Welsh Journals

Wales at Work- A Social Diary. How, then, to do it? Not, I fancy, by any kind of pow-wow or palaver of congress, conference, general committee, sub-committee, or other expedient for talking, instead of working alone. This is an individual's job, and a somewhat lonely one, though a nation has to be saved by it. To get down to work, whoever else idles to tell no lies, whoever else may thrive on their use; to keep fit and the beast in you down; to help any who need it; to take less from your world than you give it and to do it all, not in a sentimental mood of self-pity, like some actor mouthitig in] an empty theatre, but like a man on a sheep-farm in the mountains, as much alone and at peace with his work of maintaining the world as God was when he made it.-C.E.M. INTERNATIONAL. The General Headquarters of the League of Nations Union publish periodically a list of the "best counties" in the United Kingdom from the League point of view. In December a Welsh County, Merionethshire, secured the proud position of being first on the list with tLe proportion of one member of the League of Nations Union to every 38 of the population. It is expected that Anglesey will also be able, before long, to claim a place amongst the first three of the best counties. No honorary worker in his own county has done more for the League of Nations Union than the l^v. Owen Thomas of Menai Bridge. For all who are interested in Foreign Affairs Whit- week of 1923 will make an irresistible appeal. At Aberystwyth during that week-commencing on May 21st — there will gather representatives of the branches all over Wales of the League of Nations Union. Amongst the speakers will be Senor Augustin Edwards -the first non-European President of the Assembly at Geneva. The presence at Aberystwyth in Whit-week of the President of the World Parliament will give to the International gathering a status and the workers in Wales will receive fresh eneouragment to go for- ward with their task. It is expected that the International Section of the Welsh School of Social Service will be formed at the 1923 School in Llandrindod Wells in August. A sug- gestion has been made that it would be an excellent thing were it possible for some members of the school to go out from Llandrindod to Geneva. They would be lust in time for the opening of the Fourth Assembly. Will those who would like to be of this party begin saving up at once? It is much too early yet to give particulars of the journey, of the stay in Geneva and of the opportunities of meeting with some of the lead- ing citizens of various countries in the world. But it is not too early to make up ones mind to go to Geneva and to start arranging for such financial assistance as will make of the pilgrimage a possi- bility. In 1850 the churches of North Montgomeryshire made a collection in order that "S.R." should attend as their representative a Peace Congress at Frank- fort. It is a pity that some such arrangement could not have been made with regard to the Congress at Lausanne. How interesting it would have been for some Welshmen who could be named to be brought into first-hand contact with the French and Italian representatives and with Ismet Pascha and Tchitcher- ine. Is it that Wales does not stand where she did in 1850? Or is it that we have no one now left in the Welsh ministry quite of the type of "S.R."? On Friday, February 2nd, 1923, a North Wales De- monstration will be held at Llandudno when Lord Robert Cecil has promised to speak. NATIONAL. The Lord Mayor of Cardiff (Alderman Dr. J. J. E. Biggs) has had a refreshing experience for a Welsh Lord Mayor. At a speech to the Caledonian Society the Lord Mayor ventured upon the opinion that "to maintain Welsh as a living language would put Wales back for many years." This brought upon his lordship the censure both of the Cardiff Cymrodorion and the Union of Welsh Societies. The Lord Mayor was asked to receive a deputation. He did and there was much plain talking. Mr. Gwilym Hughes acted as sp-okesman-a happy choice because, as he put it, he had stood in Wales for many years as "the apostle of Cardiff." He referred to the hard battle for the recognition of Cardiff as the headquarters of the Welsh National Memorial Association, of the Welsh University Court and the National Museum. And if Cardiff wished to be recognised as the Metropolis of Wales then Cardiff must be ready at all times to lead the Principality in the assertion of its rights. Professor Morgan Watkin followed on behalf of the Union of Welsh Societies emphasizing the policy of the Union that there must be an equality of treat- ment for the Welsh language in all departments of the public life of Wales. In reply the Lord Mayor assured the deputation that they were "pushing an open door." He was not anti-national as to the teaching of Welsh in schools, at his request his own boy had been taught Welsh in the High School for Boys. He pointed out that he had not been accurately reported and that when he spoke of Home Rule it was of Home Rule "on the original Irish model where Erse must be compulsive- ly spoken in public affairs as the sole and exclusive language." The Lord Mayor's explanation was accepted and Mr. Gwilym Hughes in seconding a vote of thanks said "they had always been accus- tomed to associate the name of Biggs with Wales. The brothers Biggs had played for Wales in football and they would go from that meeting knowing that +he T.nrd Maynr was a^sn bent on nlayir><? the srame for Wales." So it ellded-all souare. The signifi- f^oe f the incident lies in the challenging snirit of what the "Morning Post" was pleased the other day in a leading- article to call "the new national move- ment in Wales." On December 15th Wales expressed its gratitude to Sir Vincent Evans, F.S.A., by presenting him with a cheque for 1.000 guineas at a banquet held in the Hotel Cecil. There were over 400 people present and the toast of "Our Guest" was proposed by Mr. Lloyd George. RELIGIOUS. At the Llandaff Diocesan Conference in the first week in December the report of the Committee for Mission Work in the diocese showed that the Bishop prono«=ed to form a band of special service clergy, 31 of whom had already responded to the invitation. Canon D. AkrilI-Jones. chief diocesan missioner. expressed the hope that the band of tepeicial clergy would be the means of doing useful work in con- nection with the Evangelistic Forward Movement. In going about the diocese he had met a considerable number of the young intellectuals — students at the colleges, and one found that wonderful educational ambition and keenness among them. This, however, was chiefly vocational in character, and was very much divorced from interest in religion. As those young people would be the leaders of the future it was of paramount importance that a good deal of work should be done amongst them. Mr. Walter Thomas seconding, emphasised the great need at the present time of mission work in every parish. The Church was only touching the