… VOLUME XX WELSH OUTLOOK Where there is no vision the people perish NOTES OF THE MONTH LAST month we wrote that the fourteenth Assembly…
… VOLUME XX WELSH OUTLOOK Where there is no vision the people perish NOTES OF THE MONTH LAST month we wrote that the fourteenth Assembly of the League of Nations was opening "in an atmosphere of gloom and foreboding." Within a few days the worst fore- bodings were justified. Germany had left the League and the Disarmament Conference, and the League remained with four of the greatest Powers in the world outside it. The fifteenth…
… OUR readers will find much to interest and much to disturb in the article on the 1931 Census in Wales which we publish this…
… OUR readers will find much to interest and much to disturb in the article on the 1931 Census in Wales which we publish this month. In a very striking address to the North Wales Presbyterian Association, which met in London at the close of the last month, Mr. Wheldon dealt with the same subject and disclosed some amazing and alarming figures of the de- crease in the. birth rate in Wales. He said that…
… WE would be the last to deny that this state of affairs was open to very strong critic- ism. In many cases it developed…
… WE would be the last to deny that this state of affairs was open to very strong critic- ism. In many cases it developed into a real tyranny; bigotry and persecution thrived under it; it drove into exile or isolation some of our greatest sons--the late Sir Henry Jones is an instance; it often distracted our attention from the terrible conditions of our social life. But, taken broad and long, the influence of the…
… means to take its part in defeating the depression and degeneration that through unemployment threaten the youth of Wales, and arrangements have been made…
… means to take its part in defeating the depression and degeneration that through unemployment threaten the youth of Wales, and arrangements have been made with the Ministry of Labour whereby men in receipt of benefits under the Unemployment Insurance Acts may continue to receive them during attendance at the School. It is obvious that the sacrifice and dedication of two enthusiasts will not be sufficient to support this new venture, and it is a…
… ists have been saying that he was first of all a great soldier. It may be true, and with "the fine record of his…
… ists have been saying that he was first of all a great soldier. It may be true, and with "the fine record of his military career in front of us, it is the obvious thing to say, and consequently may be an utterly superficial estimate of his character. We have always suspected that his primary inter- ests were intellectual and cultural. Like some of the old Welsh Princes, if life demanded warfare and'strife, he…
… GERMANY first went to Geneva, as a part of the bargain at Locarno, in March, 1926. I can recall vividly the wintry Saturday night…
… GERMANY first went to Geneva, as a part of the bargain at Locarno, in March, 1926. I can recall vividly the wintry Saturday night on which the German delegation arrived. There was something pathetic about it -pathetic in that childish anxiety to make an impression, which is a part of the German national character. A whole floor in one of the largest hotels had been reserved for the delega- tion the luggage was so…
… clearly. One of the delightful speeches of the xivth Assembly was made in the debate on minorities by Prof. Rappard, who is known at…
… clearly. One of the delightful speeches of the xivth Assembly was made in the debate on minorities by Prof. Rappard, who is known at Aberystwyth. He said that a Swiss delegate needed no instructions to speak in a debate on minorities. He took them in with his mother's milk. Prof. Rappard repudiated absolutely the German doctrine of an ethnic base for nation- ality. Swiss nationality rested not upon race but upon an inheritance of…
… SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF WELSH FARMING WHILE common sentiment deplores "the deterioration of farming" and "the depopulation of the land" the most strik- ing features…
… SOME CHARACTERISTICS OF WELSH FARMING WHILE common sentiment deplores "the deterioration of farming" and "the depopulation of the land" the most strik- ing features of Welsh agriculture, as they are to be observed on close analysis, are the increase in efficiency for production, the relative poverty of agriculturists, and the relative classlessness of rural communities. The first and second of these features, strange as it may seem, are closely con- nected with each other,…
… deplore the supposed decline in agriculture or the sparsity of rural population would care to try to improve the industry or to live in…
… deplore the supposed decline in agriculture or the sparsity of rural population would care to try to improve the industry or to live in the country for the rewards attainable there, nor do they often train their sons for practical farming. In comparison with average levels of incomes of other groups concerned with industries and ser- vices, agricultural incomes are very low, and this is true even under the present industrial de- pression. But…
… attempted in the revival or reform of agriculture, the objects and the methods require to be deter- mined with care, and in conjunction with…
… attempted in the revival or reform of agriculture, the objects and the methods require to be deter- mined with care, and in conjunction with schemes for the development and direction of other indus- tries. Planning is required not only of produc- tion but also of consumption. Blind production is useless, especially in agriculture, with products which are not only highly perishable but in total are subject to a very inelastic demand. The prac- tical…
… activities. For it cannot be denied that greater attention, from very necessity, has been paid to curative than to preventive medicine. Quite often, too,…
… activities. For it cannot be denied that greater attention, from very necessity, has been paid to curative than to preventive medicine. Quite often, too, in providing check to disease in the unfit we have been ignoring the guarding of health in the fit. During the last twelve months these centres have not only grown considerably, but public in- terest has been heightened and graciously warmed. Clubs have graduated from a mission to a fashion.…
… tact with the whole family at the outset." What a splendid opportunity for the voluntary service of retired doctors; what excellent train- ing ground…
… tact with the whole family at the outset." What a splendid opportunity for the voluntary service of retired doctors; what excellent train- ing ground for qualified university medicos. The organisation of such work, instead of being built around the convenience of the medical staff, as is usual, and in terms of economics essential in medical institutions, would be designed to meet the conveniences of the people it is desired to attract. Only a rich…
… A little over two years ago we were called upon by the Registrar-General to fill up forms with answers to numerous questions about ourselves,…
… A little over two years ago we were called upon by the Registrar-General to fill up forms with answers to numerous questions about ourselves, our families and our houses; and at frequent intervals during the last eighteen months vo'ume after volume has appeared in which the information thus obtained is set out separately for each county in England and Wales. The volumes for most of the Welsh counties were left till the end consequently,…
… where estimates of the resident population in 1921 were used). The decrease in the numbers aged 15 to 40 is attributable mainly to the…
… where estimates of the resident population in 1921 were used). The decrease in the numbers aged 15 to 40 is attributable mainly to the extensive migration re- ferred to above, but one must look elsewhere for an explanation of the enormous drop in the num- ber of children. The two factors that suggest themselves in this connection are, of course, the marriage rate and the birth rate. As regards the former, the number of…
… The second column of the Table shows that the Welsh-speaking population in 1931 represented 368 per tJhousand of the total population; hence, for every…
… The second column of the Table shows that the Welsh-speaking population in 1931 represented 368 per tJhousand of the total population; hence, for every three who could speak the language there were five who could not. The figures show, however, that Welsh con- tinues to be spoken by much the greater part ot the community in Anglesey, Caernarvon, Mer- ioneth, Cardigan and Carmarthen; and the corres- ponding figures for local authority areas show that…
… Proportion per thousand speaking Among children Among persons under 14. aged 45 and over. Cardiff 23 86 Merthyr Tydfil 203 569 Swansea 180 358…
… Proportion per thousand speaking Among children Among persons under 14. aged 45 and over. Cardiff 23 86 Merthyr Tydfil 203 569 Swansea 180 358 Barry 41 139 Caerphilly 102 394 Aberdare 409 681 Neath 80 418 Pontypridd 121 362 Rhondda U.D. 314 609 Pontardawe R.D. 770 801 Llanelly 578 752 Colwyn Bay 357 319 Wrexham R.D. 290 525 THE CATHOLIC MARTYRS OF WALES MR. T. P. Ellis has done very remarkable and valuable research…
… sensationalism of'H. G. Wells and his like. It seems to me, therefore, highly probable that sooner or later the old battle of religious liberty…
… sensationalism of'H. G. Wells and his like. It seems to me, therefore, highly probable that sooner or later the old battle of religious liberty will have to be fought again. If the battle is to be won, it will be won only by those who believe in religious liberty denouncing intolerance on their own side as much as on any other. Now this, I fear, Mr. Ellis has not done. He has written a…
… in Mary Tudor's reign, and that of these only one, Bishop Ferrar, seems to have been of Welsh blood ("Making of Modern Wales," W.…
… in Mary Tudor's reign, and that of these only one, Bishop Ferrar, seems to have been of Welsh blood ("Making of Modern Wales," W. Llewelyn Williams, p. 197 and note ibid 1) it must be ad- mitted that, whatever may be the case today, the Wales of the 16th and 17th centuries, was far more ready to make sacrifices for Catholicism than for Protestantism. The first chapter of the book deals with certain Welsh…
… THE STORY OF PORTHDINLLAEN IT sounds an important place — Porthdinlleyn, the Port of Lleyn. That is the commonly ac- cepted meaning and spelling…
… THE STORY OF PORTHDINLLAEN IT sounds an important place — Porthdinlleyn, the Port of Lleyn. That is the commonly ac- cepted meaning and spelling of the name, though the alternative spelling, Porthdinllaen, is considered more correct etymologically. Both Lleyn and Llaen are said to denote the "Lagin," a tribe of Goidels who gave their name to Leinster; and Dinllaen may mean their fort here.* The word suggests that in the very earliest times there…
… cannot have happened often, or others would have used the same argument; but it must have been known to happen. He also quotes the…
… cannot have happened often, or others would have used the same argument; but it must have been known to happen. He also quotes the peculiar situation of the houses at Portlidinllaen, right on the water's edge, as proof of the wonderful shelter afforded by the bay. Later, the other side was to have something to say about that. They were obviously built there because there was no room to build them anywhere else; and…
… money were expended in erecting a breakwater or pierhead here, building a new Inn, etc., in hopes that Government would be prevailed upon to…
… money were expended in erecting a breakwater or pierhead here, building a new Inn, etc., in hopes that Government would be prevailed upon to give this harbour the preference. and conse- quently that the Mail Coaches would run this road." t "The Topographical Dictionary of North Wales," by Samuel Lewis, mentions Porthdinllaen as "an excellent harbour, whence three vessels sail regularly for Liverpool with pigs, poultry and eggs, bringing back coal"; and after alluding…
… and claimed that this officer's evidence should have been accepted as favouring Porthdinllaen. But the experience of all controversies has shown that almost anything…
… and claimed that this officer's evidence should have been accepted as favouring Porthdinllaen. But the experience of all controversies has shown that almost anything can be proved by choosing extracts apart from their context. A civil engineer, *Charles Vignoles, also re- ported to the Commissioners for Irish railways on about four suggested routes for the new railway. He recommends a line from Porthdinllaen through Tremadoc, striding over the estuary near Dol- gelley "by a…
… write an indignant letter, claiming that Rendel, as the engineer of the Birkenhead Dock Company, which was closely connected with the Chester and Holyhead…
… write an indignant letter, claiming that Rendel, as the engineer of the Birkenhead Dock Company, which was closely connected with the Chester and Holyhead Railway Company, could not be ac- cepted as a disinterested person. He joined with the citizens of Dublin-who had presented a peti- tion and more reports by other engineers-in de- manding that the work at Holyhead should not be begun until another full and impartial inquiry had been made. An…
… WE had been spending a few days in the sunshine of Florida, and were now on our way to New Orleans, which was to…
… WE had been spending a few days in the sunshine of Florida, and were now on our way to New Orleans, which was to be the first important stopping place in our tour across the continent. Last night we stayed in Tallahassee, the State Capital, a very pleasant town with avenues and shady side walks, built on a hill. We left there quite early in the morning, for the sky was grey, clouds hung…
… village and get some lunch, and that she should come with us, she could not express her grati- tude. "God will bless you, ma'am,…
… village and get some lunch, and that she should come with us, she could not express her grati- tude. "God will bless you, ma'am, He sure will, for helping an old woman, and I am a Catholic too, are you?" She was disappointed when I shook my head, for I believe she thought that if we were both Catholics she would have more influence with the Almighty. We reached the village and I helped…
… that's what they're like, "and she went on mut- tering to herself about "these niggers." A little later we passed a negro school; the…
… that's what they're like, "and she went on mut- tering to herself about "these niggers." A little later we passed a negro school; the playground was full of little dark children, many of them hung over the railings to watch the cars go by. They were dressed in ragged clothes, but of such bright colours (reds and yellows and pinks) that they all looked gay in spite of their tatters. Many of them wore…
… LIVING ISSUES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT By C. Jt. Anderson Scott, T>.T>. Cambridge University Press, 1933 pp. xii, 192. 6s. net. At a time…
… LIVING ISSUES IN THE NEW TESTAMENT By C. Jt. Anderson Scott, T>.T>. Cambridge University Press, 1933 pp. xii, 192. 6s. net. At a time when so many books on separate aspects of the New Testament and of the Christian Religion are appearing, a volume such as this one from the competent hands of Dr. Anderson Scott deserves a special welcome. At the end of his honourable and successful career as a Professor at the…
… Golygydd Pris 4c. y mis. Rhoddir darn o gerddoriaeth yn rhad gyda phob rhifyn. THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF MUSIC, UNIVERSITY REGISTRY, CARDIFF. League of…
… Golygydd Pris 4c. y mis. Rhoddir darn o gerddoriaeth yn rhad gyda phob rhifyn. THE NATIONAL COUNCIL OF MUSIC, UNIVERSITY REGISTRY, CARDIFF. League of Nations Union. WELSH NATIONAL COUNCIL. WORK FOR THE LEAGUE- IT IS WORKING FOR YOU. WORLD PEACE Information concerning the activities of the League of Nations and of the League of Nations Union may be obtained from the Secretary, Welsh League of Nations Union, 10, Museum Place, Cardiff.. Published by "The…
… Twenty Years of Change in Wales SPECIAL DECEMBER NUMBER LITERATURE EDUCATION RELIGION DRAMA SOCIAL LIFE MUSIC HEALTH POLITICS WALES AND THE WORLD I9I4—I934. PRICE…
… Twenty Years of Change in Wales SPECIAL DECEMBER NUMBER LITERATURE EDUCATION RELIGION DRAMA SOCIAL LIFE MUSIC HEALTH POLITICS WALES AND THE WORLD I9I4—I934. PRICE SIXPENCE T. Gwynn Jones Sir Percy E. Watkins J* Morgan Jones D. Davies Robert Richards B. B. Thomas J. Lloyd Williams D. A. Powell T. Huws Davies. Gwilym Davies…
… MIDLAND BANK LIMITED The Service of the Midland Bank The first customer of the Midland Bank could never have foreseen the breadth and variety…
… MIDLAND BANK LIMITED The Service of the Midland Bank The first customer of the Midland Bank could never have foreseen the breadth and variety of the facilities available to his countless successors. It is the aim of the booklet bearing the above title to describe some of the services which the Bank now offers to actual and potential customers. A oopy of the booklet is obtainable at any of the 2100 branches of the…
… VOLUME XX WELSH OUTLOOK Where there is no vision the people perish .Men fight and lose the battle, and the thing that they fought…
… VOLUME XX WELSH OUTLOOK Where there is no vision the people perish .Men fight and lose the battle, and the thing that they fought for comes about in spite of their defeat, and when it comes iurns out not to be what they meant and other men have to fight for what they meant under ariuther name. .He who doeth well in fellowship, and because of fellowship, shall not fail though he seem to…
… debts and taxation have crippled enterprise at home. The inflation of the boom years was fol- lowed by the deflation and bankruptcies of the…
… debts and taxation have crippled enterprise at home. The inflation of the boom years was fol- lowed by the deflation and bankruptcies of the slump. From 1925 to 1933 the number of persons recorded as unemployed has never been under 100,000 and has been as high as 231,000, or over 37 per cent. of the insured population. And this in a declining total population. We are credited as a nation with possessing imagination. We…
… THE extent of the literary output in Wales since the appearance of the "Welsh Out- look" twenty years ago would probably compare favourably with…
… THE extent of the literary output in Wales since the appearance of the "Welsh Out- look" twenty years ago would probably compare favourably with that of the preceding twenty, but there have been some significant changes which may be briefly summarized at the outset. Some of the literary organs formerly con- spicuous as media for the publication of new work have disappeared, including Y Geninenf Cymru and Y Beirniad. Others, such as Y Traethodydd,…
… Generally speaking, there is evidence of a swing from the standards of the preceding period, so largely dominated by the purist teaching of Sir…
… Generally speaking, there is evidence of a swing from the standards of the preceding period, so largely dominated by the purist teaching of Sir John Morris Jones and his school. Some of the poets who actually belong to the former period have shown a tenency to drop verse as their medium, or to become sensitively critical, even to the extent of parodying some of their own earlier productions. To enjoy such self-critic- ism, one…
… knows his job, as some of those wretched Pur- itans of the last century did, even in spite of their style With regard to…
… knows his job, as some of those wretched Pur- itans of the last century did, even in spite of their style With regard to the future, it is difficult to fort- shadow any particular development. In poetry, the chances of the long poem seem to be waning. Lyricism seems to be the prevailing lorm. In IN this retrospect I should like to write as a candid friend. So far as I can judge, we…
… out regard to the fact that many of them cancelled out others-which, of course, was facile, but hope- lessly bad, accountancy. Moreover there was…
… out regard to the fact that many of them cancelled out others-which, of course, was facile, but hope- lessly bad, accountancy. Moreover there was in this crisis a total and complete absence of any con- structive thinking on national lines, for the simple reason that no machinery existed for such a pro- cess. The nearest approach to joint thinking was achieved by a hurried calling up of the clans-the Central Welsh Board, the University…
… elementary, secondary, technical, and university education have been steadily preserved. For that much we can be truly thankful. There has. been steady development, too,…
… elementary, secondary, technical, and university education have been steadily preserved. For that much we can be truly thankful. There has. been steady development, too, particularly in higher education in all its forms, if we are to judge growth by mere numbers. In 1914, these forms of education were well under way. There were not many gaps in the actual structure, as there had been thirty years earlier. And so. we pro- ceeded quite naturally…
… UP to about 1880 at any rate, typical Welsh life as a whole was still mid-Victorian, if not early Victorian, in its main features.…
… UP to about 1880 at any rate, typical Welsh life as a whole was still mid-Victorian, if not early Victorian, in its main features. The movements which in the meantime have created the Wales of today were still waiting to be born. There has been an almost inconceivable change in the outlook and in-look of our people. Those of us who are now little more than fifty years of age have themselves seen the…
… as of old upon correctness of formal creed nor upon ecclesiastical organisation, but it is humbler and more enterprising, it is less Pharisaic and…
… as of old upon correctness of formal creed nor upon ecclesiastical organisation, but it is humbler and more enterprising, it is less Pharisaic and less legal, it is more tolerant and possesses more power of self-criticism. All this, however, is only a personal apprecia- tion, for no man can weigh or measure a people's faith and real religion. What we can to some ex- tent weigh and measure is the progress of intell- ectual…
… are many signs that we are not yet quite willing to face up to that ultimate issue, and I notice that many people, both…
… are many signs that we are not yet quite willing to face up to that ultimate issue, and I notice that many people, both inside and outside the Churches, are taking refuge from it in a vague kind of mysticism which can only be a base sub- stitute for Christianity whether you give the Barthian or modernist meaning to it. I think I am right in interpreting this as a subconscious shirking of the…
… on, and twenty years in our valley, as a still older poet put it, is in our sight but as yesterday, and the years…
… on, and twenty years in our valley, as a still older poet put it, is in our sight but as yesterday, and the years leave us very much as we were. The older generation predicted an era of unwonted prosperity as soon as the railway came, for had not the place already an enviable reputa- tion for its mineral wealth ? But taking things generally it is doubtful whether the standard of life has…
… a loaf of black bread, which had come to be re- garded as something of a luxury. The black bread has completely disappeared by…
… a loaf of black bread, which had come to be re- garded as something of a luxury. The black bread has completely disappeared by this time and the wheaten loaf even is only to be found in one or two places, where the wheat may quite possibly have been bought of the miller. The mill is in serious decline and would probably have become derelict had it not been converted to supply the village…
… disappeared altogether. But the younger mem- bers interestingly enough, are rallying to its sup- port in considerable numbers. These are the men and women…
… disappeared altogether. But the younger mem- bers interestingly enough, are rallying to its sup- port in considerable numbers. These are the men and women who have been inspired by the new general outlook upon life and its problems. The calibre of the church leaders is certainly not what it was. For some unknown reason no new interest seems to have taken the place of the en- thusiasm for theological discussion that charac- terized the…
… specialist with a sense of vocation, to add high purpose and devotion to his qualifications like so many others in the varied walks of…
… specialist with a sense of vocation, to add high purpose and devotion to his qualifications like so many others in the varied walks of life, and hon- estly concerned with promotion if chances come his way. If he serves his church to the measure of his ability, he is completing the terms of the con- tract. Indeed, if he is energetically proficient, the demands of his church and denomination, with their multifarious committees and…
… are they attracted by them, while hundreds of boys leave the secondary schools heavily laden with certificates, but only to find that the avenues…
… are they attracted by them, while hundreds of boys leave the secondary schools heavily laden with certificates, but only to find that the avenues along which so many of their predecessors walked have been blocked. We shall be a fortunate people if, in the next generation, we can learn to use our Schools and Colleges to nurture their pupils and students in as much of the inheritance of the past as they can assimilate,…
… tion has deepened their disillusionment with poli- tics. The struggle to live on a pittance has strang- led hope, weakened faith, and embittered the…
… tion has deepened their disillusionment with poli- tics. The struggle to live on a pittance has strang- led hope, weakened faith, and embittered the spirit. The man who retains his job is somewhat better off in the slight amount of his goods but his sense of powerlessness is no whit less than that of his un- employed neighbours. The shop-keeper, next door, has the feeling that he is being hounded from his means of…
… taneity and sincerity of these earlier plays appealed to the Welshman, even though they tended, now and again, to rub him up the wrong…
… taneity and sincerity of these earlier plays appealed to the Welshman, even though they tended, now and again, to rub him up the wrong way, and that he rejoiced in the development of a new form of art, fashioned for his sake by his own kith and kin, and further, that the Welsh aesthetic qual- ities which so often lie under an apparently hard and forbidding crust, found in their contact with the new…
… scarcely touch upon contemporary life. Welsh play production had not been popular long before the competition fever seized it. There was a riot of…
… scarcely touch upon contemporary life. Welsh play production had not been popular long before the competition fever seized it. There was a riot of drama weeks after the war and at first the plays produced were in Welsh. Later, English plays-usually well-worn London suc- cesses-were admitted into these competitions. Oftener than not, the companies that played them won the prize and in no time the competitions became wholly English. Astute promoters, with little or…