Welsh Journals

Further Opinion on "Wales." (Continued from Back Cover) A note of challenge runs through most of the contributions to Wales, the new Welsh quarterly. Nowhere is it stronger than in What I want for Wales,' by Huw T. Edwards, who asks for self- government, and wants a Welsh Socialist Party, with full powers, to decide policy in all matters affecting Wales. He wishes the official language of the Parliament to be English. Music takes its place in the magazine, with reminiscences by Sir Granville Bantock, and four bagatelle scores by Daniel Jones. The poetry section has verses by Robert Graves, poet and novelist, who became an honorary Welshman, after several years residence in Harlech.' Iorwerth C. Peate tilts at Welsh insensitiveness to bad taste in architecture." — "South Wales Argus" (E.M.D.), March 22nd, 1944. This number of Wales (price up to 2/6d. now) is the best yet of the new series. There is a ferment in Welsh life and thought to-day. Who tries to bottle it will get the cork in his eye. Who would taste its brew will get some of the effervescing flavour in this magazine, which improves with each issue. An interesting contribution comes from Huw Edwards, an organiser of the Transport Workers' Union and president of the North Wales Labour Federation. He argues the Socialist case for Welsh self- government (not independence) and criticises his own party for its aloofness in the recent past to Wales' needs. This criticism, while still true perhaps of the Labour Party Conference, is, I believe, becoming less true of Labour parties in Wales itself." REYNOLDS NEWS" (" Wales," by David Raymond). Cefais hwyl fawr ar ddarllen rhifyn y chwarter hwn o Wales, y cylchgrawn Saesneg cenedlaethol Cymreig o dan olygiaeth Keidrych Rhys. Y mae'n glamp o gylchgrawn mawr trwchus wedi ei argraffu'n wych ar bapur rhagorol, ac yn llawn o bethau byw a diddorol. Nid oes imi na'r amser na'r gofod heddiw i s6n ond am ychydig o'i gynnwys. Sgrifenna Huw T. Edwards, Shotton, ar What I want for Wales,' Erthygl anghyffredin o ddiddorol yw hon yn gymaint & bod Mr. Edwards yn dal na eill gytuno â pholisi'r Blaid Genedlaethol, ac yntau ar yr un pryd yn gofyn am fwy i Gymru nag a ofyn y blaid honno Campus wedyn yw ateb y Dr. D. J. Davies i Jim Griffiths, A.S., Explain Please, Mr. Griffiths.' Mawr obeithiaf y geill y golygydd gael gan Mr. Griffiths ateb pwyntiau y Dr. Davies y mae'n ddyletswydd arno eu hateb yn gwbl glir od yw o ddifrif, ac wedi iddo ateb, fe fyddwn yn deall pa Ie y safwn yn well. Llith ragorol arall yw eiddo y Dr. Peate, A Note on Architecture.' Da iawn yw gweled pensaerniaeth yn cael ei drafod yng Nghymru, a'i drafod yn ddeallus fel hyn. Gormod o ddiletantiaeth a fu ar gwestiwn pensaernieath-diletantiaeth neu lwyr ddifaterwch. Darllenadwy y tu hwnt yw Reminiscences y Dr. Granville Bantock, a'i deyrnged dwymngalon a haeddiannol i'r diweddar Dr. Vaughan Thomas. Dyna beth o gynnwys Wales, ond cofiwch bod llawer iawn o bethau da yn rhagor. Hanner coron y chwarter yw pris Wales, ond oherwydd y galw mawr sydd amdano, dylid gofalu ei ordro ymlaen llaw. Y FANER," Mawrth 22, 1944. Canasom glodydd i furiau gwyngalch prydferth yr hen fythynnod Cymreig a chanasom 0 Fryniau Caersalem' wrth fedd tenant ar ol tenant,' meddai Mr. Huw T. Edwards mewn erthygl ar Beth a Fynnaf i Gymru yn rhifyn diwethaf Wales-cylchgrawn sy'n lledu ei adenydd ac yn gwella, a rhifyn sy'n well am hanner coron na'r ddau rifyn blaenorol am ddeunaw. Ond nid dyma'r golofn i adolygu llyfrau ac ni allaf wneud mwy na thynnu sylw at ysgrif Mr. Edwards, sy'n Undebwr Llafur amlwg, yn wr sy'n dal i weithio'n galed ac nid yn gwbl ofer i sicrhau diwydiannau newydd arhosol yng Ngogledd Cymru ac yn aelod ffyddlon ond aflonydd o'r Blaid Lafur. Fel Sosialydd geilw Mr. Edwards am hunan-lywodraeth i Gymru, ond am resymau gwahanol ac ar ffurf wahanol i hunan-lywodraeth y Cenedlaetholwyr, ac am Senedd a'i hiaith yn Saesneg i Gymru i reoli bywyd Cymru i gyd ar wahan i ddarpariaethau amddiffyn y wlad rhag gelynion. Ond gesyd y pwynt hwn yn anffodus o aneglur." Y CYMRO," Mawrth 11, 1944. Good News-Mr. H. T. Edwards, Transport and General Workers' Union, in Wales, March, 1944 I am disturbed by the growth of the Welsh Nationalist Party. Over the last four years it has undoubt- edly greatly increased its membership and its power is being felt in many directions of Welsh life.' We have no reason to feel disturbed' by this frank admission. It is a truth known to the young people of Wales in mine and quarry, factory, farm, and in the Armed Forces." THE WELSH NATIONALIST," April, 1944. For too long men and women have been afraid of the swollen monster, the dragon that in one form or another (Big Business, The State, The Banks, The Monopolists, the Trades Unions, the fossilized mysteries of Scholarship and Religion) has controlled their lives. And the bridling of that fear inevitably takes a political form too. John Rowland, in the magazine Wales, says It is obvious that we are, in the years immediately ahead of us, to be faced with a growing totalitarian pressure. When this war has been won, the world will be in such a hopeless chaos that there will be considerable attempts to force on us a central control If all the British Isles are to be controlled, in the material sense, from Whitehall, so much more should all those who believe in the spiritual dignity of man do their best to assist in what may be called cultural decentralization.' Hence this marked tendency towards regionalism in artistic movements. It is such efforts, either in groups or in individual claims, that will remind the makers of the new world that variety is heaven, and uniformity is hell; and that unless the atmosphere of to-morrow is filled with coils of hope,' stifled humanity will grope about like beasts of burden-with nothing to carry." JOHN 0' LONDON'S WEEKLY" (Richard Church), February 11th, 1944. Not only Welshmen should be able to enjoy Wales this third number sets a new standard for the new series. The best pieces, as well as being alive and interesting in themselves, also reveal important aspects of our people and their history. Biography, sketches of everyday life, fiction, poetry, and topography is artfully blended. The makeup of the magazine is excellent, though I would suggest you should choose a less heavy type for the titles of short poems a whisper resents being headlined. But all round, this is a damned good job of editing." — Reginald Moore, Editor, Modem Reading."