Welsh Journals

Notes on Contributors ELIZABETH BowEN writes I'm proud of my Welsh descent. I value my copy of Wales; I hope it flourishes." She is, of course, the distinguished author of The House in Paris, To the North, The Death of the Heart, Bowen's Court, etc. Her latest novel The Heat of the Day (published 'February, 1949), has been acclaimed by the critics as one of the most distinguished novels since Henry James's. FRIENDS OF BRETON CULTURE PROVISIONAL COMMITTEE His Grace, Most Rev. Dr. M. MacGrath, Archbishop of Cardiff; J. Gwyn Griffiths, Lecturer, University College, Swansea Wm. A. Bebb, Lecturer, Bangor (for Wales) James MacSparran, K.C., Member of Parliament, Belfast; Daniel Breen, Member Dail Eireann, Dublin Oscar MacUilis, General Secretary Inter- national Celtic Congress, Dublin (for Ireland). Dr. Mary Ramsay, Edinburgh Rev. T. M. Murchison, Editor An Gaidheal," Glasgow J. H. Miller, Chairman Committee of Celtic Art, Glasgow (for Scotland). Morton Nance, Grand Druid Gorseth Kernow, St. Ives (for Cornwall). Dr. C. O'Cuilleanain, Lecturer, University College, Cork (Honorary Secretary). The language of Brittany is considered to be the most widely spoken of all the Celtic languages. Its death would be a tragic loss to civilisation and culture. Yet it is faced with extinction due to the policy consistently applied by the French Administration in every sphere, especially in the vital Department of Education, in spite of the appeals repeatedly made by the Bretons. We can recall no less than thirteen such appeals by various public bodies over the past four years alone. In August last, the Friends of Breton Culture sent direct to the head of the French Government, with the names of over three thousand signatories in the Celtic countries of Great Britain and Ireland, a Petition strongly appealing for the teaching of the language and history of Brittany which are altogether excluded from all the State schools of that country. Accompanying the Petition was a reasoned letter signed by the members of the Provisional Committee (names above). No reply was received from the French Government. In December last, a formal request for an early reply was despatched. Again, there was no answer. Meanwhile, the situation in Brittany is as bad as ever. It is simply barbarous that children should be cut off from the language of their parents and from the history and traditions of their country. An old Christian nation of the Western World is being treated in a manner unsuited to an African tribe. The French Government's discourtesy to our Petition and its continued adherence to a policy of outlawing the Breton language can only mean that, at the very best, it is indifferent to the destruction of Breton culture. Those people in every country who value the things of the spirit will be shocked to find, in our time, the elementary human rights of a defenceless community being treated with con- tempt by the powerful French State which takes credit for a love for culture and civilisation and proclaims itself champion of liberty and democratic rights. Culture is indivisible if Breton culture is lost, we are all the poorer. We believe therefore that all right-thinking people will raise their voices with us in protest and bring the white light of publicity to bear on the dark corner of Western Europe-- Brittany. CORMAC O'CUILLEANAIN, M.A.,Ph.D., Lecturer, University College, Cork, Ireland. Hon. Secretary.