February and imme diately entered the Scottish Hospital in Cooper Street, Paddington. She is still there, undergoing treatment.