1929 - University of Melbourne

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A Great Benefactor of Newman College ..
15
When the World Turned Upside Down
16
Athletics in Ancient Greece ..
22
Hexentanz
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Cardinal Mercier ..
26
.
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As We Know Them ..
30
jongleur
35
Zionism ..
38
Great Expectations ..
41
Apologia ..
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42
The Seven Wonders of the World ..
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The Buccaneers
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Visitors ..
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Literary Inania
55
Albert Power Debating Society ..
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58
St. Vincent de Paul Society ..
60
St. Mary's Hall Notes .. .
62
Valete
64
Past Students ..
67
The World of Sport ..
Cricket ..
Rowing ..
Athletics ..
Football
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Tennis
.
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Taboo ..
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College Lists ..
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.. 104
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„...,...,,,,w
v
wirviThe Annual Magazine
of the
Newman College Students' Club
anagitt
(Committer
:
JAMES TEHAN, Editor
L. A. MORONEY and P. J. O'LOUGHLIN, Associate Editors
J. F. MEEHAN, Sports Editor
.....ness
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Manager
J. L. KELLY. n
T. McMAHON, Assistant Business Manager
G. HEFFEY, A. F. MUNDAY, M. McINERNY, T. J. LEE
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1929
(
BRYAN MAHON,
President "1;ewman l'oilege Students , Club, 19D.
(Dickinson-Monteath Photo.)
7
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NEWMAN
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Foreword
is swift, it is easy ; construction, on the other hand, is
D ESTRUCTION
slow and sometimes laborious. Consequently, we might be pardoned
if, in deviating from the primrose paths of censure, we became dull and
stogy. But this is a short cut to editorial self-satisfaction, and like all short
cuts to happiness is destined to lead nowhere. For we have not the revolutionary vigour of a previous editor, nor the desire for eccentricity of his
successor, and even had we so noble an ambition, we are afraid we would
not be catered for—the College does not cater for the eccentric. Why
should it? Indeed, how could it? Unless the many became eccentric, and
the few commonplace, "and if everybody were someone, then no one would
be anybody."
To us revolution is abhorrent—we view all "isms" with suspicion. We
cannot, therefore, be induced to malign editorial traditions hallowed and
reverenced from time immemorial. Nothing will tempt us to say anything.
For what editor has ever said anything per medium of an editorial, be it
foreword, preface or leader? Indeed, the sole purpose of their existence
seems to be that they are vehicles of negation. There you will find what
we do not say. We can hardly countenance such a course of action—we
view another with suspicion—we frown upon this, we ridicule that, we dislike these, we despise those. We are as treacherous as quicksand, we are
the quintessence of vagueness, we oscillate between opposing doctrines
viewing each with contempt, remaining supremely content in the majesty of
our editorial self-satisfaction. We deplore the recklessness of progress, the
obduracy of conservatism, the greed of the eager and the apathy of the slow.
The mention of college spirit irritates us—its absence alarms us. He who
talks of the college is a wearisome hypocrite, he who does not is self-cen-
4
NEWMAN
tred. The honest purpose of the true editorial is to be trite and clever—to
write something, but say nothing.
It is an age of words we live in. The written vies with the spoken for
supremacy. We therefore crave the indulgence of a world inundated by
an eloquence and a literature that seems to be about nothing, and which
means little more. We are not revolutionary—we fall in with the customs
of the times. We will not construct, but be content to criticise ; for we
would not like to see our structures pulled down by an eager crowd of
relentless critics ; no, we will join the wreckers, attempting only to wreck
what is destructive, what is seeking to destroy the things that really matter.
We will use hyper-critical methods to the full to attack extremes of criticism. We will set a critic to catch a critic.
If much of the thought expressed in the following pages appears to be
too negative to mean anything, if we seem to be whitewashing polar bears
or blackening crows, we ask you to look beneath the surface of an apparent
void. If you do so, you will discover much where you thought there was
nothing. At first sight we appear to write something but say nothing.
What we really do is this : We write about nothing as being the best way
)f really saying something.
NEWMAN
5
Daq bq Dal]
T
HAT the difficulties confronting one who would attempt to make this part
of the Magazine what it was intended to be—namely, a record of the
more notable events of the year—are almost insurmountable is a fact
that is never fully realised until such an attempt is made. There are many
dangers that must be avoided, the most obvious of which are—first, that of
descending too deeply into the private life of the college, and the second, that
of superficiality. The first is the more perilous ; the second the more common.
We, therefore, crave the indulgence of the reader if, in trying to steer clear
of Scylla, we are caught in Charybdis, or vice versa.
We will, however,
attempt to avoid the artificiality which has to some extent been characteristic
of these pages in recent years. We are not trying to give you a picture of
college life--you must look for that in other pages of the Magazine. We
merely wish to record the more important events of 1929, and, incidentally,
make some attempt to convey to those old boys and friends of the college who
have some interest in and some knowledge of our activities some idea of the
position of the college as it stands at present : in what spheres of its activities
it has been successful, where it has failed and to what extent, some account of
the problems that confront us, and our attempts to solve them. But our efforts
in this direction will be characterised by restraint. In our efforts to descend
a little more deeply into the life of the college, we will be mindful of the
dangers that beset the unwary. There is a view that "Newman" should be
a magazine pure and simple, that the only history recorded should be an
account of the activities of the college in sport. But if this idea of a college
magazine were strictly adhered to, Day by Day would serve no useful purpose at all.
We are totally opposed to such a view as this ; we would show our disapproval of it by erring in the opposite extreme were we not aware of the
dangers of such a course of action. We will attempt to record history, but
remember the problems raised by such a policy as this. How far are you going
to extend this principle ? What matters are you going to include? Can you
include private affairs, or even those of a semi-private nature ? It must be
quite evident that any such treatment of personal matters, or even those of a
semi-public nature, is out of the question. It is not within the sphere of a
magazine to criticise individuals ; history is essentially a criticism of the actions
of individuals—otherwise it is a dull and lifeless chronicle. However, it would
be a mistake to think that such difficulties as these completely banish history
from these pages. No; history will be recorded, but reocrded under difficulties. We would like to give you the full history of the past year, but our
good sense restrains us from attempting so foolhardy a task. We will take
refuge in generalisation—we will attempt to give a survey of the year's activities ; a vague outline of the problems that confronted us this year, and of our
attempts to solve them.
•■
•••••■
6
NEWMAN
INITIATION is so important a part of each year's activities that no
editor can afford to publish these pages without some reference to it. It was
asserted by one of our predecessors in the editorial chair that it was becoming "increasingly difficult each year for the harassed editor to say something
fresh about it." We are harassed by no such difficulties. We will treat initiation and, incidentally, most of the other subjects that call for our consideration in these pages from quite a different point of view. It is not our object
to say something new about initiation, or any other aspect of college life, simply
for the sake of being original. If the events of this year bear a marked resemblance to those of last year, we should admit it. What we propose to
do is to point out wherein this year's initiation differed from last year's, because we think that this aspect is the one that calls most for our attention. To
the average schoolboy the task of castigating wretched freshmen cannot but
appear to be the happiest of all pursuits. But, quite the opposite, initiation
is a labour of duty, a responsibility, an undertaking which, if carried out
properly, produces results of inestimable value to the college, but which, on
the other hand, if mismanaged, can do irreparable harm. We do not initiate
freshmen for the sake of our own amusement or to satisfy our caveman instincts. We compel freshmen to subject themselves to this ceremony because we think it will make them better college men. We do not claim any
originality for our views of initiation—they are ordinary to the point of being
hackneyed ; but, strange to say, when the initiation of any year is being considered, these fundamental facts are sometimes forgotten. When we say that
this year's initiation was good or bad, by what standards do we judge it—by
the entertainment it afforded because it was spectacular, by its novelty, or by
its results? This year the subjection of freshmen was secured by spectacular
humiliation, which, incidentally, afforded much entertainment even for those
whom initiation usually palled. The system of roll-calls, leaves of absence,
and dress inspections, so notable a feature of last year's initiation, was this
year abandoned. It is, we well know, a debatable point whether the methods
of '28 or '29 are more effective, some holding strongly that sudden, dramatic
and rigorous methods produce the best results, other preferring a steady,
relentless, if somewhat ordinary, course of action. We see no reason why
a combination of these two different types of methods should not be tried in
order that the benefits of both might be obtained. We would, therefore, like to
see in 1930 a happy co-ordination of both policies.
1
THE spirit with which Newman men enter into the revels of Commencement Week cannot be criticised either as being lukewarm or too effusive.
This year was no exception. We undertook our share in the proceedings with
the utmost enthusiasm, and the thanks of the college are due to Mr. Crispe
for his very capable management of our "show." In presenting to a large and
enthusiastic audience a spectacle of so high a standard as the "Mildewed Meet,"
Mr. Crispe fully justified the confidence that had been placed in him. Even
our harshest critics admit that this year we happily combined the lavish
glories of Royal Ascot with the simple rusticity of a meet. There is at the
present day an impression abroad which is as prevalent as it is false, and it
was left to us this year to prove its falseness. Prominent people in the hunt
clubs would be inclined to scoff at the idea of conducting a meet at Fleming-
NEWMAN
ton; and the V.R.C. would be equally inclined to scoff if we suggested to them
that they should run the Melbourne Cup at Oaklands, or some equally rustic
and simple spot. In exposing the falsity of such popular misconceptions we
achieved a signal success. As usual, the meet was under vice-regal patronage, and as the Governor-General, surrounded by a glittering entourage, made
his solemn and stately entrance on to the course, there was brought home, in
a striking way, to the minds of everyone of a thousand cheering souls all those
imperishable glories which give to Royal Ascot the air of glamour and romance
which has made it world-famous. Mighty Jove himself must have turned
green with envy at the sight of our splendid steeds, and cast many a disgusted
look upon his milk-white chargers. Bookies, jockeys, trainers, grooms, huntsmen, lord-mayors, and other prominent citizens mingled with true democratic
spirit. The races were full of interest; the principal event was won by the
favourite, Stiphon, who did not run up to form. We were as exuberant as
ever on the Block, and at the Gala Night we saw to it that the traditions of
Newman were well maintained.
At the University there is a move to abolish Gala Night, or, alternatively,
to reform it drastically. We know that some abuses have crept in, that an
undesirable element has made its presence felt among our audiences. But we
see no reason why such a state of affairs cannot be amended otherwise than
by curtailing our most hectic, if not our happiest, effusion for the year. We
remember that we are only young once and students only for a very short
time, and out of Commencement we get something which we cannot find anywhere else. Let us preserve Gala Night—but by all means remove the abuses
which have crept in; and let us not abandon our show on the Block, even
though we be frowned upon by the businesslike and middle-aged. We well
know that on the Block the true carnival spirit blossoms forth in all its exuberance; so by all means we should enter with all enthusiasm into this part of
the revels, where everyone is his own entertainment both for himself and the
admiring throng he may be fortunate enough to gather round him.
WE did not win the boat race this year ; this did not prevent the Boat
Race or Commencement Dinner being the success it usually is. One looks
forward with anticipation to the dinner at which we will celebrate Newman's
first win on the river ; for, if we can hold a dinner like this year's in the face
of defeat, how much better will we toast the first winning crew ? As usual,
a large number of old boys were present at the dinner, which was in every
way an unqualified success. There is, judging from the speeches that night,
a great spirit of optimism among our oarsmen, who confidently predict a bold
bid for victory next year. Attention might well be drawn to Mr. Mahon's
appeal for an endowment for the Students' Club. The college is always in
need of good friends, and never more so than at the present time. But, as
the president pointed out, people who had in the past made the college the
object of their generosity had in most cases overlooked the Students' Club.
He felt that this was probably because they did not know that the club was
sorely in need of such assistance. We heartily agree with our president on
this point, because we alone of all the student bodies in the colleges are without an endowment.
8
NEWMAN
PERHAPS the most notable feature of the year was the success of the
College Ball, which was held, as usual, in the St. Kilda Town Hall on July 17th.
the night of our football match against Ormond. The success of the ball was
as surprising as it was welcome. This year witnessed a renaissance of our
reputation in the social world ; for, since 1924, year by year the standard of
this function had been surely but slowly declining, till last year it reached bedrock. It was at last realised that something drastic had to be done, or we
would have to give up altogether the idea of running a ball. Indeed, it was
even proposed to abandon it, or, alternatively, to hold it elsewhere ; but we gave
such suggestions as these little thought. We realised that if we were going to
give a ball we must do so in a manner worthy of the college. To accomplish
this the support of every man in the college was required—not his mere attendance, but his undertaking the duties of a host.
It is useless for anyone to entertain unless one is also ready to accept the
responsibilities which such an undertaking necessarily involves. To be successful socially one must be sociable ; but this is sometimes forgotten, even
in the most exclusive circles. The result of much heated discussion on the ball
was a frank interchange of views and opinions ; we saw how and why we had
failed in the past, and we determined that if we failed again, it would not be
because we, as a college, had not done our best to overcome those faults
which had been recently brought to our notice. No matter how untiringly
secretaries work, no matter how good the music, how delicious the supper, how
tastefully decorated the hall is, or how beautiful the night, if you have not
that ineffable something that makes or mars a ball—that je ne sais quoi all
the best intentions and the most persistent endeavours will be of no avail.
The fact that the ball was held on the night of the match against Ormond
certainly contributed in no small degree to its success. Flushed with victory,
we were inclined to be more convivial than usual.
The secretaries were Messrs. A. Munday and J. Flynn, who are to be
congratulated on the success of the function. All present considered this year's
the best ball we have ever had, and too much praise cannot be bestowed upon
the enthusiastic and energetic secretaries. The matron, Miss Egan, acted as
hostess on behalf of the students, assisted by Lady Cussen. The Rector and
Vice-Rector were present, and rendered valuable aid in receiving and entertaining the guests. Representatives from the other colleges were present, as well
as several professors from the University. We look forward to next year's
ball with the greatest confidence, for we have only to maintain the standard
set this year, and our reputation in the social world will be forever assured.
As usual, two socials were held in the Dining Hall. This year an innovation
was made, and the first-term dance was held, not on Athletics Night, but during the first week of May. The reason for this change was that consideration
was extended to engineers and any other persons who might similarly be
afflicted with term exams. The buffet supper was adhered to in preference
to the old sit down supper, which we consider wastes too much valuable time
on a night when the hours are not only short but few. Messrs. Crispe and
Dixon were the secretaries for the first term, and Messrs. Meehan and Gilbert for the third term dance. The thanks of the college are to be tendered
to these men for their hard work in arranging these functions, and for thus
affording us two very enjoyable nights.
—
tt
GENERAT, CO MMI TTEE, 1 929.
Stan ding ( le ft to r ig, ht).—J. 0. Pa r ker ( Sec on d an d T hir d Terms ), K. R. Cus se n ( Fir s t, Sec on d a n dThird Te rms).
S. P. King ( Firs ( Te rm ).
Sea te d ( le ft to r ig ht 1.—A. F. Mo n day ( Firs t, Se c on d a n d T hir d Tereus ), B. J. Ma hon ( Pres ident), F. P. Morgan ( First,
Sec on d an dThir d Te rms ).
,1, •4
' 4■
zy
NEWMAN
9
WE think it only fitting that at this juncture we should express our desire
for more dances of this kind. We are strongly of the opinion that any objections to another of them at least, or even to two more, could be overcome without a great deal of difficulty. We know well that the objection that they
would waste much of our precious time would be raised. But this obstacle,
though it may seem substantial, is, when inquired into, more apparent than
real, a paper objection rather than a genuine one. We are of the opinion
that college men are inclined to seek their amusement outside the college rather
than within it. Not only do we deplore such an attitude as not being in the
best interests of the college, but we believe that, if men sought their amusement within the college, they would make better entertainment for themselves
than they find elsewhere. If the college does not provide amusement for us—
well, we must go elsewhere to be amused. The mere fact that you do not
provide amusement, that you make the college a quiet place, will never make
men studious. We do not advocate hilarity; that would render conditions
intolerable for work. No; we find it hard enough to work at the best of
times, but we fail to see how an extra college dance would be derogatory to our
study. There would be no need to sacrifice work ; the only sacrifice needed would
be some outside dance to which, in all probability, we would be going were
not the college dance on the same night. We look back at the fortunate
times when a college glee club was in existence. We see kindred institutions in some of the other colleges. We alone cannot amuse ourselves or others.
We are perpetually in the audience, but never on the stage. Is it that we
fear the fierce blaze of publicity?
We hardly think so; the average college
man is inclined to like a little publicity.
What is it, then, that is making us
hide our light under a bushel and not live up to our motto: "Luceat Lux
Vestra"? If we have any real desire to make the college a better place for
all of us—this is the best way of doing it. Let us enjoy our pleasures within the college. We are only in college a very short time, so let us, during that
brief interval, exploit college life to the full ; let us direct all our efforts to
benefit the college, and, by doing so, we will find that such efforts have not
been wasted. There is an old saying that a man gets out of a college what
he puts into it. Let us devote all our talents and energies for the good of
the college and our return will be great. Let outside things wait—they will
keep ; we will always be able to enjoy them. As for the things the college
gives us, we only have them for a short time; so let us not let the opportunity
pass without having taken advantage of it.
*
*
*
*
*
AFTER our brilliant sporting achievements in 1928, we looked forward, as
would only be natural, to another successful year of sport. Nor were we
disappointed, even though the measure of success attained was not so great
as last year. We again won the football ; this was our fifth successive win,
and the seventh in eight years. This year also witnessed our fifth win in
cricket. In tennis we were beaten by Trinity in the first round, but only after
a hard struggle. Trinity were also responsible for our defeat in rowing. In
athletics we were again second, in spite of the fact that our best athlete,
T. McMahon, suffered disqualification on account of a technical infringement
of his amateur status. In this sport we did much better than was anticipated
against the strong Ormond team. A special word of praise is due to two men,
10
NEWMAN
each of whom may well have been said to have carried his team this year.
We refer to Stewart King and Frank O'Leary, whose performances in cricket
and tennis respectively have been the most outstanding features of this year's
sport. Mr. King will be leaving college at the end of this year, and we offer
him our congratulations on a brilliant sporting career at the University. He
practically won the inter-collegiate cricket for us this year. He has now led
two University teams to victory in the Metropolitan Amateur Football Association, as well as gaining the distinction of being the captain of the victorious
inter-'Varsity football team this year. Mr. O'Leary's performances in tennis
were equally meritorious. Last year his superb tennis practically won the
McKay Cup for us. This year he was equally brilliant in defeat. He was
easily the outstanding player in our match against Trinity ; it was owing to
his efforts that we got as near to success as we did.
During the last two years we have been so successful in sport that many
will seek the reason for it. The explanation is simple—we have never, that is
within the memory of the average senior men of the present college, had a
better sporting spirit. Our successes of the past two years have not been
achieved without sacrifices, and it is because the men who now take part in
inter-collegiate sport have recognised that hard work is necessary for success,
that past performances do not win matches, and that superiority on paper is
worthless—it is because of this realisation that we have been successful. We
cannot deny that we have the material ; but in other years the raw material
has been available, but never put to use. We need only refer to last year's
winning tennis team, or to the cricket teams of the past two years, to illustrate our contention. In any sport at all good players can generally be made
out of mere novices, and in many instances champions can be developed out
of ordinary performers. In this process there are two essentials, enthusiasm
and intelligent effort. If in the future we should decline in sport, and the
college men look back with wonder to '28 or '29 and seek to know how our
records were established and our championships won; if, in such an inquiry,
they should turn to these pages, they will find an explanation, which, although
it may not be as full and comprehensive as we could wish, is what appears
to us to be the true explanation. We hope that, on discovering this, they will
not despair if there seems to be a dearth of champions, but try to inculcate
a better sporting spirit into the college, remembering that when such a spirit
was strong, the successes of the college were considerable.
*
*
THIS year we did not have quite as many representatives in inter-'Varsity
sport as usual. We had three men in football, two in athletics, two in cricket,
one in tennis and one in rifle-shooting ; a total of nine, compared with fourteen
last year and sixteen the year before. We would have had a much stronger
representation in inter-'Varsity football had it not been that for injuries and
other misfortunes many of our leading footballers were unavailable for selection.
We were well represented in the University "B" team, who were premiers again
this year in the M.A.F.A. In the Chelsea to Brighton relay race, which was
won by the M.U.A.C. against teams which included the best cross-country
runners in Victoria, three out of the six who composed the winning team were
Newman men. Newman's achievements in all branches of University sport in
the last few years have been quite on a par with our successes in inter-collegiate
NEWMAN
11
sport. Our interest in this sphere manifests itself in the number of men who
not only take part in each sport but who actively concern themselves in its
management and control. We would like to see this interest in University
affairs extended from purely sporting affairs to all spheres of University life.
BEAUTIFUL weather favoured the College Regatta, which was held on
Saturday, October 5th this year. Messrs Flynn and Palandri, captain and vicecaptain of the boats respectively, saw that all the arrangements of this successful
function were efficiently carried out. Some very close contests were witnessed,
as well as excellent rowing, especially in the Challenge Pairs. This was the
principal race of the day. The holders of the Frederico Cup, Messrs. Connolly
and Stevenson, were beaten into third place. The winners were Messrs. Dixon
and Whelan. In the Rector's Fours and the Table Fours, there was great
rivalry. Closer contests would have been witnessed in these races but for
breakages in the boats, which severely handicapped some of the unfortunate
crews. It is, we think, a pity that the regatta should be held so near to Henley,
and on a Saturday afternoon, when the river is very crowded and crews from
other clubs are likely to obstruct the races. There is, however, no doubt that
the success of the regatta in future years is assured. This year's was one of
the most successful we have yet had, both from the point of view of the standard of
rowing in the college and of the enjoyment we get out of an informal afternoon
of this nature. The greatest keenness is invariably shown ; it is not always the
experienced oarsmen who win, and this year brought to light a wealth of unexpected rowing ability. Crabs there were and clashes, but they only added
greater zest to the competitors. There was a very large number of entries, and
the college was fully represented at the river that afternoon. All voted it a
most enjoyable afternoon as they wended their way homewards to continue the
quest of pleasure that night at the Third Term Social, and, in the majority of
-cases, to close down their social activities till Valete Dinner or the exams.
OUR sincerest thanks are extended to the anonymous donor of the Dr. A.
L. Kenny Cup for inter-collegiate football. Football has for some time been
the only inter-collegiate sport in which there has been no official trophy. The
college at present holds the Baldwin Spencer Cup for football ; but this is not
strictly an inter-collegiate trophy. It is awarded to the winners of the annual
Collegians v. Extra-Collegians match, to be held for the current year by the
champion college. A long-felt need has, therefore, been satisfied, and an official
trophy provided for football. We think it fitting that so true a friend of the
college as Dr. A. L. Kenny should have his name associated with the Cup, for
he was in no small measure responsible for the foundation of the college.
We, therefore, have an additional reason to thank our anonymous friend in that
by his act of generosity he has given due recognition to the untiring devotion
of a faithful friend=; and even though the debt of gratitude which we owe Dr.
Kenny is not in any way reduced by this public-spirited act, and by the honor
which has paid our benefactor, he has brought before the notice of the University actions of generosity which, like many of the great deeds of life, may
have, as far as the University was concerned, passed into comparative obscurity.
The donor of the Cup has stipulated that it is to be engraved with the names of
12
NEWMAN
the winning colleges as from 1918, the year when Newman opened. It was
his intention that there should be recorded on the Cup the names of the winning colleges since all the four colleges have been in existence. Newman first
competed in inter-collegiate sport in 1919.
WE wish, on behalf of the Students' Club, to extend our sincerest thanks
to the College Council for their generous contribution towards the purchase of
a new eight-oared practice boat. We are indeed grateful to them and feel that
if we do not meet with all the success we should in rowing, it will certainly not
be for want of encouragement from them. The Council has made a generous
offer of further assistance. The objects of their munificence this time are the
tennis courts. They have promised substantial assistance towards repairing the
existing courts and, possibly, the laying down of a new one. Their help in this
matter is as generous as it is welcome, for the courts at present are in a very
unsatisfactory condition.
We sincerely thank "The Advocate" for their generous contribution towards
the purchase of a new set of oars. We would like, in particular, to thank that
very good friend of the college, Father Moynihan, who was primarily responsible
for this act of kindness.
Our academic honours in Annual Examinations give the college no grounds
for enthusiasm ; of late, our academic achievements would be disappointing were
it not for the successes of our old boys, many of whom are engaged in postgraduate work, especially in medicine. We offer our congratulations to Drs.
Prendergast and D'Arcy, on whom the Degree of Master of Surgery was conferred during the year. Dr. D'Arcy has had a brilliant career ; he is also an
M.D. Dr. Prendergast has ambitions to achieve further successes and has
left for Vienna to engage in further research work. We congratulate Dr. F.
Niall, M.D., on obtaining his M.R.C.P. recently in London, and Dr. K. O'Day
on his M.D. Dr. P. King, M.D., is another old boy abroad in quest of further
distinctions. Dr. W. Scarff (America, D.Ph.) is also to be congratulated on his
successes. We admire not only the successes of these old boys of the college,
but also the wonderful example they are giving to future Newman men, who,
we hope, will follow the lead of such brilliant students. Mr. George Taylor is
now in the East with the Australian Institute of Pacific Relations. We congratulate him on the success he has achieved in this sphere. Newman's most notable
president, Mr. Joseph Mulvaney, was married last Easter. To him we offer our
heartiest congratulations and best wishes for the future. Mr. J. X. O'Driscoll,
a man of many activities and one of the coming men at the Bar, was elected
chairman of the V.A.A.A. We offer our congratulations, and we think that it
is only fitting that some reference should be made to his painstaking and thorough
compilations of Old Boys' Notes, which have appeared in this magazine during
the last few years. We thank Mr. O'Driscoll for his efforts to make this
magazine a success. We offer our congratulations to Mr. Phipps, who has been
appointed Editor of "The Tribune." We feel confident that, with the benefit
of such knowledge as he must have undoubtedly gained on his extensive tours,
the new editor will add fresh glory to the journal now under his charge.
THE college extends its sincerest sympathy to Father Ryan on the death of
his sister, who passed away peacefully after a long illness. She had spent a
THE LATE MIL THOMAS DONOVAN.
NEWMAN
13
life devoted to charity, to the care of the sick ; and for this reason, because a
life of good work was cut short, we regret all the more her premature death.
Our sorrow for Father Ryan in so sad a bereavement is, therefore, all the more
deeply felt in that he lost someone who must have been very dear to him.
VALETE DINNER is held each year after the publication of the magazine. Consequently, we have always to give an account of the function of the
preceding and not the current year. Last year a larger number than usual
were bidden farewell, and our regret at their departure was, as usual, expressed in song. Some fine speeches were made by those about to leave us.
One man in particular spoke with a fluency that put to shame even our best
debaters. Many notable men made their final bow ; men whose departure
made big gaps in college activities. This year another large number of
prominent men will be leaving us.
WE wish to thank the Rector and matron for their untiring efforts
to better our welfare. At present the good co-operative spirit existing between
the college authorities and the Students' Club is leading to the happiest of results. We are thankful to the authorities for their efforts to better the state of
our rooms. Every year we note with satisfaction that the gardens are growing
more beautiful. The lawn and hedge by the tennis courts are recent improvements which have added much to the beauty of our grounds. We also commend the initiative of the matron, who has herself a very fine garden along the
Queen's wing.
THE College congratulates—
Mr. A. Robinson, on his excellent Honours in Engineering Finals.
Mr. Ivon Phipps, who carried off a Second-class Honour in Philosophy
in B.A. Finals.
Mr. J. Tehan, on obtaining Honours in Property and Contracts, on his
leadership of inter-'Varsity and inter-collegiate debating teams, and
on winning the inter-collegiate broad-jump championship.
Mr. S. P. King, on his splendid pedformances in inter-collegiate cricket,
especially his double century against Trinity ; inter-collegiate football and pennant cricket ; on once more leading University B team
to premiership honours, and on his captaincy of the winning inter'Varsity football team.
Mr. K. Cussen, on his excellent performances in inter-collegiate and
district cricket.
Mr. J. Palandri, on his inclusion in the inter-'Varsity rifle-shooting team.
Drs. Fitzgerald, Gilbert, Hendry, Hurley, Lee, Meehan, and Morgan,
on obtaining M.B., B.S.
Mr. F. O'Leary, on his splendid performances in inter-'Varsity and
inter-collegiate tennis, and on winning the University doubles championship.
Mr. R. White, on his inclusion in the inter-'Varsity athletic team, and
on being awarded an all-Australian Blue in Athletics.
44
14
NEWMAN
Messrs. Heffey, Mclnerny and P. O'Loughlin, on obtaining Secondclass Honours in British History B and Ancient History.
Mr. W. O'Nial, on obtaining Second-class Honours in Strength and
Elasticity of Materials.
Mr. C. Whelan, on being placed Equal First in Orthodontia with
First-class Honours, as well as securing three Second-class
Honours.
Mr. C. Cohen, on being awarded a Full Blue in Football.
Mr. Mahon succeeded Dr. D. F. O'Brien as president of the Students' Club
for 1929. The general committee for the year were as follows :—Mr. K. R.
Cussen (1st, 2nd, and 3rd terms), Mr. F. P. Morgan (1st, 2nd, 3rd terms),
Mr. A. F. Munday (1st, 2nd, and 3rd terms), Mr. S. P. King (1st term),
and Mr. Parker (2nd and 3rd term s).
*
*
*
*
THE Colours Advisory Board have awarded the following distinctions
in sport for 1929 :—
Cricket.—J. 0. Parker, J. Wren.
Athletics.—J. Tehan, R. Triado, R. B. White.
Football.—J. 0. Parker, W. J. Hendry, C. E. Beaumont, T. Rodriguez, J. L. Kelly, B. Soding.
Rowing.—N. Burke, J. D. Palandri, T. K. Prendergast, T. Rodriguez,
K. N. Stevenson.
Special Colours for inter-'Varsity representation were awarded to F.
O'Leary for Tennis, and R. B. White for Athletics.
*
*
*
*
*
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.—"Hermes" (Sydney University), "Belvedeian"
(Dublin), "The Stonyhurst Magazine," "Wyvern" (Queen's), "Fleur de Lys"
(Trinity), "The Ormond Chronicle," "The Xaverian," "Manly."
NEWMAN
15
A great Benefactor of Reiman
College
THE LATE MR. THOMAS DONOVAN.
On Saturday, January 12, 1929, Mr. Thomas Donovan died at his residence, "Formosa," Edgecliffe, Sydney. Although Mr. Donovan had reached
his 85th year, the news of his death came as a painful surprise. He had,
in fact, been in the city as usual on the previous Wednesday, and his death
was largely the result of an accident on that trying and exhausting day.
The Rector of Newman travelled to Sydney to represent the College at the
funeral ; he celebrated the requiem at the College. To Mr. Donovan's
family Newman College offers its sincere sympathy. May he rest in peace.
The general public in Australia knew Mr. Donovan as one who interested himself in various philanthropic works. To the world outside
Australia he was possibly better known as a keen student of Shakespeare.
Here in Victoria—and especially in Melbourne—his name will be always
associated with his great work for Newman College. With this work,
which took the form of founding valuable residential Bursaries at Newman,
the people of Victoria are familiar. They realise the greatness of his
generosity, for he established in all some twenty-seven Bursaries, each of
the value of £60 and tenable for three years. They realise, too, the largeness of his vision, for they understand what such generosity means for our
Catholic young men and for our common Catholicism. The College itself
has on several occasions expressed to its late benefactor its abiding gratitude, but Mr. Donovan looked for no earthly reward other than the cultured
Catholicism of his young friends. A model, staunch, cultured Catholic
himself, he has left behind him a great Catholic memorial. He saw to it
that when he was called away his work would go on. The Donovan Bursaries will keep alive for successive generations of Newman students the
memory of a great Catholic and a great Newman benefactor. May God
have mercy on his soul.
The late Mr. Patrick Murphy, of Redbank, who died in February,
1929, bequeathed £1300 to the College. This money is to be invested, and
the income therefrom is to be applied "in establishing and maintaining a
Scholarship to be called the Patrick and Bartholomew Murphy Scholarship." The College authorities are deeply grateful for this generous gift.
They ask all students and friends of the College to remember the benefactor
in their prayers.
aar-matec-,E7,„1.
NEWMAN
16
When the World Turned Upside
Down
T is doubtful if there has ever been an age in which greater changes took
place in the world and its life than the period extending from 1450 to
1600, the period that saw the Renaissance, the Reformation, and the
countless other movements that followed in their train, the discovery of the
New World, the growth of nationalism. It is usually taken as being paramountly the age of the Renaissance, and so much has been said and written
about the Renaissance that any new voice must needs speak with rather
trembling accents. Nevertheless, most things that have been said of it
have been part of the great song of joy and praise which centres round the
wondrous onrush of new things that began while a few Greek scholars,
scenting danger in the air, packed up their books and made a hurried pilgrimage to Italy, soon to be followed by an ever-increasing number of their
kin, until, in 1453, the pilgrimage became a rout when the Moslem sat down
for the last time before the City of Constantine. To most of those who
join in that song, the Renaissance means the coming of the dawn, a wondrous dawn full of light and laughter—the light that came into dark places
and sent the mists of the Middle Ages packing, and the laughter, grand and
rollicking, that thunders through the pages of Rabelais, that sent asceticism
side by side with gloom into the limbo of forgotten things.
Perhaps it did mean the dawn ; but there are some nights that have more
of peace and hope in them than the day that follows, and it may seem
strange to those who believe that the Middle Ages were a period of groping
and waiting, of darkness and ignorance, of tribulation before the world's
rebirth, for any timid spirit to say that the twelfth and the thirteenth centuries
represented, perhaps, the happiest days in the world's history, a happiness
soon to be shattered by storm-clouds. It was perhaps the happiness of the
child ; but a happy child is a more fortunate being than a sorrowful man.
The age of the Renaissance was one of readjustment, artistic, social, political,
religious, geographical, economic ; and it is doubtful if in any one of these
spheres the world was very much the richer for the gifts of the New Age.
It was undoubtedly a time of literary growth and freedom ; and, in the
sphere of literature, in originality, in production, the influence of the time of
upheaval was one of good. Yet even here the picture is not an entirely
unrelieved one. Renaissance literature could produce nothing to equal
Dante, very little to surpass Chaucer or Petrarch, or, above all, Arthurian
Romance. The gain of the new age was largely in originality, in freedom
from rule and convention, in naturalness, rather than in subject matter.
In the world of sculpture and painting the result was, in general, the same.
But in all of these fields the gain was counterbalanced by a loss of spirituality, of fineness of sense. The pervading spirit of the time was one of
frank paganism, and Pan, Bacchus and Aphrodite gained a signal victory
over Athena and Artemis. The ideal of the age was to be individual and
T
•
NEWMAN
17
to be natural, to paint and to sing of the joys of living, of eating and drinking
and loving. "If you get simple beauty and nought else, you get about the
best thing God invents," said Browning's Fra Lippo Lippi in answer to the
strictures of his monastic teachers. "Paint the soul, never mind the arms
and legs," was to them the cardinal principle of art. Fra Lippo and his
fellows painted the arms and legs so well that the soul somehow slipped
out of things, and it is doubtful if the things we value most in literature and
art are not rather an inheritance of the Middle Ages, the ages which
struggled, however painfully and slowly, to see a visionary beauty, than
of that Age which worshipped the Earthly Paradise.
But apart from gains and losses of the spirit, the Renaissance created
a new limiting of the meaning of art and a new limiting of the sphere in
which art was practised. Our modern distinction between art and craftsmanship is entirely a Renaissance growth. In the Middle Ages, a chair or
a table or a bridge or a cathedral was as much a work of art as was a
painting; and every man who made anything with his hands endeavoured
to make it a thing of beauty as well as of use, simply because he took the
joy in his work for its own sake that an artist in our modern sense does.
If he made a thing for use, he also made it good to look at, because he enjoyed making it. And the greatest tributes to his outlook and his art were
the things he made with no idea of gain. The cathedrals of the Middle
Ages were, in a very true and real sense, the work of the people ; for they
were made with no idea of gain to the makers, and express in every cornice
and window the love of their work that animated those who created them.
It was the Renaissance which confined the meaning of art entirely to its
modern sense, when the making of an artistic thing means the making of
something very good to look at ; but perfectly useless. And the utter
divorce of art from craftsmanship and from the lives of the people was
reflected in the age that began with the Renaissance, the age of universal
ugliness in the things man made for use, the age which is but partly and
slowly lifting its shadow now. The Renaissance, too, made art entirely the
province of the rich, or else dependent on their favour. It was the age in
which the cult arose of creating something not to express one's own idea
of beauty, but to express that type of beauty which one believed certain
persons wealthy in the world's goods desired. The time saw a new and
one-sided division of wealth. The very rich and the very poor person arose
in the centuries of the Renaissance, with the result that one made beautiful
things only when one believed one had a market for them.
When one descends to the very real things of life, any age must be
judged by the sum of happiness of the people who live in it. A world of
high tragedy is a worse world than one of simple happiness. A tragedy
may be a very glorious thing, and sacrifice a very noble thing ; but he who
suffers these things is, despite the wonder of his suffering, a less happy man
than one who has lived in an untroubled, if uneventful, peace. It is a
common belief that the Middle Ages were a time of turmoil, of confusion,
which was terminated by the peace following on the Renaissance.
Strangely enough, the ages following on the dawn were the most tumultuous in the world's history. They saw the wars between the Italian
States and cities, the struggle between the French king and his nobles
greatest of all, they saw the wars of religion in Germany and France, which
culminated in the Thirty Years' War—a reign of horror and pity. The
18
4
NEWMAN
■12■111•11■
611
mediaeval army was a citizen militia, which did not neglect its citizen duties.
It went into winter quarters regularly, and retired every now and again to
reap its harvest, unless it happened to be on such favourable soil that it
could reap someone else's. The Renaissance saw the coming of the mercenary, of the wholly professional army, the ruthless machine which, in the
hands of Wallenstein or Gustavus Adolphus, left death and desolation in
its path, which lived on plunder and fought not for nation or faith, but for
gain or the sheer love of battle.
The Middle Ages had two great forces which made for stability—the
feudal system and the guilds. The feudal system has long laboured under
the strictures of school text-books ; yet under its sway every man had a
fixed place in society and a fixed duty. Certainly, the man on the lower
rung of the ladder had little hope of rising into a higher class ; certainly, he
was chained to the land, but the land he lived on assured him of the material
necessities of life, gave him a constant occupation. And if the villein had
heavy obligations of service and heavy payments in kind to make to his
feudal superior, his lord was obliged to protect his body in time of war,
and any tendency to tyranny had the constant check of a traditional code,
which regulated the duties and obligations of both parties. Even the
slave rarely feared starvation. Where the feudal system ceased to operate
—in the towns—an equally methodical scheme of things took its place. The
town itself was usually under feudal obligations to a nearby lord, but it
rarely failed to secure a charter which stated its rights exactly ; and whenever the lord needed money, the town exacted in return some new privilege
to add to its charter. In the town itself the guild system held sway. It
was essentially part of an age when the world was small, when a workman
made what he made, knowing that it would be bought almost certainly
in the town, or, at least, within a very small radius. The conditions of work
and the prices were fixed by the guild, which, if it had a monopoly of its
trade, yet was forced by the fact that it made only for a limited circle to
charge a reasonable price. The membership of the guild was restricted
to the master craftsmen and his apprentices, who worked side by side in
the same shop. This condition alone made for a very real democracy, and
it has been well said that the guild craftsmen were the finest body of free
workmen the world has ever seen. The apprentices were sure, as a matter
of course, to take their places as masters of the craft in the ordinary course
of events. It was not until the end of the fourteenth century, when the
first warnings of the change to come were being heard, when trade was
becoming a nation-wide and a world-wide instead of a local thing, that the
journeyman system was created, a system which condemned men to a permanent existence as poorly paid commercial travellers, with no real interest
in the goods they sold. Every man was born to some trade or other ; no
man was born "at a loose end," groping for an occupation, fearing unemployment. Unemployment, either for the country or the city worker, simply
did not exist, for both became from birth part of either of the great systems
which assigned to every man a fixed place in the scheme of things. And
for the few who by some mischance became lost in a foreign country, or
for the slave or the villein who sought new fortunes out of his own locality
and failed to find a place in any other, there was a very real and unostentatious charity, a meal and a bed in time of need, to be found in the monasteries.
.
NEWMAN
19
When the Renaissance came, the feudal system and the guilds went
tumbling down, to be replaced by our modern capitalistic system. Men
were forced to cringe and beg for the work and sustenance that had been
theirs by right. Worst of all, the monasteries fell in the wake of the R4formation. In the dawn of the new age, the beggar was born ; and it is
a significant fact that England needed no Poor Laws till the reign of Elizabeth. With the power of the guilds behind them, the town labourers had
thriven and prospered at a time when the peasant was able to acquire his
own land and become a small freeholder. All this was changed during the
Renaissance. For the wage-earner a new tyranny had been invented. "I-re
was handed over to the mercy of his master at a time when he was utterly
incapable of resisting the grossest tyranny. Justices in quarter sessions
were empowered to check any discontent, and, if necessary, to starve the
people into submission. Their object was to get labour at starvation
wages." Behind the fall of the monasteries, too, there was much more thaii
the loss of their charity, for the monks had been, in the main, kindly landlords, interested in their tenants, interested in agriculture by the fact that
they were permanent landholders and dependent for their own welfare on
the fertility of the land. The new landlords were bent only on wringing
profit from the soil, and the Renaissance saw the coming of the enclosure
system, which drove thousands of men from the land, to be replaced by
sheep. As a contemporary ballad says :
"Commons do close and kepe,
Poor folk for bred do cry and wepe,
Towns pulled down to pasture shepeThis is the new guide."
An Act of Parliament, passed in 1534, records that, owing to these changes
in the countryside, "a marvellous number of people of this realm be not
able to provide for themselves, their wives and children, but be so discouraged with misery and poverty that they fall daily to theft and robbery,
and pitifully die for hunger and cold." To the enclosure system and the
consequent rise in the price of wool was added the depreciation in currency,
general throughout Europe, which followed on the flooding of the Old World
with the treasures of the new. The tremendous changes which follovyed
are indicated in the famous statement of Latimer, which is indeed a graphic
description of the change which came upon the land in a generation—the
generation of the Renaissance. "My father was a yeoman and had • rio
lands of his own ; only he had a farm of three or four pounds by the year
at the uttermost, and hereupon he tilled so much as kept half a dozen men.
He had walk for a hundred sheep, and my mother milked thirty kine ; he
was able, and did find, the king a harness with himself and his horse while
he came to the place that he should receive the king's wages. I can remember that I buckled his harness when he went to Blackheath Field. He kept
me to school ; he married my sisters with five pounds, so that he brought
them up in godliness and fear of God. He kept hospitality for his poor
neighbours, and some alms he gave to the poor, and all this he did of the
same farm, where he that now hath it payeth sixteen pounds by year or
more, and is not able to do anything for himself nor for his children, or gi4e
a cup of drink to the poor." If the fortunes of the yeoman class were thlis
impaired, it is easy to understand the wretchedness of the labourers.
20
NEWMAN
The Renaissance brought light and laughter into the lives of the few ; it
brought gloom and starvation to the many. "Merrie England" passed
away with the new age. One of the main social features in the life of the
Middle Ages had been the Miracle and Morality plays and the pageants
which took place in the streets or fields or before the cathedral. The control of these was largely in the hands of social and religious guilds, the
friendly societies of the Middle Ages, which arranged also the games and
amusements which kept the people together and the villages alive. They
performed also the sick and benefit work of our modern friendly societies,
acted as savings banks, lent money to their members. In the crazy passion
for plunder which, with the coming of the Reformation, swept over every
Protestant country, and even some Catholic ones, where the Royal power
became supreme, the property of the guilds was swept into the same melting pot as that of the monasteries. The work of joy they had carried on
ceased, and it is significant that it was in this age that plays were swept
into the theatre and the people were forced to pay for what had been their
ancient right—the right to laugh. In England, this movement to make
joy a thing for the rich alone was carried even further. It being believed
that drink was a cause of idleness, by Act of Parliament, in 1495, Justices
of the Peace were empowered to close any ale houses that they thought were
unnecessary, and journeymen and apprentices, both in town and country,
were forbidden to play at bowls or tennis, cards and dice, except at Christmas
time. It is a suggestive fact that this very early Puritanical law-making
was definitely and openly "class legislation."
The age of the Renaissance and its child, the Reformation, was one of
wondrous thoughts and hideous realities, of enlightenment in literature and
starvation in the houses of the poor. It had great gifts for the artist and
for the lover of beauty, for the poet and the lover of books, for the king,
for the philosopher, for the adventurer.
It had no gift for the working
men. It may have given rise to modern civilisation, but is the civilisation
of to-day, based on the crazy and unmethodical structure that is Capitalism,
any advance on the orderly and, in the main, happy life of the Middle Ages.
One of the results of the Renaissance was the creation of slavery in its
modern sense, which is only now being finally and with difficulty stamped
out. Compare with it the slavery of the Middle Ages, in which the slave
was at least safe from starvation, and in which his obligations were defined
by tradition. It is not a very far-fetched conclusion that the new slavery
received its impetus from the study of Latin authors and a comparison of
the very similar type of slavery which existed in Imperial Rome. The
conclusion of Sydney Dark in his work on the Renaissance forms a cornprehensive indictment of the age which has been hailed as the dawn of a
new and wondrous era. "In the thirteenth century, the zenith of the
Middle Ages, Europe had one religion and one culture, and while grievances
were many and life was generally hard, the days of even the poorest were
filled with varied interests and a certain simple culture. Work and social
life were both vastly influenced by the "democratic and co-operative spirit
that prevailed amongst the people." By the end of the seventeenth century,
the zenith of the Renaissance, Europe had been split into a number of
jealous nations, racial differences being accentuated by religious animosities.
The wise may have grown wiser, the skilled may have grown more skilful,
the rich had certainly grown richer, and the poor were infinitely poorer.
NEWMAN
21
The craft guilds in the towns had been destroyed, and in the English
countryside there were no longer monasteries for the poor to go to when
ill or in trouble. The highways were full of homeless and landless men.
It would have been small consolation to an English peasant, in the later
years of Elizabeth, whose cottage had been pulled down so that a sheep
farm might be extended, workless and wageless, and subject to the new
Poor Law, to be assured that he lived in a wondrous age, a century of
achievement, discovery and glory, the century of Cervantes and Rabelais
and Shakespeare, Vasco da Gama and Cortez and Drake, of Henry IV. and
Elizabeth. What would he care?"
22
NEWMAN
Athletics in Ancient Greece
many, "Ancient Greece" is a mere name, a name signifying some
T 0primitive
civilisation in an age almost estranged from historical certainty—an age of old-fashioned warriors, artists and philosophers, an
age of mythology. The thought of "Ancient Greece" conjures up before
their eyes a picture of comely youths living a life of ease and happiness,
basking in a Mediterranean sun, at times engaged in wars against barbarians, from which they always return in the splendour of victory, at times
writing joyful poems, or carving beautiful statues. To others, "Ancient
Greece" means something vastly different ; they spend their days excavating on the plains of Attica, Sparta or Crete, for remnants of this civilisation
they long to know more about. As one writer described them, "They
talk of Greece as if it were in the same latitude as heaven, not Naples."
But if we stand somewhere between the nebulous ideas of the former and
the zealous learning of the latter, we can picture Ancient Greece as a land
enjoying a civilisation not unlike our own, and a culture that is still to be
surpassed. We can see them living a daily life similar to our own, bound
by similar social conventions, subject to similar laws ; and, most like us,
they had and were devoted to a national sport.
The origin of their athletic festivals is obscure.
It is certain that they
were from the beginning religious festivals. We can explain their enthusiasm for athletics by their zealous devotion to their gods.
The four great athletic festivals were the Olympian and Pythian, held
every four years; the Nemean and Isthmian, held every two. The Olympian games were held at Olympia, in Elis, in the south-west of Greece. An
ideal spot this was. The only permanent inhabitants lived in a very small
village near by. The Hill of Cronos raised its brow over the arena, and
afforded an admirable sloping eminence for spectators from which to see
the contests. Close at hand was the beautiful temple of Zeus, the king of
the gods, which sheltered beneath its canopy a wonderful work of art—the
statue of the god himself. Had Pheidias died and carved nothing else, his
name would be immortal. "Fare ye to Olympia, that ye may see the work
of Pheidias, and account it a misfortune if ye die with this still unknown,"
was the exhortation every Greek was given. The Pythian games were
held in a plain below Delphi ; the Isthmian in the vicinity of Corinth ; and
the Nemean in a deep valley of Nemea.
About August or September, once every four years, the whole Greek
world ceased all business and toil, suspended all wars, postponed all pleasures and engagements, abandoned the government of their States, and,
swag on back, took to the road. The pilgrimage to Olympia had begun.
Greeks in Sicily and Africa fit out their ships ; those of Asia Minor make
the journey in the luxury with which they have been infected by contact
with their wealthy Persian neighbours. Meanwhile, in Greece itself, all
roads are declared open and safe. The poor in throngs make their way
on foot towards the one goal. The wealthier travel in their chariots,
NEWMAN
23
accompanied by a retinue of slaves. The anticipation of the coming joy of
the festival stimulates all alike and cheers the footsore travellers.
The
Olympia is white with tents.
The festival time approaches.
porticoes of the temples are filled with the blankets and clothes of the
Great is the bustle
pilgrims, who have converted them into bedrooms.
Merchants, with their stalls of food and other necessiand excitement.
Orators seize their opportunity for
ties, shout aloud among the crowds.
fame. Poets attempt to pour their verses into indifferent ears. Musicians
are present to win glory and perhaps a few pence. The crowd becomes
denser as the festive clays approach. Yet, no woman is present, or, indeed,
allowed to be present. The festival is too public for them. Not an armed
soldier dares to appear. The essence of the festival is peace and national
unity. Petty quarrels between States are laid aside ; wars—and we must
remember that Greek was ever at war with Greek—are postponed. Thus
once in four years the Greeks from near and far, from every nook in Greece,
from the farthest shores of the known world, throng together in this one
secluded valley, and transform, by their influx, what is at other times a
tiny, peaceful hamlet into a scene of national pomp, splendour and merriment.
Meanwhile, down at the Stadion, or Arena, the athletes are nervously
completing the last few days of their ten months training. The trainers
are watching their men in their last few trials, and the chariot horses are
having their final runs. The judges, selected from the citizens of Elis,
are being instructed in their duties, marking out the courses and making
arrangements for the arrival of embassies from every State in Greece.
The first day of the celebrations arrives. The hordes flock to the
temples ; and the most solemn picture of the festival is set in the temple of
Zeus, where sacrifice is offered to that brilliant gold and ivory statue.
After the whole day is so expended, the masses retire early in preparation
for the following day.
Long before the sun has made golden with its first rays the slopes of
Cronos' Hill, Olympia is a scene of animation. The spectators, with lunch
baskets, hasten to find the best seats, where, with heads unsheltered—for
they held it an insult to the gods of the festival to watch the sights with
covered heads—exposed to the torturous heat of late summer, they sit
through the entire course of the day.
The ceremony opens in splendour with the official reception of the
embassies. Orators deliver speeches on questions of national importance.
This done, the athletes enter the field and take the required oath. One
and all are compelled to swear that they have been training for the past
ten months, that they will compete fairly, and abide in all by the decision
of the judges.
Now, at last, after all these formal preliminaries are done, the spectators are waiting, in the height of excitement, for the climax of the festival—
the beginning of the races themselves.
The chariot race, the classic event of the games, the mares' race, and
the pentathlon—a competition in five events, foot racing, long jumping,
discus and javelin throwing, and wrestling—comprise the first day's programme. All the races are run in heats, with a grand final to conclude.
Intense is the excitement as the chariots, which frequently are driven by
some of the leading statesmen and warriors of Greece, line up at the barrier.
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NEWMAN
Now is the test of their ten months' arduous training. "The chariots run
sometimes on the bounteous earth, and other times bound into the air. The
drivers stand in their cars, and the heart of every man beats in desire of
victory, and they call, every man, to his horses, that fly amid the dust across
the plain." Often a roar of excitement is raised as a chariot, hitting one
of the turning posts, is overturned and crashes, horses and all, to the ground.
On the third day of the festival the younger athletes display their
prowess in the boys' events—running, boxing and wrestling. The next
morning the greatest runners of Greece strip for the two finest races—the
short sprint, a straight 210 yards, and the long race, which was either 6, 7,
8, 12, 20, or 29 times this distance, that is, ranging from two-thirds of a mile
to something over three and a half miles. On this day, too, the boxing and
wrestling contests are fought, and fierce encounters are witnessed in the
pancratiutn—a combination of boxing and wrestling, with practically no
rules.
The contest done, on the fifth and last day, the victors are crowned
with garlands of olive branches, the only official prizes awarded for their
success. The glory and esteem, however, that they win far outshine any
material rewards. Their victories are immortal; they are laden with
honours and gifts by their friends that assure their prosperity for the rest
of their lives. And now, after sacrifice has been offered to Zeus, as the
sun withdraws its last rays from the deserted slopes of Cronos' Hill, the
spirit of merriment and revelry creeps over Olympia, and, seizing the hearts
of the throngs, holds sway over them till late into the night.
And there is a scanty picture of the greatest festival of Antiquity,
which formed a prominent part in the early years of Greek history in susWeeks of celebration foltaining their national spirit and independence.
The victors were the centres of scenes of jubilation.
lowed the festival.
Friends burdened them with gifts; lyric poets, the greatest of whom was
Pindar, wrote odes in their honour. The happy athletes were kings for
the day. Their countrymen accompanied them to their home-towns in
chariots decked with flowers and drawn by white horses. A special breach
was made in the city wall through which they entered; and after a civic
reception, they were delivered over in honour to their parents. If we realise
that success in the games was only the reward of almost twelve months
intense training, and that it brought in its train huge gifts of gold, as well
as the highest renown—indeed, at Athens, successful athletes were rewarded with maintenance for the rest of their lives at the State's expense—
we can read in the words of Pindar, not merely the flattery of a poet's wild
fancy, but a truth:—
"And whoso therein hath the victory won,
Thereafter on through his life days' ever
Sweetly his peace shalt flow as a river,
Blissfully gliding on."
It is interesting to trace how the age which showed Nationalism at its
height in Greece, which records their greatest national victories over their
Eastern invaders—the Persians—and which has handed down to us priceless treasures of literature and art, was the age in which sport was held in
the highest honour. Still, we find Aristotle writing, "Athletes are like
swine," and Euripides, in a bitter invective, exclaiming, "What good does
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a man do to his city by winning a prize for wrestling, or speed, or discus
throwing, or jaw smiting." How like the sages of to-day ! "The flannelled
fool at the wicket, the muddied oaf at the goal," is the modern version by
Mr. Kipling, which has had, I am sure, as much effect in rescuing the youth
from the useless toils of football and cricket as Aristotle and Euripides had
in stopping the Olympic games.
It is interesting, too, to observe in the decay of all the glories of the
Athenians, and the Greeks in general, the decay in sport. It was when
their ancient valour, love of independence and national spirit was becoming impaired, their politics, literature and morals falling into corruption, that the decay in athletics came, hand in hand. Bribery in races, and
"pulling of horses" became rampant ; professionalism dominated the games.
The type of athlete also degenerated. The graceful, lithe figure that was
the inspiration of their greatest sculptors gave place to the heavy "bruiser."
The pancratium—a combination of boxing and wrestling—became a bruta'
sport and grew in popularity ; and the type of men that it demanded were lazy,
gluttonous, heavy-muscled loafers. The day when the games were played
in a spirit of national friendship and sporting rivalry was gone. The day,
too, when the Athenians could love ease without turning it to a vice, was
gone ; the day when they could have pleasant cultured intercourse with
one another, without practising all kinds of social deceits, was gone. The
day of their gallant warriors, their writers, their poets, their sculptors,
the day, in fine, of their splendid empire, was gone for ever ; and Athens,
stripped of all the embellishments which the world ever since has admired
and longed to know more about, fell from a pinnacle of culture and glory
to a cesspool of luxury and vice. Corinth, Thebes, Macedonia, and even
hardy Sparta, shared its fate, but, as they never soared to the heights
which Athens attained, their fall was not so terrific.
Thus, it may be a coincidence that athletics were in their prime when
Greece was at the zenith of its splendour ; it may be a coincidence that the
decline of sport was contemporaneous with the decay of everything sacred
in Greece. One thing, however, is certain—that sport in the golden age
has actually been the inspiration of the greatest Greek sculptors and poets.
Most of the greatest statues that have been preserved, of Myron, Polycleites and others, and some, too, of Pheidias, represent athletes in different
poses—javelin and discus throwers, runners, boxers, wrestlers and
charioteers. Again, most of the greatest lyric poets drew the subjects of
their immortal odes from the great national games. And the king amongst
these, Pindar, looked on a victory in the games as an event of national importance ; he celebrated not only the victor but also his home-town, and
the whole line of his ancestors. He exalted the successful athlete to the
skies :
"Far beyond envy are the praises stored
For victors at Olympia crowned.
Songs are my sheep ; I, as some shepherd lord,
Find them some pasture ground."
He did indeed find them some pasture ground ; and that pasture, which
has nurtured his fiery odes until this day, will continue to nurture them,
and will elevate to a position of dignity and fame not only his immortal
genius but also the games that proved his inspiration. R.J.T.
NEWMAN
Hexentanz
A little brown witch went a-questing into the face of the moon,
With a mouse between her fingers and humming a mischievous rune.
Now the old grey man in the moon is averse to feminine wiles ;
But the little brown witch had a clever little mouse and the daintiest and
- merriest of smiles.
The mouse he danced while the little brown witch played a most provoking
tune,
Till they forced a slow and unwilling smile from the face of the man in the
moon.
The witch she played till the dancing mouse took a hop and little steps three,
And danced the gayest of sarabandes on the grey old moon man's knee.
And round and round and round he went right under the old man's nose,
Till what with the dance and the lilting tune his eyes began to close.
And while he laughed, the little brown witch crept up behind his back,
And the man in the moon, as you must know, has a most peculiar sack.
And in it he stores the quaintest things, which the little witch knew full well,
For she dipped in the sack right under his nose and scampered away pellmell.
And she and her mouse fled back to the earth, and chuckled and laughed
•
with glee,
As they at their leisure inspected the fruits of their minstrelsy.
O little brown witch a-questing, I can tell your tale no more,
For 'twas my heart that your minstrelsy stole from the moon man's store.
And alas and alack for the singer of songs who tells this mournful lay,
For he dances now with a witch and a mouse,
In a strange little tumbled witch's house,
While under the light of the gathering stars
The old grey man tells a joke to Mars,
How a little brown witch stole a minstrel's heart
With a dance and a mouse and her magic art,
And under the light of a laughing moon
With a dancing mouse and a lilting rune,
Fled to the earth away.
NEW MAN
27
Cardinal Mercier
PHILOSOPHER (1851-1926).
FF hand, most people would say that the war made Cardinal Mercier.
I prefer to think that they would be as near hitting the mark as
if they said Potideea made Socrates. Future ages will surely
acclaim Mercier as the great philosopher who revived Thomistic Philosophy,
and not as the Belgian Primate of the war period.
To the present generation, naturally, he is the war hero, the leader of
his people, whose courage sustained them during those frightful years.
If their worship involves an appreciation of his philosophic work, it is all
to the good, for the normal person is mentally too lazy to be interested in
philosophy for itself, though his life outlook is definitely coloured by some
philosophy, and it is to his best interests to make certain that that
philosophy is a sound one.
Another notable clerical philosopher, but of the 18th century, Bishop
Butler, wrote :—"The great number of books and papers of amusement
which of one kind and another daily come in one's way have in part
occasioned an idle way of reading and considering things. . . Thus people
habituate themselves to let things pass through their minds rather than
to think them. Review and attention and even forming a judgment
becomes fatigue." The distractive amusements are more numerous today, so we may reasonably suppose the readiness to think is less than in
Butler's time.
Desire Joseph Mercier was born in the village of Braine l'Alleud, in
the Brabant district, Belgium, in 1851, just near the field of Waterloo.
Indeed, we are reminded that the Belgian division, which formed the
extreme right wing of Wellington's army on the 18th June, 1815, was
based on this very village. What a delightful coincidence for the war
writer to exploit ! One of a family of seven, whose father was taken
early from them by death, Desire Joseph, under the tutelage of a saintly
mother, prepared himself for the Church in the diocese of Malines. He
was evidently a brilliant student, as he received early promotion to responsible positions, becoming Professor of Philosophy in the Petit Seminaire
when barely twenty-five years old.
In his later life he recalled his vacations spent in his native village,
how working men and employers, old and young, clergy and laymen, spent
a few hours of an evening playing ninepins, billiards and cards, the prize
being a rabbit or a pair of pigeons. Even in the most strenuous days of
his primacy he was always the essence of approachability. After his
lectures he gathered round him in his room in the Rue des Flamands all
who sought his advice or further instruction. We read that great numbers came, and he did nothing to protect himself against their visits, but
received with the same kindly smile the discreet and the importunate.
NEWMAN
It was by the express wish of Pope Leo XIII. that, in his thirtieth
year, Mercier was appointed to revive in Louvain Thomistic Philosophy.
It was not to be a mere return to the thirteenth century Thomism ; modern
developments were to be incorporated in it. The Pope's own words made
that clear : "We consider it necessary to give philosophic studies a direction towards nature, so that students may be able to find in them, side by
side with the lessons of ancient wisdom, the discoveries we owe to the able
investigations of our contemporaries."
Mercier nobly seconded this wish of the Pope, stressing that philosophy
means the disinterested search for truth, the whole truth, without any looking to consequences. Religion and philosophy are different things. They
complete one another, but they are distinct. He was constantly speaking
and writing in the same strain, as the old calumny that no one with an
accepted religious belief can philosophise is hard to kill.
But it was the work done in his institute that really showed that he
and his students could philosophise. There are few University Psychology
schools that insist on a course of Natural Science, Zoology, and the like,
as a prerequisite for an Honours degree ; yet Mercier demanded that in
Louvain. In his own publications, which from their size and range might
with justice be called monumental works, he shows that he has mastered
others' points of view before criticising them. One of the treasured
volumes in our Newman library is a volume of Mercier autographed by
himself, secured by the kindly offices of an old Newman man, Mr. F.
Corder.
Mercier considered that the problem of certitude, which included the
objective validity of our judgments, was the problem "par excellence" of
our times. Here, naturally, he had to consider the solutions offered by
modern philosophers, in particular by Kant. He put Kant's teaching so
clearly that an eminent Kantian, Dr. Fritz Medicus, in an article in the
"Kantstudien," recommended Mercier to his readers, approving his interpretation of his master, while not agreeing with his strictures upon him.
So it was with all Mercier's work. No merely superficial knowledge
of another's philosophy satisfied him. He demanded rigorously of himself
and his students an adequate grasp of philosophic positions before assessing their value. It was typical of his honest thoroughness that he himself
attended the lectures of eminent professors in Biology, Physiology,
Anatomy and Psychiatry before teaching and writing on Psychology.
Though the Philosophical Institute of Louvain University is based
upon Thomistic principles, it is very modern in its treatment of all branches
of philosophy and psychology, and has won recognition throughout the
philosophic world for original thought and valuable contributions towards
the solution of the many problems now being discussed. Its reviews and
publications are to be found in every library of worth, and its work forms
the subject of discussions at congresses in England and America, as well
as on the Continent of Europe.
It was the creation of Cardinal Mercier, who directed it from its
foundation in 1894 till 1906, when he was made Primate of Belgium and
Archbishop of Malines and later Cardinal. He continued to write on
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Philosophy. His institute served as a model for similar institutes at Paris,
Milan, Cologne, and elsewhere. That the movement has compelled attention is seen from the fact that the Sixth Internationaal Congress of Philosophy, held at Harvard September, 1926, had as part of the programme
of its discussions, "Neo-Scholasticism : A Discussion of the Value of Scholastic Philosophy in Terms of the Present."
The main principles of Thomism are a distinctive pluralism that is ever
opposed to monism in any form, respect for Personality, a tenacious hold
on abstract ideas, and in the central place a God distinct from the world—
"transcendent," to use a favourite expression of modern schools. It may
be labelled a Moderate Realism, though labels are often misleading. On
the question of Truth and Certainty, the neo-realists of England and
America teach what is very like the Thomistic view, and A. E. Taylor seems
to have welcomed the pluralistic conceptions of Aquinas when he renounced
his monism.
During the military occupation of Belgium Cardinal Mercier appealed
to ultimate philosophical principles of justice and right in his dealings with
the occupying Power, maintaining that the occupying Power was an
Authority de facto, but not de jure, and that the Belgian people should
and would act accordingly. They tried to browbeat him, but he was absolutely fearless, issuing pastorals in spite of them, embodying clear-cut
expositions of ethical and political doctrines. His masterpiece was a
closely-reasoned review of the pertinent clauses of the principles of international law, codified in the Hague Convention. Baron Von der Laencken
had reproached him for having read the Hague Convention with the eyes
of a philosopher unacquainted with the realities of this sublunary world.
He made the charge recoil on the head of the subtle diplomatist who had
brought it. This same Von der Laencken, after the war, saluted Mercier
on behalf of the German Governor-General of Belgium and the German
Government : "You are to us the incarnation of occupied Belgium and her
venerated pastor to whom she hearkens." This may have been partly
inspired by the Cardinal's effective influence with the Belgian civil population to act towards the defeated and retreating Germans in accord with
the principles of international law and Christian charity. But it sums up
his services to the nation.
Cardinal Mercier will be remembered as a great spiritual leader and a
thinker who has impressed his thought and personality on a world torn
with strife and loose thinking. His death in 1926 evoked throughout the
civilised world universal sorrow at the passing of a truly great man who
has deserved well of his fellows.
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NEWMAN
As 1De Know Them
doubt, to many of the uninitiated—I refer to those persons who have
performed the rights or suffered the forbearances recognised
N 0not
from time immemorial as being conditions precedent to the right of
fully-fledged membership of the Newman College Students' Club—to the
uninitiated, as I was saying before I wandered off on the above legal excursus into the laws, constitution and government of said club ; to these
aforesaid people the mere idle, passing reference to a "general meeting"
must conjure up ideas more fictitious than real in most cases ; at all events,
most uncertain speculations. Far be it from me to divulge to an eager
world the arcana of so august and venerable an institution. The object of
this short sketch will be to give at most a vague outline of the various
ceremonial, procedure, discussion and other matters incidental to a general
meeting. It seems appropriate that at this juncture some reference should
be made to the constitution, which governs all the activities of the club.
Our assembly is not so fortunate as the Imperial Parliament at Westminster ; this latter body has no constitution. One would be inclined to think—
that is if he were of the uninitiated—that it were a good and wholesome
thing to be the proud owner of a constitution. We say of a man after we
have seen him eat seven platefuls of oysters, or even one plateful of sinker,
without suffering acute rigor mortis, that he has a good constitution, and
we adjudge him a lucky fellow. But our club, being in the nature of a
corporation, and having no body to be kicked or soul to be damned—for
which it is truly thankful—has quite a different constitution from his. The
Imperial Parliament is bound by no constitution. Our assembly, which
goes under the less dignified name of general meeting, being bound by a
written constitution, presents a striking contrast to that kindred body. The
British Parliament, it has been remarked on several occasions, can do anything except make a man a woman or a woman a man. Whether it can make
a man intoxicated by Act of Parliament has never been quite settled ; as a
matter of fact, there has never been any need to have recourse to such
drastic measures. In practice, therefore, the British Parliament can do anything. Now, a general meeting cannot do everything, although it can do
something. The grim spectre of the Constitution haunts us at every step.
"Atra cura post equitem sedet," wrote Horace, nearly two thousand
years ago. And perhaps some day some budding classical scholar
struggling through his elegaics will evolve a pentameter :
"Atra constitutio post presidentem sedet ;"
that is, if he can get it to scan, which might indeed be possible if the
American pronunciation were permissible and the "u" made long, as in
"toot." In a word, like a huge octopus lurking in the crystal pools of
Sorrento's back beach, this many-sectioned monster is ever reaching out
its involved clauses to drag into the whirlpool of confusion any young and
hopeful fresher reckless enough to plunge into the tangle of a constitutional
quagmire. What noble motions, what elevated ideas, whose very life and
force were wholly directed towards the summum bonum, have perished
NEWMAN
31
"in this great Serbonian bog betwixt Damiata and Mount Casius old, where
armies whole have sunk."
It is indeed a tribute to the legislative powers of the student body that
under such difficulties as these it can function, and it is an inspiring sight
on the second Monday night of any term to watch the members of the club
trooping down to join the assembly and take part in the various discussions
that arise. To look at their care-free faces, one would think that no such
constitution existed. But in the midst of this care-free throng there are
some aching hearts beneath gaudy pullovers—those who are standing for
office—and, above all, the president, haunted by the grim spectre of the
constitution.
Seated, standing and reclining around the room in a halfcircle, the members distribute themselves in various postures.
In the
middle of the semi-circle is placed a wooden receptacle—something like a
bucket with no handles—to receive butts and dead matches. This
receptacle, being about ten feet away from the nearest members and thirty
from the furthest, sometimes does receive into its bosom some stray butts,
and there is always some applause for the man who succeeds in lodging his
butt therein.
The first business is al ways the confirming of the minutes of the last
meeting. This procedure calls for the usual bevy of questions, such as :
"It was recommended that the G.C. interview the Rector about so-and-so.
What has happened to the matter?" Invariably comes the reply that the
G.C. interviewed the Rector and looked into the matter, and no one could
see his way clear to anything just at present ; but both the G.C. and the
Rector are giving the matter every attention. Or else, the Rector wouldn't
hear of it.
"Next business, gentlemen," says the president, "is the balance-sheet."
Immediately Mr. McCubbery asks what is £18/19/101 paid to MacRobertsons for. The treasurer replies that this amount is for chocolates for the
football team for celebrations after the final. He admits that the amount
might appear excessive at first sight, but not when you remembered that
there were eighteen men in the team, so that this was little over a per
man, and the team had to get back their subscription somehow.
Ballot paper is then procured from a nearby room by kind permission
of Fr. Kelly, and the G.C. is elected. The meeting is then open for general
business. Mr. Healy rises and puts before the house a motion for the
Standardisation, Simplification and Stabilisation of Parking Areas. In outlining his scheme, Mr. Healy said he did not use parking areas in the ordinary sense of the term—or in that used by Mr. Zeigler to secure Bigger and
Darker Parking Areas. No, he considered that that want was fully supplied by Royal Park. He described the extreme difficulty of parking under
the present existing conditions. He admitted that he was a bad boy sometimes, but urged everyone not to say anything about it, otherwise he might
get a reputation for that sort of thing. Above all things he dreaded this,
because he was very jealous of his good name. (Dissent.) He urged immediate action. "There is no time like the present," he declared; "tempora
fugit, tempus quae non revocare possunt." (Applause.)
Mr. Moroney rose to second the motion, but for a very different reason
to that which motivated the mover. The last speaker had narrowed, confined, limited and bound in his scheme with all sorts of petty, absurd, and,
to him, childish restrictions. He thought Mr. Healy's attitude in not amalgamating and co-ordinating his scheme with Mr. Zeigler's, and thereby sur-
32
NEWMAN
mounting the technical difficulties which, for the moment, had obstructed
a fuller, deeper and more practical realisation of the new movement with
which Mr. Zeigler had so heartily identified himself, and whose objects,
aims and aspirations he was so zealous and eager to promote, and in not
bringing this new scheme for the standardisation, simplification and stabilisation of parking areas into line with and on the same footing as Mr.
Zeigler's plan for the development of better and darker parking areas, he
thought that Mr. Healy's attitude in adopting such a course, in restricting
his motion to objects merely utilitarian and totally divorced from such
ideals of love and beauty as were manifest, apparent and, indeed, transparent in Mr. Zeigler's developmental scheme, and apparently not only
failing to notice the truer, deeper and greater significance that lay behind
Mr. Zeigler's plans, and which did not, as some sordid people would believe,
drag them down into the slime and muck of Tin Alley, but raised them to a
fuller, higher and more lasting level of spiritual superiority, motivated by
that great dynamic, fluctuating, yet never-ceasing force that makes the
world go round ; and not only this, but utterly misinterpreting, misconceiving and misrepresenting the honourable, generous and noble intentions of so
perfect a gentleman, he thought that Mr. Healy's attitude in focussing his
attention on and directing his energies towards so insignificant and petty
a thing and utterly failing in the smallness of his outlook to realise the big
thing that lay at the root of the amalgamation and co-ordination of these
two movements, he thought that Mr. Healy's attitude in concentrating on
the little, petty things that did not matter, and in forgetting the big things
that did matter, he thought that Mr. Healy's attitude in taking such a
course of action as this was distinctly boyish. (Prolonged applause.)
The meeting was evidently moved by this very lucid, not to say witty,
treatment of the subject. Many were struck by Mr. Moroney's logic and
conciseness, but a few of the more thoughtful, as usual, began to doubt Mr.
Moroney's sincerity, believing that frivolity and sincerity never coincide.
Mr. Munday said that he was opposing the (er) motion on principle.
He thought (er) that this was a typical instance (er) of the thin end of
the wedge (er). In a scathing and rather wild attack on the motion, Mr.
Munday let loose all his unrivalled floods of ers and eloquence. He concluded
with an appeal to his listeners to treat his views with consideration. Let
them remember that to err was human, to forgive divine, and he was only
human.
While agreeing with much of what Mr. Munday usually says, we really
think that some of his sentiments are beneath the dignity of a general meeting. We suggest to him that he have a little more regard for the traditions
of the college, and that if he wishes to air the revolutionary ideas which he,
no doubt, does possess, let him do so from a soap box in some atmosphere
more congenial to his nature than that of a general meeting. Impassioned
eloquence may be all right in Parliament, or even on Yarra Bank, but
we suggest that a genertl meeting is no place for it.
Mr. O'Leary said he had a very strong and weighty reason in rising
to support the motion. He thought everyone would agree with him on this
point. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. King said that he had tried to see Mr. Munday's point, but he had
failed to do so—it was like looking for a needle in a haystack. On the
other hand, he could see Mr. O'Leary's and Mr. Moroney's quite plainly.
NEWMAN
33
He wished, through the chair, to ask Mr. Healy what his motion was all
about.
On being closely examined and cross-examined by the president, it
was finally admitted by Mr. Healy that all he wanted was to have the side
gate left open at night, so that an emergency parking area could be provided for him. It was then moved that the motion be now put. But the
motion that the motion be now put was only carried after very heated discussion. Mr. Healy's motion was then put to the house, and carried unanimously. Mr. Munday, having voted for the wrong side by mistake, made
a strong appeal to the meeting that his opposition be recorded, indented,
and put under seal in the minutes ; he would like it also to be stated that
he had opposed the motion on principle.
Mr. Morgan rose and moved a recommendation that the number of
potatoes per man be increased to two. He had a vague idea that this subject had been discussed before at a previous general meeting. Continuing
in support of the proposal, he contended that he had never been able to
find a potato, much less half a one, to fit his capacity. Mr. McCubbery
opposed the motion vigorously. He thought that Mr. Morgan must have
a very large capacity, and he had always found one potato suitable for his
requirements. Messrs. Munday, O'Leary and Flynn supported the motion,
but strong and determined opposition came from Messrs. King, Parker
and Stevenson. The last-named, seriously contending that the meals had
shown a considerable improvement since he had been appointed chairman
of the dining-room sub-committee, declared that he would treat the proposal
as a motion of censure on himself and his committee, and that he would
resign. However, before a catastrophe of this magnitude ensued, the president, taking a hasty look at the constitution, said that, as one chairman
to another, he advised Mr. Stevenson not to resign, because the proposal
before the house was only a recommendation and not a motion. He therefore
advised him to shelve his conscience. The motion, being put to the house,
was lost, amid great cheering.
Mr. King moved that the piano be sold and a gramophone bought with
the proceeds. What was the good of a silent piano? We must advance
with the times and buy a gramophone. Mr. King reminded the meeting
of the gramophone that he once had in college ; for purity of tone it could
not be equalled. Mr. Gilbert said that he agreed with the idea behind Mr.
King's motion, but he would like to move an amendment that the gramophone so purchased be hired out to entertainers on Sunday afternoon. Personally, he preferred to say it with music. Mr. O'Leary vigorously opposed
the motion; he despised canned music in general, and talking machines in
particular. They had one talking machine in Newman, and that was
enough.
He disagreed with the idea that there had been no pianists in
-college during the last few years.
Had they already forgotten Mr. Edwards? He would never forget Mr. Edwards and the Stars and Stripes
Symphony. Mr. Cawley said that he had not forgotten Mr. Edwards,
either ; that was why he was supporting the motion. Mr. Zeigler moved
an amendment that the proceeds of the sale be used to construct a soundproof telephone box. He pointed out that this was only the substitution
of one form of entertainment for another; after all, a gramophone only
provided a very limited and restricted form of entertainment. Mr.
Triado moved a further amendment that the piano be converted into a
telephone box; while Mr. Moroney moved still another, that the piano be
34
NEWMAN
not sold unless the sum of thirty pounds—no, he meant thirty shillings—
could be obtained for it. He thought that this was the surest way of
retaining the piano. Personally, he had no time for gramophone records,
especially those weird phantasies like the dance of the fire-birds, who obviously couldn't dance, or any other birds. He would like to see the piano
remain there in case he ever wanted to sing "King Charles" again, or "La
Donn 'e Mobile" ; if the piano were removed there would be no accompaniment for him. The president left the chair to oppose the motion. He
liked nothing better than amateur piano-playing. Since Mr. Edwards had
gone, he always made sure never to miss Mr. Heffey's recitals. He admitted that some of this virtuoso's interpretations of Beethoven were a bit
above him, but he was always willing to learn. Mr. Munday wished to
oppose the motion on principle, but the president pointed out to him the
fact that there were already four amendments before the house, and Mr.
Moroney's amendment was now under discussion. Further complications
were caused when Mr. Parker moved that the motion be now put. Mr.
Moroney rose to a point of order. Was it right to let a man who was not
a lily-white amateur move such a motion? He distinctly remembered seeing Mr. Parker shaking hands with a professional only two months ago.
in reply to these accusations, Mr. Parker explained that he had since been
reinstated on an appeal to the Privy Council. At this stage of the proceedings Mr. Parker was called to the 'phone. Mr. King asked : "What is the
motion before the house?" He was told that the motion before the house
was the motion that the motion be now put. When Mr. King inquired to
what motion did the motion that the motion be now put refer, the president
seemed at a loss ; he called for the mover of the motion that the motion be
now put. But Mr. Parker could not be found—that is to say, when discovered by an errant freshman still in the telephone box, Mr. Parker intimated that he would not be available for another half-hour. Mr. Galbally,
who was Mr. Parker's seconder, was interrogated by the president, who
remarked that on points of order like this one should always try and discover the intentions of the parties. But Mr. King objected that the intentions of the parties could not be taken into cognisance. It was a fundamental rule of British justice, so the law tutor had told him, that the parties
should be taken to have said what they meant and meant what they said.
The president overruled these objections. Mr. Galbally, however, when
cross-examined, confessed that he could not say with any degree of exactitude what motion was referred to, or, to use his own words, "hadn't the
foggiest of what he was seconding." The president said he would give
his own interpretation, but Mr. Clarke pointed out that this was unconstitutional ; he remembered from the freshers' exam. that all matters of interpretation had to be referred to the G.C. The G.C. interpreted the motion
as referring to Mr. King's motion, because Mr. King's motion was the only
real motion, the others being all amendments. Mr. Gilbert, making a
vigorous protest against this quashing of his amendment, moved another
amendment to the motion that the motion be now put ; that is to say, he
moved that the amendments be now put. Mr. Moroney's amendment
was put and carried. Before the meeting could recover its equilibrium,
before anyone realised the next step to be taken, and before any fresh complications could arise, the president hastily declared the meeting closed.
"IUDEX."
(
(
Newm an. 2. Ha rene kers All. 3. Smi ling Thu s. 4. T he M ildewe dMee t.
NEWMAN
35
Jongleur
HE world seemed a very wondrous place to Bertrand as he came down
the road that led to the Eastern gate. And why not? He had left
Paris a year ago, taking his life very literally in his hands, for he had a
Still, Armand
fairly sure, if sometimes precarious, livelihood in the court.
had told him that out on the roads in the South there was money to be made
by a gay and handsome jongleur with a voice such as his. So off he had
set, and after some setbacks he had found his way a pleasant one enough.
At every castle he had found a welcome for himself and his songs, sometimes, be it whispered, more for himself, for where was there a lady who
would not lose her heart to such a smiling and debonair young singer?
There was a night when he waited beside a bower, with around him and
above him the scent of apple blossoms, waited for the rustle of a dress amid
the trees and the sound of a very sweet and dear, if provoking, voice that
made him forget the apple blossoms in a much more wondrous dream. A
twinkle came into his eyes as he thought of a certain adventure down in
the country of the vineyards, near Bordeaux. That old lady, now ! Strange
how all women are alike—young and old. But what could he do but tell
her he was only a wandering singer, too poor to hope for the love of highborn ladies, and, moreover, what should he do if Monsieur should come to
know. His hopes of largesse would be gone, and he would have to beg his
way to the next castle. He paused by the road with a reminiscent chuckle
as he thought of how she had won him over with a well-filled purse, and
particularly of how he had escaped the next night, leaving a pathetic little
note to the effect that he feared Monsieur was growing suspicious, and,
moreover, he found the climate of this region very bad for his voice. Then
there was that very dainty little lady in Bayonne. Mon Dieu, how had he
escaped heart whole? As he swung in at the gate and made his way north,
he was greeted every now and again by queries as to how Fortune had
favoured him ; but he waved all enquirers aside with a jest and a laugh and
hurried on. His heart was singing within him, for was he not coming back
with a full purse and the memory of eager promises everywhere of a welcome when he came again to the South. Coming back—and to Jeanette.
And what a surprise it would be for her, for she had always laughed at his
hopes of fame for himself and his songs, and had told him when he left, with
a smile almost hidden in tears, that he would come back to her just the
same penniless vagabond. Still, it was a poor enough existence for herself
and the child, and success for him would mean happiness for them. It
was worth the chance. And so he had gone, half hopes and half fears,
with a chubby little two-year-old hand waving to him, and Jeanette's smiles
to cheer him on.
He looked up eagerly as he saw the little house in the distance. Perhaps she would be watching from the upper window as she used to do ;
laughing perhaps at the gestures of Francois as he stood outside the curio
shop opposite and invited buyers to gaze at his stock ; or perhaps she would
be at the door holding the baby and joking with madame, who was bound
T
36
NEWMAN
to have her head out of the door of her cake shop, ever ready for a gossip.
As he drew near to the house, a momentary frown crossed his forehead.
Francois was idling outside his door ; but he could see no sign of life opposite, and when he came closer still he saw that the door was shut and the
window was closed. He greeted Francois with a puzzled, yet glad, smile.
"Bon jour, Francois ! So the old shop still stands. Ah, and there is
madame running out of her door. She is still the same old gossip, I warrant. But where is Jeanette? Has she gone to the Cathedral, or perhaps
to the Palace, to watch the courtiers pass in and out ?" Francois hailed
him with a ready enough but half-embarrassed greeting, his red face
struggling to express something, and yet half fearing what it should have
to say. Madame, too, who had come running across to embrace him in
her usual warm-hearted fashion, stood silent. "But what is the matter ?"
Madame broke in as Francois struggled with his halting words : "It is Jeanette. She left here a month ago. Armand pleaded with her to go with
him to the little orchard in the South, which his uncle, the Abbot, had
offered him. There was no news of you, and the babe was but poorly fed
since the king forbade the friars to continue their alms giving." Bertrand's
face turned white for a moment, then, with his lips set, he turned on his heel
and strode back the way he had come, disregarding Francois' eager offers
of hospitality for the night. He turned the corner and disappeared in the
direction of the gate, while madame and Francois stood outside the curio
shop, and with wonder and pity mingled in their faces watched him go.
The little village street was dusty, and the rider felt weary enough as
he urged his horse towards the inn. It had been a long day's travel, and
though his pouch jingled pleasantly as he shook the reins and quickened
the horse to a trot, he felt tired and dispirited. He had met with a splendid reception everywhere, and he was well known enough now to command
the respect of the greatest of country seigneurs. The king himself had
honoured him last year by inviting him to sing before him, and Eleanor
of Provence had offered him a permanent place at her court; but he had
kept on wandering and searching, and now he felt as if it was all useless
enough. He shrugged his shoulders and smiled rather bitterly as he dismounted outside the inn, and, leaving his horse to be led round to the stables,
entered and seated himself near the window. The host, made obsequious
by a gold piece, fussed around him and laid the table as he leant back
wearily and gazed out towards the orchard. As he waited his thoughts
began to wander, and he was only recalled to his senses by the sound of
voices near him. He turned his attention half languidly towards the
couple who had entered and seated themselves two tables away, and found
himself listening involuntarily to snatches of their conversation. Then
he almost leapt from his seat as the woman turned her head towards him
for a moment. God, was it possible! He had dreamt and planned with
the thought of this in his mind for five long years, and now, when he had
almost given up hope, it came. His fingers strayed towards his sword hilt,
and chvched it feverishly. He had sworn that if he found them—then
suddenly a new thought crossed his mind, and he leant forward, himself
hidden by the shadow of the window, and listened. The woman raised
her voice impatiently. "But how can we? Since your uncle died things
have become steadily worse. The orchard lost, we have become little
NEVVMAN
37
better than beggars. As for the boy, he is only a hindrance. We have
enough to do to feed ourselves." A cold and incisive voice cut in as the
man was about to answer. "And so, you cannot keep the child? Well,
if you leave him to me, I can find a home for him at the Abbey of Vergy.
The monks are eager there to find young novices, and even if the lad had no
taste for praying, they will educate him willingly enough, and keep him till
he can fend for himself." The woman stopped the half-begun answer of
her companion with a glance, and bent forward to look at the speaker.
For a moment wild thoughts ran through her mind ; but there was that
beard, and those heavy lines about the eyes. She shrugged her shoulders
and made her way out of the room, to return with a wondering little being
half timorously clutching her hand. The figure by the window had now
risen, and, taking no notice of the woman, he came forward and put his
hands on the boy's shoulders. A pair of wondering but fearless eyes looked
up at him. "Well, little fellow, if you will come with me, I think I can
promise you a happier life than you have known for a while. My
way lies thence." The sturdy little figure by his side disentangled his
fingers from the woman's grasp and looked up steadily at the speaker.
Then he turned towards the woman's companion with a half-questioning
glance, and, receiving no sign, stood for a moment irresolute. Then he
threw up his head with a defiant little gesture and turned to the door.
When they reached the street the man called his horse and took stock
of his acquisition. "Ever sat a horse, youngster? Then all's well. Up
you get." He hoisted the boy up on the saddle before him, and shook the
reins The horse was eager to be moving, and soon took them out of
the village on to the road that led towards the hills. Suddenly the man
laughed, and the child looked up to find a merry pair of eyes regarding him.
Then he began to laugh, too, as the tall figure behind him threw up his hat
like a boy. "No monastery for you, mon fits. The world and the road
are your home in future." Then all of a sudden the man burst into song,
and an old peasant looked up from his twilight task of closing the gates
that lead to the road, to see a strange ensemble of horse and boy and man
disappearing into the dusk, while in his ears thrilled the glorious and
vibrant voice that princes had thronged to hear. And the woman who
stood at the door of the little house where the road began to rise into the
hills gave thanks to the good God, for was she not to be wedded to-morrow,
and her heart, like the singer's, was glad.
41P:Ot•
.
38
NEWMAN
Zionism
T
HE recent clash between Arab and Jew in Palestine would seem to bear
out Chesterton's judgment : "The greatest of the real difficulties of
Zionism is that it has to take place in Zion." But, while the recent
trouble may have been directly traceable to the locale chosen for the Jewish
National Home, it is difficult to agree that the locale is "the greatest of
the real difficulties of Zionism."
The greatest of the real difficulties of
Zionism is, rather, the difficulty of translating a theory into a fact.
For
we must carefully distinguish between Zionism the theory and Zionism
the experiment.
I suggest that experimental Zionism is a travesty of theoretical Zionism ; that in the Palestine experiment Zionism has been betrayed, twisted,
or warped; that the practical fruit of Zionism—the Zionist experiment of a
Jewish State in Palestine, "the one far-off divine event" for which Jewish
mysticism has waited nigh 2000 years—is a failure. And it is a failure,
I would say, not necessarily because political Zionism is fallacious, not
because Zionism "had to take place in Zion," but because the Zionist experiment is a travesty of Zionist political theory, and a mockery of Jewish
aspiration, whether from mala fides on the part of Great Britain and a disingenuous handling of the new-fangled mandatory system to exploit the
Jews' passion for Palestine, or from the clumsy political ineptitude of
Zionist leaders and the inability of dreamy Zionism to come to grips with
reality.
The Balfour Declaration was made in November, 1917, as the British
Government's pronouncement in favour of Zionism.
Yet this Declaration, made at a dark moment in the fortunes of England,
was diplomatic to the point of meaninglessness. It was acutely timed
and so phrased as to play on the popular belief in the Restoration of the
Jews. The British Government pledged itself to support the establishment
of a "Jewish National Home" in the Holy Land. But, in the same breath,
it added a proviso which practically reduced the promise to a contradiction
in terms. For "nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and
religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine."
The Jews in pre-war Palestine were only one in seven of the inhabitants ; they held only two per cent. of the soil. The non-Jewish population
—predominantly Arab—numbered some 600,000. Short of a peaceful
shifting of this alien element—on the lines of bold constructive politics,
Palestine, already overlaid by the historic deposits of Christendom and Islam,
cannot possibly become the cradle of a "Jewish national" life in any real
political sense.
Still less can it become a Jewish "home." The Jews of the world
number between twelve and fourteen millions, while the Holy Land could
not support more than about three millions.
The Balfour Declaration was sympathetically endorsed by the chief
allied Powers, and by the United States. And after the war the League
of Nations supported the principle of the Declaration, and entrusted its-
NEW MAN
39
substantiation to Great Britain by granting Great Britain a mandate over
Palestine, with a commission actually to establish there a Jewish National
Home.
Though British politicians are not lacking in sentimental sympathy
with the Zionist aspirations, we should have heard little of the "Jewish
National Home" had not Palestine subserved political aims.
It was as a military barrier for the defence of Egypt that the acquisition
of Palestine and its garrisoning by a Jewish self-governing population was
long urged in England, and this mutual interest would have constituted a
sound political bargain had not England, by a double-edged stroke of
diplomacy, contrived to earmark Palestine for herself and gain the sympathies of world-Jewry without recognising in Israel anything but a "pauper
beneficiary of her idealism."
As a result, the status of the Jewish regenerators of Palestine turns
out to be not occupants of a "national home," but "paying guests." After
the political profit of the Balfour Declaration had been reaped, some British
politicians admitted that "under the stress of war we entered into various
undertakings which undoubtedly clashed with one another." Despite the
ambiguity of the Balfour Declaration, however, if it did not mean the whole
of Palestine was going to be under Jewish control, it meant nothing.
With the Christian Powers pulling in opposite directions, and the Arab
pulling in a third direction, there is scant chance of a real Jewish Palestine.
It has been said that "to produce that out of the conflicting ingredients is
a task, not for a statesman, but for a conjuror." The interest of England in
getting her new possession developed by Jewish capital and industry is outweighed if the Arabs are antagonised too deeply.
Although Zionist leaders have vigorously refuted any desire on their
part to expel the Arabs from Palestine (they have rather said, somewhere,
"their welfare must be as dear to us as our own"), it does seem that some
amicable race-distribution or a voluntary trek is the only way out of the
difficulty of creating a Jewish State in Palestine. If such a re-distribution
is impracticable, then the whole Zionist project (with Palestine as the homeland) was an "impasse" into which Britain was misled by the Zionist leaders
at a time when British politicians caught at any straw. Two national
homes in small Palestine constitute a greater impracticability than an Arab
exodus. After all, the suggestion is not such an enormity. The migration of peoples has ample precedent. A well-ordered emigration to a prearranged home amid one's kinsmen, with full compensation for values left
behind, a movement organised at either end, offers no terrors compared
with the race-frictions it averts.
If, however, the Arabs will not "fold their tents" and "steal silently
away" to their own vast homelands, then, if Palestine is to be Jewish, it is
logical, notwithstanding the guarantee not to lower the status of the Arabs,
that they should come under a Jewish Government, even though it be a
minority Government. I know that this is not democratic ; but is it not
a Jewish National Home in Palestine to which Great Britain and the League
are pledged ? And the status of the Arab under a liberal Jewish Government would not be lower than the status of subjection to Turkey. If the
Arabs elect to stay in Palestine when they have ample homelands adjoining,
the unearned increment in land values which would at once accrue to the
landlords, the rise in wages which would come to the "fellah," and the
40
NWNIAN
sanitation, drainage, irrigation and afforestation brought to the common
country would, it may be argued, be sufficient compensation for their political subordination.
If all this argument is logical, it is none the less reactionary and
unsatisfactory. The fault is not that Britain is not handling the problem
as it stands fairly. The fault is that Britain should never have announced
a solution of the Jewish Problem which was no solution, and whose profit
is only to her. Balfour should have made the necessary provision for the
rise of the Jewish State when he dealt with the Arab leaders ; their consent
to the sequestration of this "small notch in the Arab territory," as he called
it, should have been stipulated in advance, when Britain was setting up
Arab States in Irak and Mesopotamia.
Without any provision, whether for Arab emigration or complete Jewish
administration, Palestine bids fair to remain purely a British possession,
whose reconstruction is thrown upon Jewish capital and energy.
Israel Zangwill, in "Voice of Jerusalem," wittily observes :—"Placed
between two mad peoples, the English and the Jews, the Jews who will
never take a country, and the English who will never leave one untaken,
I behold the long effort to endow a landless people with a country ending
in the addition of one to an Empire already possessing a quarter of the
globe."
Indeed, what alternative policy had England? She could not leave
Palestine to France, or give it back to Turkey. The Jews providentially
relieved her of the burden.
It is of no necessity in showing that the Zionist experiment is a travesty of Zionism, to rule precisely where the guilt of the travesty lies.
I
am satisfied to confine myself to showing where the blame may lie.
I
have suggested that Britain as a mandatory Power seems to have treated
the whole matter half-heartedly. But all shortcomings in the "Jewish
National Home" in Palestine are not, therefore, wholly Britain's fault.
Britain, having expressed her preparedness to assist in the establishmen t
of a Palestine Jewish National Home, is not bound, as I see the political
game, to give the Jews more if they are satisfied with less, or to take the
Jews by the hand and teach them not to be satisfied with any thing but the
maximum they may wring out of the mandatory. Once the Zionists received the Balfour Declaration, they seemed to lapse into a passive role.
It was surely the part of the Zionists to demand the implications of the
Declaration and the mandate up to the hilt. I suggest that the travesty
of the Zionist Palestine State is partly the fault of the Zionists themselves.
They have erred in playing the role of cringing recipients instead of that or
watchdogs.
The risks that will arise to foreign Jewries from their supposed proBritishism, and to Palestine Jews from their residence in the unholy land
of religious and political rivalries would have been worth running, from a
Zionist point of view, had Israel really achieved, or could she really achieve.
independence there. But the autonomy that lies in numbers is a dubious
and distant goal, and for generations Israel falls between two stools, neither
British nor non-British, neither bond nor free.
Unless the Palestine colonisation is so re-planned that it must eventually produce the national autonomous home, it will become only a "mockery
of Jewish aspirations." But the task of the Jews, scattered in colonies
NEWMAN
41
throughout the world, to build up again their home in Palestine was (to
quote Zangwill) "of an originality congruous with the uniqueness of the
Jews' whole history, for whereas motherlands had always created colonies.
here colonies were to create—or rather, recreate—a motherland. But alas!
the Palestine created under the Mandate (the British-Arab-Jewish State)
will be not a motherland, but a step-motherland."
The Jewish National Home, as attempted in Palestine, may be said to
I.M.P.
be neither Jewish nor national nor a home.
Great Expectations
Boy.—"Con Amore":
The queen Night has come and is on her knees
In adoration to herself serene.
The joy of the sylphs is shown by tresses,
Whilst the love of maids is all caresses.
Alas ! the dream of beauty ceases
And my love of nature increases.
Life is ,just a bubble of bliss,
The beauty of a fairy kiss.
Adieu! the dawn has come.
Hail ! my dream is unsung.
Yes, quite! Some songs are sweet, but those unsung are sweeter. Thank
God for the dawn; stick to your bubbles of bliss and caresses, but don't
sing about them.
W.F.—"Australian Blacks." (1) Study Australian History. (2) Try
"Messenger."
A.F.M.—"The Traditions of the College." This is scarcely the place
for them. Why not refer to them at a general meeting?
X.—"Liberty! what crimes have been committed in thy name !" Yes,
and this was one of the worst of them.
42
NEWMAN
Apologia
I.
got no backbone !
y OU'VE
You're a jelly-fish, man ! Where's your
pride? Stand on your own feet and hit back !" Has that ever been
hurled at you? Would it not be an everlasting disgrace to have
merited such scathing abuse ? No, it would not, for the above catalogue is
one not of the vices, but of some of the greatest virtues of mankind ; it is,
in short, the philosophy of indolence.
Why on earth does anyone want to achieve anything whatsoever? The
lot of the distinguished man is surely an unenviable one. Hurried here and
there, he has a reputation to maintain ; he is assailed on all sides by seekers
after knowledge. If he be a famous economist, his life is made a burden
by societies for the discussion of public questions and what not. Let him
make a name for himself in the realm of art, and he is doomed to be a judge
of beauty competitions, and may even be called upon to deliver a sage
opinion on the beauty-giving quality of "Latherum's" soap. Be he a
famous figure in the theatre, he shall indubitably spend at least half his
leisure hours writing accounts of how he owes his well-groomed appearance and perfect self-possession to the beauty and security respectively of
his "Holdum" suspenders.
It is inevitable—achieve something, and life is no more worth living.
As for hitting back, well, the wisdom of that course of procedure
depends largely on circumstances. I mean, if one is assaulted by a person
of several times one's own weight and smitten to the ground by a heavy
blow, what should one do ? Rise in anger and be knocked down again, and
keep on repeating the process until one is no longer able to rise under any
stimulus whatsoever. Decidedly not. On the first reverse one should
remain in a recumbent position and reflect for a time.
The assailant having an obvious advantage in size and weight, it is
quite absurd to pander to his more brutal instincts, and, rising, give an
implied invitation to be once more smitten to the earth. No. If vou are
on the ground, stay there. You can't fall further.
Is it a blow to your self-esteem? you ask.
Not at all, not at all.
It
may give you a certain amount of pleasure to find out definitely just how
many times you can be knocked down and still retain consciousness ; but
is it not a greater victory to remain lying down and inwardly congratulate
yourself on having cheated your antagonist and saved him from his own
brutality? You belong to the salt of the earth ; you are both cowardly and
indolent—terms of abuse among the vulgar throng, but to those who know
compliments of the highest order.
Imagine the ineffable peace and goodfellowship of a world of people
who didn't hit back, who didn't think, who were not trying to outdo their
NEWMAN
43
neighbour—people whose minds were turned constantly on the all-engrossing
study of nothing in particular ! War and crime would disappear from
the earth, and the millenium would at long last be ushered into a world
full of peace and goodwill.
The fulminating moralists exhort us to face the slings and arrows of
outrageous fortune, and it certainly does sound very nice. But why
bother? Why not be sensible and hide behind a corner ; or, if there be
no shelter available, turn and flee? To take to one's heels is logical ; to
be needlessly smitten is not. So by all means be logical—it is by far the
more comfortable course.
Life is not worth living if one is to be burdened with hardships, and
that, Mr. Editor, is why I am not going to write an article.
II.
It is a notorious fact that one of the lesser objects in coming to a
University is to study. I say the word "lesser" advisedly, for it is universally admitted that there are many other phases of University, and
especially College, life which demand more attention than "swot." The
outlook of the world in this matter is rather well summed up by the student
who, seeing a man who had actually ignored the recognised rule and had
obtained an exhibition, ejaculated with deep fervour and emotional oratory,
"There, but for the grace of God, go I !"
But to get back to our train of thought on account of these other
essential pursuits, it follows that there is but little of the student's time
available for study. But, in spite of this most obvious fact, the veracity
of which all but the demented must recognise, and in spite of the wonderful progress the world has been making of recent times, is it not an astounding and almost unbelievable fact that there are still people in the world in
the full use of their faculties who from the depths of their hearts say and
think that every student should pass his annual examination, and, in the
light of the circumstances above outlined, still refuse to admit that it is a
miracle that anyone ever passes any examination ?
I hate to go on talking about study, but I want to say that my conscience drives me to it, and that I act rather from principle than from
desire. However, if one were to say to me, "Is the position as bad as
that which is described above?" I should reply indignantly but restrainedly,
"As bad? Why, it is much worse !" And, for purposes of explanation, I
should continue as follows :—"Now, supposing you want to have a game
of tennis. You go out on to the court ; you carefully indulge in your new
backhand you have a good curse when you drive the ball into Queen's
poultry farm, and you jovially say 'Shot' when your opponent aces you."
Consider the results. You have improved your tennis and your physical
fitness ; you have rendered yourself more beneficial to your College should
the occasion ever arise when it may need you, and, finally—and that which
is most important—you have enjoyed yourself.
On the other hand, now consider the position of a man behind in his
work. "Swot" is indicated. He must work and wants to work. He opens
his Shakespeare and settles down. For a time all goeth well, but gradually
,
44
NEWMAN
as he becomes accustomed to the silence, the engineering student in the
adjoining room, struggling with a huge drawing-board, begins, for no
apparent reason, to perform acrobatics on a swivel chair. It is undoubted
that modern science has made great advances in recent times, but in its
attempt to eliminate noise it has failed miserably, and, sad to relate, though
there are swivel chairs and swivel chairs, they all have one dominating
characteristic—they creak. Our student, with that characteristic grit
peculiar to all students, accustoms himself, and once more becomes lost in
his Shakespeare. Soon, however, a deathly yoke, which, issuing from the
room above, penetrates the ceiling and comes to his ears as, "Two notrumps." Then silence. Then a remonstrative yell, "If you had got rid
of that spade we'd have made three." And again silence. A triumphant
exclamation of "Three hearts !" and again all quiet.
With the aforesaid determination our student, though stirring in his
chair, re-reads the last page.
Then a shrill bell disturbs the peaceful night, and soon numerous
clattering steps like unto a stampede proceed in the direction of the
chapel. Finally comes a rattle of crockery from the room opposite, and
Shakespeare is thrown aside. So far our student apparently has wasted his
night. He has learnt little, if anything. In fact, he has imptoved himself
in no direction, with the possible exception of that of bad language.
I think we have said enough to prove that to study is not the easiest
of duties, and at this stage we take upon ourselves the province of correcting a conception of a student sadly prevalent in the non-thinking world, but
which, like most such notions, is entirely erroneous.
To put it plainly, in the estimate of public opinion the ideal student is
the man who studies, and that he who doesn't is merely wasting his time
at a University. This is quite an unfair insinuation. Take the case of the
man who abandoned his Shakespeare for supper. Picture to yourself three
or four healthy specimens of young Australia, squatting appropriately round
steaming cups of coffee in a room permeated with smoke, revelling in the
infinite joys of conversation.
The classic Greeks were the most cultured race mankind has ever produced, and they obtained their knowledge, their culture, not from books,
not from study, but conversation—the dialectic method, as it was called,
originated by Socrates.
To come nearer to our own time, the great Cardinal Newman emphatically states that one of the main virtues of a University was that it gave
scope for conversation.
The trouble is that most people have narrow minds. They think that the
man who gets an LL.B. is a far superior person to the man who has "flopped."
In some cases they are admittedly correct, but in others sadly astray. We must
not look on a University as a technical school. It does not exist for the sole
purpose of fitting a man to earn a living or to become a rich man. It is an
institute of learning for its own sake. After all, medicine and law are only
sidelines of human activity. The great subject matter for the student is
"Life" itself, and the man who has apparently loafed during his time at a
.
4.
PIN
NEWMAN
University may be more fitted for this object than he who has crammed
himself with knowledge from hooks. The student who threw his work
aside for some supper may have gained more from his evening than some
other man who dwindled his time learning anatomy. The latter is to be
praised for his perseverance, the former for his apparent indolence, and the
person who can combine both the ideals expressed by the actions of these
two is undoubtedly the student par excellence.
QUESTA 0 QUELLA.
"It watched me in the cradle laid and from my boyhood's home,
It glared above my shoulder-blade when I wrote my first "pome,"
It's sidled by me ever since, with greeny eyes aslant,
It is the thing (0, Priest and Prince!) that wants to write, but can't."
—HENRY LAWSON.
The Chinese have a belief that there are only four jokes in the world.
I cannot vouch for the accuracy of this statement, but very certain am
that something has been written on every conceivable subject. Pope,
Dryden, and others of that ilk were wise men, for, recognising that there
was nothing new under the sun on which they might waste their talents
and gaod writing material, they concentrated on achieving perfection in
style. And so, of all the English writers, they have approached nearest to
the ideal of "le mot juste."
Learned men—philosophers and economists—have in the past indulged
in quite a lot of thought on human activities. They have written volumes
to prove that in a given circumstance Isolated Man would have acted in
such a way. indeed, one of them has been penetrating enough to discover
that the old tag which describes the happy time—
"When Adam delved and Eve span . . ."
was based on a wrong conception of Adam's good breeding, and that more
probably Eve delved in addition to spinning. Adam was, as Mark Twain
thinks, more probably filling himself with nectar in company with those
animals who were most prominent in the social world.
And so this speculation goes on. Curiosity, which, we are told, was
responsible for the unhappy demise of a certain "wretched quadruped of
feline slink and most elusive tread," has ever impelled mankind to ponder
on the whatness of things. And so we range over a vast output of literary
endeavour, from Plato's scheme for an ideal Republic to the more recent
queries of an inhabitant of our fair city on life in general, and why in particular his bluebirds won't sing; Editors and publishing firms encourage
the tendency, since it ensures for them their living. The tendency was bad
enough in olden times ere printing was invented, when men copied out
their manuscripts by the light of the flickering candle. But since the invention of the printing-press and the harnessing of electric power for lighting
purposes, humanity has steadily drifted from bad to worse until we have
to-day the state of affairs when in a University—allegedly the home of the
intellectual—we find people who are willing to roam around the countryside
46
NEWMAN
lescribing the activities of their fellow-men merely for the sake of seeing
their literary effusions in print. I refer, of course, to the numerous individuals who enable "Farrago" to be published week by week. Doubtless
the same idea is behind the publication of a College Annual. Some fiends
incarnate wish to pour forth their ideas and see them in print. But,
obviously, they cannot produce a whole magazine on their own, so they
appoint an editor, whose duty it is to scour the College in search of greenhorns whom he may induce to write. Others, such as myself—lovers of
peace—he harries until, in sheer desperation, they agree to bend their energies to produce an article. Wherefore they rack their brains and tear their
hair, and out of all this upheaval comes—what? As I remarked earlier in the
course of this article there is nothing new under the sun. That being so,
I have endeavoured to combine as many diverging ideas into the space of
one small article as possible. Hilaire Belloc gave to a collection of some
of his essays the title "On Nothing." That was commendable candour,
which I have endeavoured to emulate. Some more modest souls complain
that they cannot write an article. "Haven't any ideas !" is their plea—their
attempted excuse. And so I go as a lamb to the slaughter to show how
one can write an article devoid of ideas. I claim relationship to the man
in the poem who
. . . started to sing as he tackled the thing
That couldn't be done—and he did it."
PRO BONO
4
,
777 r-EI:7
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47
The Seven Wonders of the World
"A thousand years may serve to form a state,
An hour may bring it to the dust; and when
Can man its shattered splendour renovate,
Recall its virtues back, and vanquish Time and Fate?"
—Lord Byron.
of Imperial Rome, the grandeur of ancient Greece, the glories
T HEofsplendours
Nineveh and Tyre, great cities and great empires have vanished with
the passing of the ages. Their ruins alone remain—relics of bygone
culture and silent witnesses of former majesty. But of the Seven Wonders which
aroused the admiration of the ancient world, only the Great Pyramid now
exists. The Colossus of Rhodes, the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus, the Temple
of Artemis at Ephesus and the statue of the Olympian Zeus are gone; the
Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the great Pharos of Alexandria are no more.
For six thousand years the great Pyramid of Cheops has dominated Gizeh
and the waters of old Nile. Arresting in its grandeur, the soaring mass of stone
possesses the imagination ; it is the most monumental tomb ever erected by the
hand of man. Though built by Cheops in 3733 B.C. as a royal tomb, the
methods of construction employed still puzzle engineers and architects. Originally, the pyramid stood 480 feet high, and occupied an area of 13 acres.
Each side is 756 feet long and faces one of the cardinal points of the compass. The stone of which it was constructed was hewn into blocks of 20 feet
by 6 feet ; each angle was exactly 52 degrees. Outside the whole solid structure was a limestone casing 5 feet thick—this exterior surface was pillaged in
the sixth century for building purposes. Two chambers were built inside—one
containing the tomb of the Pharaoh himself, the other for the sarcophagus of
his queen. A great gallery, 155 feet long, led to the entrance of the tomb.
In the tomb itself lay the body of the Pharaoh, embalmed, and enclosed in a
sycamore coffin and granite sarcophagus, with the symbol of Ra in faithful
attendance to await the return of the soul to its mortal body. Though this
"habitation monumental cold" was built on such a stupendous scale in hope
that the tomb of Cheops would remain inviolate, it failed to achieve its purpose, for the Great Pyramid was rifled many times, whilst the contempories
of Cheops slept in comparative peace in the serene Valley of Tombs.
Next in point of time come the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. Legend
ascribes their erection to Semiramis, a voluptuous Assyrian queen, the supposed foundress of all the glories of Nineveh and Babylon. History asserts
that the Gardens were constructed by Nebuchadnezzar in 600 B.C., to gratify
the whim of his beautiful Medean queen. The green fields of Medea did not
flourish in the sands of Mesopotamia until the Hanging Gardens were completed. They consisted of a series of great terraces, built on arches one above
the other to the height of 350 feet. Around the square mile of the gardens
ran a canal, giving coolness to the desert air. Hydraulic pumps raised the
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NEW MAN
On the lofty platforms,
water of the Euphrates to the highest terraces.
festooned with flowering creepers and ablaze with all the blooms and colours
of Asia and the known world, silken divans were strewn in the welcome shade
of trees—slaves were in constant attendance to obey one's slightest wish. Here,
above the city at her feet and surrounded by the transplanted hills of Medea,
the queen held court with all the ceremonial pomp and Oriental luxury of
Babylon the Great. All that now remains are a few vaulted arches, and three
dry wells where once stood the ingenious screw pump used for the irrigation
of the gardens.
It is a far cry from the desert of Mesopotamia to the BlueGulf of Cos in
Carian southern Asia-Minor. Where now stands the bustling Turkish port
of Budrum, once stood the gleaming marble of Halicarnassus, capital of the
satrapy of Caria, over which Mausoleus ruled till his death in 350 B.C.
Such was the grief of Artemisia, his wife and sister, that she determined to
erect a tomb that would astound the world. The architects of the Mausoleum,
as it was called, were Pythios and Satyrus ; the master sculptor was Scopas,
the greatest of his day, famed for his power to express in stone the most
passionate emotions and the most vivid movement. The Mausoleum, a superb
structure of golden-white marble, stood on a raised platform of Parian marble.
Rectangular in form, it consisted of three parts—a lower solid storey, the tombchamber, with three friezes of sculpture on each side ; above this a magnificent
colonnade of 36 Ionic columns arranged in rows of six ; surmounting this colonnade and crowning the whole, a solid pyramid of twenty-four steps, each step
narrowing concentrically towards the apex. On the platform at the apex stood
a colossal group of statuary, the work of Scopas himself. It consisted of a
chariot or quadriga, to which were yoked four horses : heroic figures of Mausoleus and Artemisia stood in the quadriga. The total height of the structure
was 140 feet. The most marvellous feature was the impression of lightness it
conveyed—the massive pyramid supported on slender columns, gleaming white
against the blue dEgean sky seemed to float in air. Around the lower storey
the three friezes ran, each rhythmically sculptured in bright colours—blue background, pink, flesh, white, green, and gold draperies—each frieze pure artistry
in marble. At various points around the lowest platform were equestrian groups
and superb lion-figures. This glorious symbol of a consuming grief was incomplete at Artemisia's death in 352 B.C., but Scopas and his fellow artists,
out of sheer pride in their masterpiece, completed it for the admiration of the
world.
The tomb survived undamaged till the fifteenth century, when the Knights
of St. John occupied Halicarnassus and pillaged it to supply material for their
fortress of St. Peter. By the time of Suleiman the Magnificent's expedition
against the Knights in 1472, the Mausoleum was in ruins. Now its only
remains are in the British Museum. The quadriga and horses are practically
intact; portion of the friezes were recovered also. Beside these, in a special
room in the Museum, stand the sadly-damaged statues of Artemisia and Mausoleus in attitudes of quiet dignity.
From Halicarnassus, fancy takes one to Olympia, where the great games
of ancient Greece were held, to there behold the Olympian Zeus, a wonder
of the world. A superb Doric temple, the exterior glorified by the sculpture
of Pw.onius and Alcimenes, housed this gigantic statue, which sat enthroned
NEWMAN
49
within. Grote says of it : "This stupendous work, 60 feet high, of ivory and
gold, embodied in visible majesty some of the grandest conceptions of Greek
poetry and religion. Its effect upon the minds of all beholders was such as
never has been, and probably never will be, equalled in the annals of art."
Sculptured by Pheidias, the greatest sculptor of ancient Greece, it was chryselephantine-Lthe flesh was of ivory, the draperies of gold. The Zeus was seated
on a cedar-wood throne, mounted on a raised platform of gold. Crowned with
olive and garbed in a golden chlamys, it carried in its right hand a winged
statue of Victory, and in its left a sceptre surmounted by an eagle. The feet
were shod with golden sandals and rested on a golden footstool. The throne
was adorned with gold and jewels, ivory and ebony, and paintings from the
hand of Paowtms, the brother of Pheidias. The amazing grandeur of the
statue, its superb aspect of divinity, held the Greek world spellbound—to them
it seemed that the Father of the Gods and Lord of the World had descended
upon the earth. The fate of the statue is unknown; it probably perished in
one of the periodic earthquakes which shook Greece in those days. The site
of the temple is still in evidence, and serves as a museum for great Greek
sculpture.
The mighty lighthouse of Alexandria was erected at the order of Ptolemy
Philadelphus by Sostratus of Cnidos. It was built about 300 B.C.; on the
island of Pharos, which was connected to the mainland by a great causeway,
which now serves as the core of a populous isthmus. The Pharos of Alexandria, the prototype of all lighthouses, was inscribed: "Sostratus of Cnidos, to
the Saviour Gods, for all who travel by sea." It was 450 feet high and its
light was visible 40 miles at sea. It was built in the form of a huge tower, 100
feet square, much in the style of a modern New York skyscraper—with which
it would have compared quite favourably in height. The tower was square
for 300 feet, and then occurred a huge platform, from which the lofty circular
tower rose. At the summit a great brazier was kept burning night and day.
The fuel was conveyed to the summit by means of a gently-sloping ramp in
the interior. In the early phases of the Mohammedan conquest in the seventh
century, the Pharos was still intact; the attention of the Arabs was particularly
struck by the great mirror used to reflect the beams of the brazier. Sostratus, therefore, anticipated the modern usage of mirrors in lighthouses ; indeed, the Pharos was the most powerful beacon up till modern times. It was
maintained in good condition by the Arabs until the tenth century, when the
cupidity of the Caliph Al-Walid, whose imagination had been fired by rumours
of buried treasure, caused portion of the tower to be dismantled. Subsequently,
it became a mosque. Alexandria was deserted by the Arabs at the end of the
tenth century. The lighthouse was still standing in the fourteenth century,
despite 300 years' neglect. In 1375 it was hurled into the sea by an earthquake.
In ancient days, a journey up the coast of Asia-Minor brought one inevitably to Ephesus, the greatest of the ionic cities. Here stood the far-famed
temple of Artemis—more commonly known by her Latin name of Diana—
which was the envy of all the cities of the ancient world. It was built on the
site of several previous temples, of which the fifth had been erected by the
generosity of Crcesus, whose name has passed into the language as a symbol
of fabulous wealth. This temple was burnt down in 356 B.C. by Herostratus,
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The
whose sole object was to immortalise his name by this wanton arson.
Ephesians were undaunted, and set about the erection of a temple to their goddess-mother, which was to be the cynosure of all eyes. Dimocrates, architect
of Alexander the Great, and father of that Sostratus who built the the Pharos
of Alexandria, prepared the plans. The ladies of Ephesus gave their jewels ;
all the kings of the world presented columns sculptured by the greatest artists
of the day. Alexander offered to bear the whole cost of the temple, if he were
allowed to be named as dedicator, but the Ephesians refused, saying that it
was not meet for one god to dedicate to another. Scopas was the mastersculptor, the same Scopas who immortalised the Mausoleum. The temple,
standing on a raised platform, was 133 yards long by 70 yards broad. According to Pliny, it contained a hundred columns, 36 of which were sculptured at
the base. A double row of columns flanked each side, each 60 feet high. This
superb temple was not built of the dazzling white marble, of which one is
accustomed to think of Greek temples, for it glittered with all the colours,
metals and marbles of actuality. The soaring Ionic facade fronting on to the
grand square astounded even that soberest of critics, Pausanias, who declared.
it "to surpass every structure raised by human hands." The inspiration—the
dedicatory goddess was not the Diana of Greece, but the Asiatic Diana—
Artemis, the many-breasted, the goddess of fertility, "the mother of all." The
temple was the centre of all the great festivals of the Asiatic States. It had
special celibate priests and priestesses, and offered asylum to fugitives. It was
a treasury and a bank, and possessed vast revenues. It was a museum containing many priceless works of art.
This great edifice stood for some centuries, growing yearly in wealth and
reputation. It was before the same temple that St. Paul preached, and the
silversmiths aroused the people against him, crying: "Great is Diana of the
Ephesians." It was extant in 262 A.D., when it was sacked by the Goths, but
it continued to exist till the Edict of Theodosius in 392, which closed all pagan
temples. Then its stone served to build the cathedral of St. John Theologos,
now a ruin. Before the Ottoman conquest, the ruins of the once-gorgeous
temple of Artemis lay buried 50 feet below the silt of the changed bed of the
River Caystrus.
In 312 B.C., Ptolemy Soter, father of Ptolemy Philadelphus, who caused
the erection of the Alexandrian Pharos, became involved in a war with Antigonus of Macedon. The people of the island of Rhodes rallied to the side o ►f
Ptolemy—Rhodes was a great city in those days. Antigonus despatched his
son, Demetrius, with 370 ships and 40,000 men to besiege Rhodes. For
twelve months he laid siege to it, and such was his zeal and resource that he
earned the name of Poliorcetes—the besieger. Ptolemy came to the rescue of
the Rhodians, and forced the Macedonians to withdraw. The overjoyed people
conferred on Ptolemy the title of "Soter"—the saviour—and commemorated
their deliverance by the erection of a colossal statue of Helios, the Sun-god,
the patronal deity of Rhodes. The casting of the statue from the metal left
behind by Demetrius after the siege was entrusted to Chares, the Lindian,
favourite pupil of Lysippus, the sculptor of Alexander the Great. For twelve
years Chares laboured on the Colossus. The Apollo was an immense nude
form, draped on one shoulder, the right hand outstretched in a gesture of salutation : the noble head was crowned with the rays of the sun and gazed con-
THE COLLEGE.
1. Sunlight and Shadow.
2. A View from Queen's. 3. On a Frosty Morn.
PUPS
PS WON III RING THE YEAR.
THE RECTOR'S MEDAL, WON BY MR. JAMES TER \
.
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51
It was erected on the harbourtemplatively over the blue Mediterranean.
mole of Rhodes, and towered to the height of 250 feet. The mediaeval belief
that it stood astride the harbour is without foundation :
"He doth bestride the narrow world
Like a Colossus; and we petty men
Walk under his huge legs and peep about
To find ourselves dishonourable graves."
The huge legs were strengthened with masonry to afford adequate support for
the body. When the Colossus was complete, and stood in all its glory of shining
bronze towering above the temples and streets of Rhodes, it was hailed as the
most perfect model of the human form ever fashioned, and the Greeks were
exacting critics in these matters. Unfortunately, the Colossus only stood for
56 years, for in 224 B.C. it was flung into the harbour by an earthquake. Here
Pliny saw it, and he says : "Few men can clasp the thumb in both arms, and
the fingers are larger than most statues." The enormous fragments were not
removed till A.D. 656, when the Saracens captured Rhodes and sold the remains as old metal to a Jew, who employed 900 camels to carry them away.
Such was the end of the Colossus of Rhodes, doubtless reconverted to engines
of war from which it was fashioned.
These seven great marvels, which elicited such admiration from the ancient
world, give some insight into the great civilisations that are perished in the
dust. They occupied a definite place in the itinerary of every cultured Greek :
and even to-day the glamour of these wonders fires the imagination, taking
one's fancy back "to the glory that was Greece, and the grandeur that was
Rome."
—F.J.S.
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NEWMAN
Crhe Buccaneers
"Fifteen men on a dead man's chest,
Yo ho and a bottle of rum !"
Buccaneer—the mere mention of the word calls to mind those romances
which we read in our childhood, the pages of which told of gory deeds of
valour and cowardice under the skull and crossbones—books, indeed, which
we will never read again, but which gave a measure of enjoyment never
to be experienced again in our reading of the future.
To the general reader the word "buccaneer" is synonymous with pirate.
This view, however, is erroneous, for the Buccaneers form a distinct movement in history, their story constitutes an historical period, and they have
an important historical significance. This does not mean that the romance
which has grown up around the name is mere fiction or even exaggerated
fiction, for it is true that the buccaneering period constitutes no mean part
of that atmosphere of romance and adventure which surrounds early
American history and which extends from the Arctic voyages in the north
to the rounding of Cape Horn in the south. But though their methods were
the same, the Buccaneers were not strictly pirates, as will be made obvious
from the following considerations.
The existence of the Buccaneers was a natural consequence of the
proclamation of Spanish monopoly in the New World. Fabulous reports of
gold found by the Spaniards in America attracted many foreigners to the
New World, where they settled on the islands of the Spanish Main, especially
in that part of Hispaniola deserted by the Spaniards. Here in a short
time they managed to build up a considerable trade in meat, sugar and
tobacco. They were interlopers in that they resisted the Spanish claims
of monopoly.
Now, the natives had a method of curing meat which the French
described as the boucan method, from which we get boucanier and in turn
buccaneer. So that except for a few pirates—Englishmen, by the way—
they lived a comparatively peaceful life. Indeed, they seem to have led
an ideal life. For months at a time they would roam in the interior hunting
wild cattle ; then they would return to the coast, sell their cured meat and
drink wine on the proceeds till the latter became exhausted.
What prophesied their future life was a brilliant Spanish raid staged
at a time when the majority of the community was on the hunt, and which
majority resulted in a few hundreds being killed. This roused the Buccaneers
into activity. They became an organised body under a series of brilliant
leaders, and anything Spanish—ship, village, or city—was attacked with great
ferocity. In other words, the two principles clashed—the Spanish claim to
monopoly and the Buccaneers to freedom of trade, and the clash took the
form of open war.
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These Buccaneers were not paragons of culture and gentility ; they were
adventurers, and this rendered their activities cruel and bloody. It is this
fact which has made for them the place in fiction which they occupy. But,
still, we must recognise that they were not much worse than their opponents,
the Spanish, who had specific orders to shoot a Buccaneer on sight. It
must also be remembered that the Buccaneers—sometimes positively, but
always negatively—had their respective national Governments behind them,
especially the French and the English ; and again, unlike the pirates, they
attacked the possessions of Spain exclusively, troubling no other nation.
Their organisation forms an interesting study. On a proposal to attack
any town the whole community congregated at Tortuga, where a leader
was chosen. Then the objectives were discussed. Spoil was proportionately divided, and recompense was offered for the loss of a limb or an
eye. If there was no spoil, which was seldom, the "no prey, no pay" law
operated. Each man had a companion, with whom he shared all and to
whom he bequeathed all on his death. And, curiously enough, on Sundays
the English went to divine service, the French to Mass ; and gaming,
drunkenness and vice were forbidden by law.
A series of three great leaders further concentrated the organisation of
the Buccaneers and paved the way for the greatest of them all—Henry
Morgan. Francois L'011onais was remarkable for his cruelty. One of his
favourite methods was to strip a man, tie his feet to his hands, and suspend
him from a branch of a tree. Then, having placed a huge stone on his
stomach, the Buccaneers would tickle him with burning bushes. L'011onais
was so hated that when captured by the natives of Nicaragua he was torn
limb from limb.
Henry Morgan executed a series of very effective raids on Spanish
towns. He attained great fame, and Masefield tells us, "when Captain
Morgan's ships came flaunting into harbour with colours flying there was
a rustle in the land and stir in the heart of every publican." The feat on
which his fame mostly depends was a magnificent attack on the city of
Panama. He had but to mention this intention to cause to congregate at
Tortuga a party of two thousand men with thirty-seven ships. To arrive
at Panama a march across the narrow strip of land to the Pacific was necessary. The Spanish had heard of Morgan's aim, so all the towns and villages
between the Atlantic and the Pacific were deserted, the foodstuffs carried away, and the crops destroyed. Morgan, relying on raiding for food
supply, was thus placed in a quandary. The difficulties of the march were
great enough under any circumstances, but with an inadequate food supply
they were accentuated immeasurably. Hunger and delirium raged among
the men, but still Morgan did not turn back, and it is a great tribute to
Morgan as a leader, and to the Buccaneers as an organisation, that the
march was completed without any internal dissension or disorder. Remarkable as was this great achievement, it was perhaps superseded by the victory
of the Savamus. On a rolling green plain which lay in front of the
city the starved Buccaneers, by dogged determination and capable leadership, completely annihilated a troop of Spanish cavalry which had gathered
at Panama to meet them, and then caused the infantry to retreat in great
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NEWMAN
confusion. And this against overwhelming odds ! Soon "the city which
for a century and a half had been the richest and most sumptuous city in
the New World" was in a state of plunder and destruction.
On his return Morgan, having cheated his men of the spoils, gave up
the profession and became the Governor of Jamaica, and, if you please, Sir
Henry Morgan !
And here endeth the tale of the Buccaneers. Morgan, as we have said,
was knighted ; the leaders of the next expedition—that in which Dampier
took part—were tried for piracy. The contrast reveals the facts. Spain
had become allied to the Protestant Powers. The monopoly now existed
only in theory. The work of the Buccaneers was done, and Governments
were no longer willing to recognise them. Their historical significance
lies in the fact that they contributed to the break-up of the Spanish monopoly
in the New World.
C. G. H.
Visitors
Newman arouses the critical interest of many, especially visitors from
overseas. The originality of the architecture, the dominating use of receding planes as ornament, the graceful spire-capped dome, the converging
wings, arrest the attention of the visitor. Each year brings new visitors to
partake of Newman hospitality. This year our visitors have been mostly
from other Universities. The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Tasmania, accompanied by Professor Gunn, of Melbourne, called on the Rector
in the early part of the year.
Dr. Lodewyck introduced a visitor from the United States—Professor
Kenneth Bissell, who occupies the chair of French at the University of
Southern California. The Government Petrologist and Professor J. A. Fitzherbert, who is Professor of Classics in the Adelaide University ; the Rev.
Fr. O'Grady, the Superior of the Salesian College at Sunshine—"Rupertswood"; and M. Pierre Remond, a well-known barrister from Paris, were
other welcome guests.
The 1929 Rhodes scholars for Queensland and New Zealand—Messrs.
J. C. Mahoney and E. F. Bailey—called prior to their embarkation for England and Oxford.
Another New Zealander, Mr. C. Logie McLeod, was the guest of the
College during his stay in Melbourne. He was a member of the New
Zealand Universities' debating team which was so successful over Melbourne.
Our most recent visitor was his Lordship the Vicar-Apostolic of Hiroshima, Japan—Dr. J. Ross, S.J.---who is visiting Australia.
"IP
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55
Literarq mania
"Blessings be with them and eternal praise,
Who gave us nobler loves and nobler cares;
The poets who on earth have made us heirs
Of truth and pure delight by heavenly lays."
—Wordsworth.
Aristotle was deeply troubled ! In strict fact, that worthy philosopher
has nothing to do with this article, but a poor vagabond of an author must
begin in some fashion, and surely he will be forgiven if he does so "magni
nominis umbra"—using as a decoy the name of the illustrious ; and, on the
other hand, pray do not let it cloud your mind with dire forebodings anent
philosophy and the paths therefore. Search ye not here for sense, plain
and common or ornate and word-bedewed. This is the feast of folly untroubled by shades of Berkely or stout McDoodle.
The only sensible thought in this article—and we rejoice thereat—you
will find in the first four lines, and, like the election letters in our careful
contemporaries, the responsibility rests on the signature at the foot. There
is no responsibility in this farrago : it is the reign of folly and the rule of
the irresponsible. In spite of this, perchance, you will resolve to read it.
So be it. Let me inform you I have a grievance ; further, that I intend to
air it. Now read if you will. I did not want you to read it. I did not
want to write it ; but let me explain.
Some years ago a famous Australian character, in expressive if inelegant diction, summed up his idea of a famous Italian character thus :
" The play was writ be Shakespeare years ago
About a barmy goat called Romeo."
These are my sentiments : For the heroes and heroines of fiction, with
one exception, I have an unutterable aversion. The one exception, I must
admit in deference to your curiosity, is the hero of the book I intend to
write shortly—my autobiography. Heroes and their female counterparts
are divided into two classes—the improbable and the impossible. Let us
dissect them in true motley fashion.
The fiction I refer to is principally the modern library—that is, the
fiction read by eighty per cent. of the reading world. So with a sneer or
two at bygone fiction—classical, I presume, after a certain maturity—let
us pass on. Dickens coddles his divinities the while apologising for them.
Thackeray throws an occasional cynicism at his darlings, which is only a
subtle method of enlisting your sympathy on their behalf. Plaster saints
look pale beside the creations of George Eliot. Sterne, Smollet and Goldsmith playfully berate their darlings, thus better to secure the reaction of
your feeling. 'Tis thus with all of them—Scott, Richardson, Austen, Fielding,
the Brontes, Trollope, Stevenson. Concerning their creatures, they all
suffered from the same disease as Pope prateth :
"'Tis with our judgments, as our watches, none
Go just alike, yet each believes his own."
So much for bygone fiction.
56
NEW MAN
Thus wearily meandering, we come to the sense of nonsense, the kernel
of this article : heroes and hero-worship and the hideous voodooism of
"best seller" idolatry. Take the insipid agglomerations of near human
qualities called the leading characters. Is anything more despairing than
these attempts to portray life as it is? Poor, stiff marionettes ! True, in
some books, by means of an overload of hectic irregularities and a label
of modernity, an attempt is made to portray life, which results in an
impression of the galvanising of an artist's model and yields life only in the
grotesque. The leading characters of to-day—characters sans character—
are insults to public intelligence. They are lifeless, machine-made, the
product of the present-day atmosphere of mass production. Neither hero
nor heroine ever once betrays the slightest sign of doing the unexpected.
Everyone knows, long before "Finis" is reached, that eventually they will
swear eternal fidelity, be divorced, and live happily ever after, despite the
machinations of the villain or equally well-meant attentions from relations
and the rest. The heroine, destined from chapter I. to monotonous happiness
or beatific unhappiness or the thrills of martyrdom, can do no wrong save
hate her husband—the only sensible thing she does. Even that she spoils by
apologising for it.
I would issue a guide book whereby any person of sound mind and
bodily health—or, indeed, anyone at all, for that matter—could, instead of
absorbing the vapid outpourings of a paid hack, emit vapid outpourings
of his own. Supposing one desires a novel, why not enjoy the delights of
reproduction and make one of your own ? Suppose you desire a Wallatian
thriller, a Mackenzie composite, a Dellsian idyll, or a Sabatini hotchpotch.
Proceed as follows if you desire, say, the thriller :—
Take a simple and obvious fact—the more simple and obvious the
better, as so much greater will be the insult to your dear public. Take
this :
" I, said the sparrow, with my bow and arrow
I killed cock robin."
Cock robin is dead, indisputably defunct. You may kill him when, how
and where you please, preferably in the first three chapters, but dead he is!
The sparrow killed him, but you cannot act as informer. That's where you
get your story from. The possession of this secret gives you a delightful
sensation of crowing superciliousness enabling you to write yards and
yards of opening rhapsody. Now, in the second place, Sparrow must have
had a reason. This is not really necessary, but you can please yourself.
Therefore, you can take Robin or Sparrow, or both, or their ancestors to
the ends of the earth—Greenland, Alice Springs, or Heligoland—and give
them a Past. Sundry references to this past, brimming with mystery, form
the first part of your story, the thread of the great Romance running through
it the while. You have at your disposal Monkish legends, moneylenders'
bizarre locks, prison records, quaint ledgers and architectural abortions.
I mentioned the Romance. Ah ! much can be made of this. The
Detective—I blush to call him such—presents the physical attractions of
Adonis, the mind of Sherlock Holmes, the ubiquity of Monsieur Houdini,
and the impression of an Oxford accent driven home by a Bond-street
NEWMAN
57
wardrobe. Thus the He. The Her may be any female, young and pretty
withal, with an infinite capacity for being rescued and a faultless technique.
Now comes the interesting part of your work. Take Mrs. Sparrow : let her
be kidnapped when a child, disguised as a boy ; give "him" a job in the wild
manse, where she must disguise herself as a parlour maid, and let her
simmer. The first chapter rises on the simmering, and you unfold her story
in the last. Now you must procure a secret organisation—which is all the
time a public institution—complete with code books, passwords, hidden
doors, all strictly this year's model. A philanthropist must be provided for
this organisation—a man of blameless life. Of course, he is not really, but
you tell the public that. If possible, arrange at least half a dozen murders,
attempted or consummated, on the part of the philanthropist, who, though
present, never incurs the slightest suspicion save by the detective, who in
the last chapter says, "I told you so !"
Then you begin your preparation to identify Sparrow with the dismissed
secretary of the millionaire, who is really Sparrow's foster-father, who is
the philanthropist and a former husband of the sister of the woman who
was mother to Mrs. Sparrow. Then you reveal that the true criminal—of
course, in the last chapter—amongst all the suspects with which you have
cleverly befooled your reader is the half-wit sister of the philanthropist—
actually the grandmother disguised as a pageboy of the Mrs. Sparrow who
was kidnapped. A few discrepancies add a touch of genius and heighten
the mystery. You need attempt no explanation ; it is not the thing in a
mystery thriller. Then you need only sort out the principal characters—
the detective and Miss Sparrow, Robin—or what you will, swear eternal
fidelity, are divorced, and live according to the best traditions.
The criminals, if they do not get their deserts, are exploded, shot, mutilated,
burnt, drowned, hanged, or commit suicide. Be careful to make the death
of the philanthropist horrible yet heroic. So, remember, write your last
chapter first. It is your piece de resistance—your whole story, in fact.
Take care of this, and those that go before will follow on. Study crime
and you will never buy another thriller.
Dear Lord, what fools these mortals be ! These productions are all
the same.
"Lord Fanny spins a thousand such a day."
Take Mackenzie, for example. Turn out what you want, with local variations to suit yourself, in this manner :—
McKenzie : Psycho-analysis—Good girl gone bad—regone good. Hero
—Oxford—"bloody." Strong Freudian spotlight. Three vols.
600 pages. Morality.
And thus the whole of them.
Thus, you see how blind we are to the evil tide of literary influence
which weighs us down. Can we not see that our idols of fiction are idols
of fiction—idols with feet of clay and heads of wood ?
PERSONA RIDENS.
58
NEWMAN
Albert Power Debating Socieli
Its
The A.P.D.S. in the past has been a highly successful society.
men have represented the University in inter-'Varsity and international
contests—men who by their brilliant speaking have brought prestige for
Newman in the debating world. We, the committee of 1929, admit freely
that in brilliance of oratory we cannot approach the glory of our predecessors, but we do assert that we have maintained the standard handed down
to us and have preserved Newman's debating prestige.
Within the College great interest was taken in the debates, which
were numerous ; without the College we contributed largely to the meetings
of the M.U.D.S. both in speakers and onlookers. Indeed, one of our
members (Mr. Tehan) led the University team in the inter-'Varsity debates
at Hobart, led the Collegiate team against the extra-Collegiates, and also
one of the 'Varsity teams against the New Zealand Universities' combination. For these honours we offer him our sincerest congratulations.
The president for 1929 was Mr. J. Tehan, the secretary Mr. G. Heffey,
and the committeemen were Messrs. Munday, King and O'Leary. The
objects of the committee were threefold—to maintain the society's debating prestige, to maintain the society's independence, and to increase the
number of debates. With regard to the last of these three, we were
enabled to hold six College debates in addition to the two inter-Collegiate
debates.
Variety has characterised both the form of the debates and the nature
of the subjects during 1929. Subjects ranged from "The Transport
Workers' Act" to "Is Alcohol a Blessing?" The form of the debates were
also varied. We held two fixed debates—one most successful impromptu,
one trilogy ; one programme consisting of two debates—one two-aside and
the other one-aside ; and, finally, a fixed debate with the Newman Society.
In general the debates proved so interesting that the number wishing to
speak ex corona was exceedingly large ; indeed, so large that a time limit
had to be placed on the length of such speeches.
Many bright incidents occurring at the debates are likely to make
some of our meetings of 1929 memorable. At the first inter-Collegiate
debate one of the Trinity speakers was interrupted by a panic which spread
throughout the audience. No doubt he thought it was a demonstration
against him, but soon it transpired that everybody except the secretary
and the speaker had observed that the secretary's gown had by a cigarette
butt been caused to smoulder, which smouldering was fast growing into a
goodly flame. The audience as a whole rushed the secretary, extinguished
the fire, and the debate proceeded peacefully.
At the Newman Society debate our usually efficient fireplace
failed for once to demonstrate its capacity for causing the smoke
to go up the chimney, with the result that the common room
was flooded with pungent fumes. The fire was put out, but an enthusiast
NEWMAN
59
tried to put it out better. The aim was admirable but the result lamentable for the coals burst once more into flames, and smoke continued to
issue from the fireplace. An otherwise interesting debate was marred by
the fact that most of the audience listened to the debate with their eyes shut
—a truly humorous situation, but one which, strangely enough, didn't appeal
to us at the time.
Occasionally our meetings are honoured by casual visits from the
medicos, who with cold dignity and stern critical eye sit silent throughout
the debate. This tradition was broken down this year when the discussion
on alcohol roused them from their slumbers. Unintelligible formulae
floated through the peaceful, undeserving atmosphere of the common room,
and no sooner did one speaker finish than another jumped up from his seat to
have his word. The debate proved a trifle unruly, but still it did our hearts
good to see these rising young doctors interesting themselves in one of the
nobler pursuits of the intellectual—public speaking, mark you, not alcohol !
Our first inter-Collegiate debate was against Trinity at home. We
were fortunate in securing as adjudicator Mr. A. H. Clerke, president of
the M.U.D.S. Our team—Messrs. Tehan, Moroney, Stevenson and
Sullivan—succeeded in gaining the victory over Trinity by 312 to
295 points in an interesting debate on "That the centralisation of
political power in the Commonwealth Government is in the best interests
of Australia." In the debate against Queen's, however, our opponents
gained a narrow margin over our team—Messrs. Tehan, Stevenson, Moroney
and McNiff—on the proposition "That the increasing independence of
women is a menace to civilisation." Though the decision went against us
on one occasion, our men spoke exceedingly well, and the society congratulates them on their efforts.
There was an enthusiastic gathering at the annual meeting, at which
the Rector distributed the prizes for 1929. The Rector's medal for 1929 has
gone very deservedly to Mr. L. A. Moroney, who has been one of the most
enthusiastic debaters for the past three or four years. The most improved
speaker's prize went to Mr. G. Heffey, and the freshman's prize to Mr.
McNiff. The society congratulates these members on their success, and
hopes that their further activities in debating will be rewarded with greater
results.
The committee for 1930 has been elected as follows :—President, Mr.
G. Heffey ; secretary, Mr. R. O'Loughlin ; and Messrs. Mclnerny, O'Leary,
and Triado. We wish the incoming committee every success, and hope that
Newman's place in debating will continue to improve during 1930.
In conclusion, we wish to acknowledge our great debt to the Rector,
and thank him most cordially for his interest in the society, and particularly his demonstration of that interest in the provision of prizes. We also
desire to thank Fr. Ryan and Mr. J. O'Driscoll for their kindly and effective
criticism, and the matron for her provision of suppers, which have contributed largely to our enjoyment of debating occasions.
60
NEWMAN
St. Vincent de Paul Societq
The year 1929 has been quite a busy and successful one for the Society,
and throughout all three terms the members have been most enthusiastic
in their duties, which have become rather more active and practical since
we took our place in the Catholic Seamen's Mission. Last year introduced
a new era into the Conference when we started our work with the seamen
"down at the boats," and this year the work done by the Brothers has been
equally as good in all respects.
We were rather late in calling our first meeting for the year, which
was held on April 21 in the Lecture Hall, ten members attending. Fr.
Wilfred Ryan, S.J., as spiritual director, gave the Brothers quite an interesting talk on the good work that was done by the Society in the poor districts
of the city, and also added that the activities of this Conference were followed with great interest by the rest of the Society.
The election of office-bearers for the year resulted as follows :—Spiritual
director, Fr. Wilfred Ryan, S.J.; president, Bro. T. J. Lee ; vice-president,
Bro. W. E. Fitzgerald ; treasurer, Bro. M. McInerny ; secretary, Bro. F. W.
Dixon. A motion of appreciation of the good work done by Bro. Biggins
for the Society was proposed and seconded. We were very sorry indeed
to lose so valuable a member from the Conference, and wish him every
success in his course.
The new members to the Conference this year were Bros. Flynn,
Delaney, Gargon, Prendergast, Mulcahy and Triado. These Brothers
during the past year carried out their duties with great zeal, and were a
valuable addition to the ranks of the Society.
A most interesting matter to report is the correspondence the Conference has received from the Beagle Bay Mission. This body is doing wonderful work among the natives in Western Australia, and, judging by the
letters we have from the school children, they are to be highly commended
for their labours, which are giving such excellent results.
The number of boats visited this year up to the present time is in the
region of 50, and many seamen have been taken to Mass by the motor 'bus
in company with the Brothers of the Conference. This work of the Seamen's Mission is our chief activity, and the weekly reports given by the
Brothers at each Sunday meeting are quite interesting, due to the various
nationalities among the crews and the difficulty one experiences in making
oneself understood.
The members of the Conference take this opportunity to offer their
sincere congratulations to Bros. T. J. Lee and W. E. Fitzgerald on successfully completing their Medical course, and wish them every success for the
future.
NEWMAN
61
The Annual Retreat this year was held on Sunday, October 13, and
quite a good number attended each instruction. Fr. Boylan kindly gave his
time and services for the day, and the College is indebted to him for such
an interesting series of lectures and thanks him for coming and giving his
time to make the Retreat such a success.
The treasurer reports quite a successful year, and we thank the men
of the College for their donations on Sunday mornings, which, no matter
how small, are always useful and help the Conference discharge their
financial obligations and still have a small balance, which always can be
used in many different ways among the poor.
We hope that the Conference will continue in its good work in the
Seamen's Mission in the future, and that next year will bring still more
members to help in the activities of the Society, which grow slowly but
surely year by year.
F. W. D.
62
NEWMAN
St mar's Hall Notes
I shall begin by congratulating Gwen Keane on obtaining final honours
in Arts, and Katrin Lube for carrying off the exhibition in German with what
she tells us was no effort ; and also Dr. Eileen Murphy, who adds her name
to the Hall's list of doctors, who upholds the honour of the Murphys, and
who addresses us henceforth as "You kids."
Very interesting new people arrived this year. I shall present a mere
live portrait of each :-First, our Tasmanian who does journalism. She is a blonde, and has a
fascinating little nose.
Next we have one Jean, who follows Kathleen Lyon's footsteps. We
are not worried about that, as Kath.'s footsteps up to date have all been on
the straight and narrow path. Jean has the voice of the Hall and its best
laugh.
We have Lucy, who rolls up her sleeves with a clatter to go at it. She
does Science. She is also an artist, and in our picture gallery we have her
fine painting of a bold and bloody pirate.
May I present Hazel, who has cut off her raven locks. Why, no one
knows. She is from the West, and, like our other Westerners, a musician
to her finger-tips, of course.
Then there is Eileen, who is also doing journalism and who dresses
her hair in a fashion which she alone can sometimes wear successfully.
Next comes Clare, sister to Molly. She is a brunette, and graces the Hall
well. Rumour has it that next year she intends to do a course.
Then there is Marg, whom we decided to treat as a senior because of
those tutorials she had to attend. The committee felt it would be more
decorous. M. is our authority on the Bible—on the law of the land, of
course. She also explains intricacies in the law of the Church.
The Hall this year has sailed on a more or less even keel. No great
persons have descended upon us. There have been several small dances,
one of which was quite a novelty. The newcomers, fresh from adventure
books, turned our dear, sedate common room into a pirate ship, and invited
their guests to come dressed as pirates. They would even have asked us
to sit on beer casks between dances if "the powers that be" did not intervene, with Tony to the rescue. The dance was a great success, and the
freshers made splendid hostesses. They desire to thank Mr. O'D. for
making announcements for them, also for offering to place "the law on their
side" with regard to Tony's action.
NEWMAN
63
Nov it is third term, and, though the crazy pavements are artistic, they
are rather suggestive. "Ziska" is what we may decidedly call swatting—
not flies, for there are no flies on "Ziska," but Anatomy. "Ziska" is now
secretary to the St. Mary's Hall Club—a stalwart secretary—to keep our
wayward youth in order. Eileen Sullivan and Noreen Rice are also on the
committee. Like the old guardians of the law, they were not only chosen
for their wit and tact, but for their size.
We appreciate very much the resident Italian professor, who tends the
garden and furnace in his leisure hours.
I must relate an incident which could have led to dire results. One
morning we found in the back corner of the garden that large pieces of
marble and granite had been deposited. Our minds were atuned to the
hold-ups that were happening every night, and it was decided that some
robber had used our College as a place of concealment for his loot. At once
the police force arrived—secret men and men in uniform, men with notebooks, and men with magnifying glasses. A very thorough investigation
was made, finger-prints were taken, and also footprints. Our geologist was
also brought on the scene, but her University course did not provide for
recent horizons. The force was baffled. The people in Les Brussomettes
locked their doors and said their night prayers fervently. Kit Feely was
seen to look under her bed before retiring, and Sheila wandered round with
a shin-bone. That was Friday. On Monday the Hall's major domo was
seen arranging the slabs artistically on the paths.
I must not forget to say we enjoyed the debates to which our brothers
invited us, and it is such a pity that rain can be so wet.
1929, on the whole, has been a happy year, though uneventful ; but it
was necessary that the Hall should rest after the events of last year.
MARY ROSE.
64
NEWMAN
1)alete
" They have always been true
To the Red, Black and Blue ;
Write their names up in letters of gold."
Bernard Arthur, 1925-28 ("Slab"). Looked after the scholastic side
of the College. A great trier, and made the big team in '27-'28. Helped
the Blacks to the premiership in 1928. Builds bridges.
Ed. ("Snow") Bannon, M.B., B.S. Our own "Ginger Meggs," 192328. Keen footballer, but extra weight kept him behind. Captained 2nd
XVIII. G.C. for various terms. Ran socials, women, etc. Threw a mean
party ; radiated sunshine and happiness.
Max Biggins, 1926-28 ("Professor"). Too busy to stop long. Famous
indoor sport—cake-eater. Continuing course as extra.
John Bleazby, 1927-28 ("Goosy"). Loved by all who knew him. A
stout fellow. Sinker and how. Famous for his long jump—from the
parapet.
Elwood Byron. Entered College 1925. Making good pace now.
"Darky" to all. A notable handicap runner. Keen on walking; very keen
on ski-ing. Med. 4 now.
Eric Cardiff, 1926-28. The original "Basher." Billy Mc. made the pace
too hot, and both fizzled out. Too tired. Dabbled in football and running.
Now finishing Engineering in peace and quiet.
Austin Dalton, L.D.S., B.D.Sc. Entered College 1923.
Took things
"Arker" throughout Australia. Excellent footballer
quietly—sometimes.
and oarsman. Represented Victoria in amateur football. Concerned in
many incidents—oats, Melba Hall, commencement, Adelaide. In practice
at Port Fairy ; doing well and visits town, and then some.
Frank Donoghue, M.B., B.S., 1923-28.
Ran through Med. in great
style. 1st VIII. until tired. Well known as Carlton footballer—dasher,
mystery kick. Smoked O.P. At Homcepathic. Plays for Prahran.
Gavan Donoghue, L.D.S., B.D.Sc., 1925-28. A hard worker and a fine
chap. Made the crew in 1928. Captain of Boats, 1927, and made the
Regatta a success.
Gerald Duane. Arrived in 1926.
In everything, knew everything.
"Buck." Coxed the crew for years. Played hockey, baseball, kept
wickets. Departed to continue Med. as an extra. Brought fame to University by coxing crew to victory this year. Keenness rewarded.
Frank Egan, LL.B. Burst in in 1925. A human dynamo. Captained
2nd XVIII. to victory, 1927. Treasurer, 1928. Basket-ball team, 1928.
Cheer leader. Very popular with fair sex—invented the woo. Has now
assumed control of B.I.O., after having finished Law course.
NEWMAN
65
Bill Fox, 1927-28. Had too many interesting diversions to study hard.
Rowed in 1st VIII. Played billiards—very good on the pots. Put on
weight. Retired from Med.
Hubert Frederico, LL.B. Made his how in 3rd term, 1925. A stylist.
G.C., 1928. Chairman of Initiation. 1928. Very keen oarsman; stroked
crew 1927. Captain of Boats, 1926; revived rowing and organised first
Regatta. Excellent debater ; leader of team. Prominent in the social
world. Sartorial expert. Is now showing the High Court what's what.
Lavus O'C. Gorman. Arrived in 1927. Stayed till 1928. A chip off
the old block. 1st XI. We thanked his waist-line for those two catches
at point last year. Tennis and ping-pong. Thousands of novels—few
text books. Keen on torches, water-pistols and other toys.
Morris O'C. Gorman, M.B., B.S., 1923-28. "Moggy"—the only one of
his size. Better all-rounder than Lavus. Football for 2nd XVIII. Notability on the tennis court. Flagellator. Gramophone records. Watermelons.
Jack Green, I.L.B. Entered College 1925.
One of Newman's great
men. Led the extensive life. G.C. 1928. President A.P.D.S. 1928.
Famous footballer, inter-'Varsity ; kicked over 100 goals for Blacks twice.
Inter-Collegiate record, 17 goals. Excellent cricketer in inter-Collegiate;
brilliant slip fielder in Trinity match, 1928. Inter-'Varsity high-jumper.
Tennis IV. 1927. Now plays with Carlton. Articled with Captain Brew.
Frank Hayden. Arrived 1926; temporary departure 1928. "Pudge."
Shone at St.M.H. Ran first Mixed Doubles ; won it this year. Continuing
Med. 4 outside. "C" Grade tennis player. Still serving aces.
Jack Horan, LL.B.
In College 1925. 1st XI., 1st XVIII., 1925-28.
"Aths.", Tennis IV. 1928, winning Mackay Cup. Played for Blacks.
Memorable night, 1927, at Fitzroy.
Debater ; medal for most improved
speaker, 1928. Responsible for Kelly Gang, 1928.
John Horan, 1926-28. From Queensland.
Said the days were too
short here to work. The "Professor's" only rival. Excellent honours in
3rd year Med. Now at Med. 5.
Ed. Hurley, M.B., B.S.
Can't remember when he arrived. "Ric.'
Excellent footballer for years. Also cricket; captain 1926. Tennis IV.;
won first Tennis Cup. President 1927. G.C. for various terms. Often
went into hibernation. Famous for gramophone records—liked operas,
fugues and symphonies.
Fitzgerald James. Arrived 1925. Responsible for the famous quotation, "Got any ?" Smoked whenever he could get any. Silent worker.
Continuing Engineering outside.
Dave Lombard, 1926-28. A spark-plug at Initiation. Captain of Boats
1928. 1st VIII. 1928. Always a bit suspicious of the boys. Now at Eng.
fourth year as extra. Great strides at Rugby and in inter-'Varsity and
Combined 'Varsities.
66
NEWMAN
No
Bill McCormack, 1926. Special reception, which led to trouble.
See "Basher"
Made the team in 1928.
relation to "Weary Willie."
Cardiff above. Won world's sleeping contest. Popular with the ladies.
Still at the Law course. Has taken to chess, as sleep is possible between
moves.
Jack McHarg, LL.B. Arrived 1925. "Haggis." Famous for his work.
Knew everything, but rather tight. Excellent debater (inter-Collegiate
debater). Prominent social man—ask "Bas" as to his dancing ability.
Jack McAuliffe, 1927-28. "Firpo." A shrewd guy. 1st XVIII. Aths.
In inter-'Varsity football 1928. A staunch supporter of Harry, the Mystery
Man. Retired to the West.
Frank Mulcahy, 1928. A quiet youth. Prominent pianist—enlivened
Initiation. Good oarsman and silent worker. Departed all too soon.
Denis O'Brien, M.B., B.S., 1923-28. President 1928. A famous man
was "Gunga-Din." G.C. for many terms. Outstanding athlete. Gale Cup
1926, and won many quarters—inter-'Varsity, inter-Collegiate (record).
Prominent footballer for years. Provided Taboo with its annual joke.
Resident at St. Vincent's.
Darcy O'Connor, 1926-28. • Innocent youth who arrived from Queensland. Too popular with the ladies. Keen Rugby player and awarded a
Blue, 1929. Rival to Clan Robert in the handicaps. See Byron re ski-ing.
Ivon Phipps, B.A., 1924-28. The world wanderer—at last come to rest.
A philosopher—and very fond of shooting the bull. Keen tennis player.
That speech at Valete dinner !
Won Scholarships
A brilliant student.
Arthur Robinson, 1925-28.
and Exhibitions by the dozen. College tutor in Nat. Phil., but, unfortunately, inclined to hide light under a bushel. A quiet worker—T.M.G.'s
partner on Sunday afternoon. Excellent public speaker, but did not let
us know till Valete.
Len. Treadwell, B.A. Arrived 1925. A brilliant all-rounder—cricket,
football, 1925-28. Splendid performances with bat and ball. Inter-'Varsity
XVIII. 1925-28; known to the barrackers as "Cool Len." Refused to admit
"Haggis" did more work. Editor Magazine 1928. Bill Parker's party
1927. Now teaching at Koroit ; still footballing.
Harry Whitehead. The mystery man. Arrived on the quiet 1926.
Many battles with Joe M. 1st XVIII. Inter-'Varsity team 1929 (half
Blue). Inter-'Varsity Rugby team 1928, but forgot his togs. Still helps
the Blacks. Won the Cup for Prohibition essay. Is he married yet?
T he Last
Dozen.
4. In Susp ense.
NEWMAN
67
Past Students
Julian Andrews still eludes us in S.A.
Tom Bown is auctioneering at Lismore, Vic.
Sim Bray is finishing his medicine from St. Vincent's.
Bill (A. V.) Bailey, schoolmastering in some High School in the State.
Bill (H. Byron) Bailey is at the Homceopathic.
George Brew is one of Essendon's family doctors, and quite an enthusiastic Old Boy.
Ray Brew, Carlton's famous captain, and Nick O'Donohue, are well
known city solicitors, but are rarely seen at College functions.
Jack Briggs is managing a busy legal practice at Ararat, and still finds
time for wrestling and golf.
Gib. Boileau is a Mornington medico.
Vin Bullen has been to America to obtain further degrees.
Has returned, but not to Newman.
Cyril Bryan was doing hospital work in London when last heard of.
His return to Australia is eagerly awaited.
Charlie Byrne, 1922 President and football captain, is quite settled down
to Mallee life, and is not a frequent visitor to town.
Harry Barnard is another of our doctors who have found a home in the
West.
Bill Collopy, whose deeds on the sporting field and at initiation time are
still spoken of, is leading a more retired existence as a medico at Merino.
Alick Callil has forgotten his ambitions for medicine, and is now one of
our authorities on silk. Hails from Brighton, and always interested in
College news.
Jack Cullity continues to win honours at the Criminal Bar. This last
year has seen him in a number of big cases.
Jack Clarebrough has retired from the Presidency of the Old Boys'
Association, but his interest in the College and the M.U.R. is as fresh as
ever.
Tom Cleary was admitted to the Bar this year, but is waiting awhile
before setting out for himself. Still cherishes that old cherrywood.
Bill Clements is kept going settling domestic and other grievances down
at Prahran, but hasn't yet lost all interest in the turf. Has city office, too.
Leo Clinton felt that a fair partner would be of immense assistance to
him in his legal work in the city, and as business was going well, joined the
Benedicts at ''Easter.
Frank Corder is as busy as ever entertaining visiting celebrities. His
firm has been winning some publicity lately as the legal representative of
a well known inter-State weekly. Adrian Redmond is the other member.
68
NEWMAN
Tim Cotter is seldom seen, the needs of the sick at Ripponlea claiming
his exclusive care.
Alan Cussen has been seen at several College functions this year. Life
at Camberwell and a solicitor's office continues to agree with him.
Frank D'Arcy, Clyde Fenton, Tom King, Frank Niall (1929 President
of the Old Boys' Association), Kevin O'Day, Jim Pannell, and Ted Prendergast (after many years of service to College medical students) have all
trekked to England or the Continent in search of further honours. We noticed
with pleasure the success of our Old Boys' in the senior medical honour list
this year.
Frank Daffy, the "Earl of Beeac," is as reticent as ever as to his doings,
but a younger brother in College is a link with the past.
Tom Daly is quite settled to the life of a family doctor at Clifton Hill.
We wonder whether he still wears those slippers.
Frank Doherty apparently finds Bendigo's teeth a paying proposition,
for he is contemplating matrimony.
Dan ("Caesar") Donovan has moved a little closer to us, and is now
with a legal firm in Colac. Ray O'Keeffe has abandoned the Bar, and his
political aspirations for a solicitor's life in Colac, so the place must have a
reputation for litigation.
Percy Howell has returned there, too.
Jack Doyle is in the family business at Geelong. His bearing is quite
consonant with the dignity of the profession. With Jack Hase and Ted
Sullivan as John's brothers-in-law at Geelong, and Alex. Moloney at
Warrnambool, we are well represented in the Western District. Alex., by
the way, announced his engagement recently—"the last of the Romans!"
Con. Dwyer. Will someone tell us where he is ?
Len Dwyer is instructing the "young idea" out at Camberwell in the
wonders of Science, and at the University in the Science of Warfare.
Jack Ebsworth is now a "resident" at the Women's Hospital, and is
more rotund than ever.
Bill Fazio has a growing family as well as a growing practice, and is
quite used now to managing a car.
Frank Field has put up a plate out at St. Kilda, and is quite a noted
figure at and/or on suburban courts.
Jack Feely is, as ever, star-gazing at the Observatory. We have not
seen so much of him of late.
Harry Fitzpatrick was last heard of at Devonport, Tas.
The Gormans (Pat and Bryan). Pat is at Deniliquin, Bryan at
Warmatta.
Greg. Gowans, a model bachelor, finds occasional time for cards and
dancing as a break from the cares of a solicitor's office.
Tom Greening, who was reported by last year's chronicler to be 'furnishing the house," finished the job some months hack, and staged a pleasant little event in the College Chapel in the middle of the year.
Bill Grundy is as enthusiastic as ever, and was seen on the Oval at
He admired the "organisation" of the barracking.
football time.
—
—
NEWMAN
69
Leo Grogan has taken unto himself a wife, and is settled in practice at
Richmond.
Brian Glynn has been doing journalism on one of Adelaide's big dailies.
Slim as ever.
Henry Hase is one of Queensland's dentists. We offer him our sympathy on the recent death of his wife.
Jack Hayden is one of the "heads" at St. Vincent's, and has an admiring
throng at his College lectures. Announced his engagement recently.
Phil Hayes lives close by us in Parkville, and is as ready as ever as
guide, philosopher and friend.
Geoff. Hay and Carl Winter are still seeking knowledge and experience
abroad.
Jim Halloran is still in the city—he's apparently waiting for an opening
before announcing his intentions.
Eric Horning continues to win fame as a research student—still at
Sydney University.
Joe Hurley has a growing practice at East Malvern.
Mick Healy is a well known figure at the top of Collins Street.
Bert Higgins was last heard of at Oxford, but that was years ago.
Toni Hogan and Austin Hambrook.—Our plaintive appeal last year for
information remains unanswered.
John Hough is ministering to the needs of humanity some hundreds of
miles north of Perth. and occasionally looks into their big city. We wonder whether he has introduced his scientific methods of waterfighting to
those parts.
Jim Hamilton is in practice at Geelong, while Bill Scarff hopes to be
soon "the" dentist of Geelong.
Jack Hanlon is Rushworth's leading solicitor and social light.
Elef Jorgensen, at Belgrave, and Joe Joyce, at Ararat, are two more of
our doctors to join the Benedicts this year.
Frank Kelly has acquired a solicitor's practice at Deniliquin, while
brother Jim remains true to Wangaratta. We have been watching the
social columns for an important announcement.
Pat Kennedy has abandoned engineering for coaching, and is reputed
to be making a fortune.
Adrian Kennedy and Jerry are partners in medicine at Cobram, where
Leo is the local "tooth-puller."
Henry Kennedy is located on the land near Mt. Gambier, S.A.
Phil King plays tennis, golf and the guitar as some relaxation from a
busy life at the Bar.
Paddy King is Warrnambool's dentist these days. We hope his sporting ability is duly recognised.
Jos. Lanfranchi and Jack Strahan are, as reported last year, friendly
rivals at Bairnsdale. jack has been seen about town a bit, but Jos. is a
rare visitor.
70
NEWMAN
Laurie Lennon is at Wagga with Urban Ley, while the latter's brother,
Con, is with his father at Warragul.
Vin Lennon is still in South Australia.
Dave Lewis, Charlie McCarthy and Garnet Trainor are our American
ambassadors ; the latter in the world of commerce with the New York City
Company, and the others in that of engineering.
Jack Little finds plenty of work to do among Hawthorn's sick, but
looks in to see us occasionally. His pal, "Red" Lynch, is back in Melbourne again, and is another who recently announced his engagement.
"Black" Jack Lynch is a family man now, and has a nice practice in the
north of N.S.W., while Joe Lynch is always to be seen down kichmond way.
Joe Loughnan is on the staff of Mont Albert High School, while Frank
McManus is at Essendon, where he won some notoriety as coach of a winning football team.
Eddie Mahon is still at Camberwell.
Jack McIntosh is completing his articles with a city firm, and hopes to
be admitted to practice at the end of the year.
Tom Meagher, at Victoria Park (W.A.), has one of the biggest practices in Perth, and has various business interests in the city.
Roy Mears, Bert Bolwell and Harry McGuigan are still controlling the
erection of Melbourne's skyscrapers.
George McDonough is at the Dental Hospital.
Ambrose McCormack, having abandoned rowing, gives his spare time
to golf to forget the worries of dentistry.
J. P. Moloney is another of our dentists settled in Melbourne, Balaclava being Peter's home.
"Marge" Moloney and Rob. Monohan were both married recently.
"Marge" is, as ever, an enthusiastic soldier, while Rob's hobby is yachting.
Harry Minogue has been the hero of several big jury cases this year,
and is a regular patron of the tan tracks.
Bert Moroney and Dan Rooney have appointments with the Main
Roads Board in Sydney, while Alan Rowan is at Canberra. The latter
was up at the Oval for the football final.
Dick Morganti is in practice in Chancery House.
Joe Mulvany has exchanged his share of the College for a household
of his own—his experience should stand him in good stead. Is still a College tutor, and is rapidly building up a practice at the Bar.
Vin Murray is another to announce his engagement this year. Vin has
selected Kilmore, the haunt of his schooldays, as the centre of his practice.
Emmet MacGillicuddy is now in Sydney, Mosman way, on the Military
Staff Corps.
Lux (J. L.) Meagher is one of Melbourne's specialists in children's
diseases. He can always be counted on for College functions.
He was
Harry Mortensen is looking more prosperous than ever.
down from Yarrawonga for some research work lately.
Jack Niall is busier than ever down Hampton way.
T HEFIR ST
NEWMAN
71
Tom Nihill is practising at Ouyen ; big as ever.
Tom Noonan was with us at the Ball. Ballarat appears to suit him.
Joe O'Collins is winning quite a share of Northcote's medical practice,
whilst his name has been figuring prominently in tennis reports out that
way. Brother Frank is finding that golf and business are making quite a
demand on the time available for Law.
Jack O'Driscoll continues to dictate to our Law students, whilst his
work at the Bar and in athletics has even attracted the attention of "The
Rouseabout."
Bill O'Loughlin has had quite a party at several College socials this
year. Family worries and practice at Glenhuntly have had no effect on
old "Bungeet."
Eddie O'Connor seems to have been totally lost in Cambridge.
Denis O'Donoghue is now established in the concrete business at Sydney, while Brother Dermot is mixing a little chemistry with law.
Val. Podger is a medico at Cranbourne.
Peter Russo may still be doing Arts.
Dick Porter maintains his reputation as a cricketer in the Bendigo district, where he lives the life of a prosperous farmer.
Mal Ryan is quite settled in married life at Benalla. We offer him
our sympathy in his recent bereavement.
Vic Seccombe is married and settled in Sydney. Reported to own
racehorses.
Dick Somers played the part of "mine host" at Government House,
Hobart, when the inter-'Varsity debating team went South this year.
Ray Smith visited the College in the long vac.
He is M.O. at Collie.
Basil Stewart is out at Caulfield.
Leo Tighe has quite a comfortable appearance, and apparently finds
Elwood a delightful spot.
George Taylor has won a reputation for his articles on International
politics, and earned his recognition by the Institution of Foreign Relations.
Frank Walsh enjoys a barrister's life at Selborne Chambers.
Vin Wardell is in the main office of Electrolytic Zinc, and going far.
Mick Wallis hopes to be admitted in the near future. Meanwhile, he
makes Parkville his place of abode.
Owen Winter is the successful proprietor of Heunula Station, near
Wagga.
72
NEWMAN
crhe World of Sport
Pride comes before a fall, so we must be wary ; for our success in sport
is becoming a habit ; and this may lead to insufficient training, and with
such relaxation our victories must soon change to defeats. This is merely
a warning, for I think all will agree that this year our victories were the
outcome of good and systematic training. In our first sport—cricket—our
team was not reckoned as the equal of Trinity. However, the constant
practice of most men turned the tide in our favour. Against Queen's in
the opening match we scored a decisive win. The cricket was somewhat
marred by bad weather, which made the pitch very sticky and batting difficult. Under such conditions our bowlers, by running through the opposing
batsmen, made victory possible.
The Trinity match was well described by a sub-heading in "Farrago"
"King v. a'Beckett," as this was really a battle of wits and tactics between
the opposing captains, and on the day our leader had the best of it. Besides
making the huge record score of 260 not out, he captured 22 wickets in
the two matches, and finished up with a batting average of 168. Next
year "Stewie" King will he gone, and he could not have made a more fitting
final bow in inter-Collegiate cricket.
The years roll by, and with them the athletic honours continue to go
to Ormond, while we, like the Israelites of old, murmur, "How long, 0
Lord ! how long?" 'Way hack in the hoary past, somewhere in the early
twentieth century, Ormond started this habit, which has been predicted
yearly in this magazine as "soon to end," but somehow it never does, until
now one despairs of success and vainly hopes that when one's children's
children are in College that things will have changed.
Like the athletics, the rowing continues to be a blot upon our
escutcheon. Each year sees us full of hope and confident that at last our
crew will win. Somehow they never do. Still, we have by no means lost
hope, and intend to "make good" soon. This year we met Trinity in the
heat, and after a fruitless but determined effort were beaten by a few
lengths. Ormond defeated Queen's easily, and also accounted for the final.
It is a pleasure to turn from rowing and athletics to football. I suppose other Colleges are beginning to grow dispirited over our continued
success, while we. of course, are pleased and proud. This year our team
lost a number of former stars—Green, Treadwell, Dalton, Whitehead,
McAuliffe and Horan—all of whom were regular members of the University
football team and many of whom were inter-'Varsity players. However, if
this year we were somewhat short of the inspiration, our 99 per cent. perspiration gave us the necessary genius. Under our very able captain, Maurice
Connell, training was perfect. Night after night for weeks before the
matches a gallant band would run round and round the bull-paddock, practising passing, kicking, marking, etc., until, breathless, they were scarcely
able to drag themselves inside for a shower. However, such gruelling
,
NEWMAN
73
training was responsible for our success, as playing as a team we could last
out to the end the hardest game. In our first match against Ormond we
were promised a very hard game, with, perhaps, defeat ; but when it came
to the question, our team had a comfortable win. Against Trinity in the
final, with two men injured, one of whom was off the field after the first
quarter, we again gained a very decisive win. This is now our fifth consecutive Championship and our seventh victory in eight years.
In the last five years the tennis has alternated between Trinity and
Newman. Last year we narrowly scraped home ; this year it was Trinity's
turn. As previously, we had two teams playing in the "B" and "C"
L.T.A.V. Pennant matches throughout the season, and, as usual, we were
not very successful. However, the experience gained is always very useful
for the inter-Collegiate matches.
This year we met Trinity in the first round, and were beaten 5 rubbers
to 3. It was a fairly close contest, and at one stage in the Doubles matches
we looked very like winning. The Trinity veteran and captain, Jimmy
Sewell, once again playing dogged tennis, pulled his side through. Against
Queen's, after a bad start in the Singles, Trinity had a "day out" in the
Doubles, and won by 2 rubbers.
J. F. M.
Cricket
When we returned to College this year we were regarded by many as
not likely to repeat last year's performance in winning the cricket. We
had lost five of last year's team, including Treadwell, Green and
McCormack. However, our team improved greatly with steady practice,
and we were confident of beating Queen's. Our team was : King (c.),
Cussen, Cohen, McMahon, Cawley, Parker, J. L. Kelly, J. N. Kelly, Wren,
Prendergast and Roderiquez.
NEWMAN v. QUEEN'S.
Newman won the toss, and King decided to let Queen's bat. Cussen
opened the bowling with a strong off field. Holt and Osborne began for
Queen's. Six was scored off the over. King began from the other end,
and the batsmen were watching him carefully. The first wicket fell at 19
when Cussen, with a yorker, clean-bowled Osborne, who had made 15.
Letche took his place, but was not comfortable in facing Cussen. After
making a neat 22, Holt was caught at point off King. Two wickets were
down for 49. Without any addition to the score, Letche snicked a short
ball from Prendergast on to his wicket. Boquest did not last long. After
making 1 he flicked a ball from King high into the slips, and was out to a
good catch by J. N. Kelly. Greenham followed, determined to stop the
rot. He played the rest of King's over very warily. At 54 Cussen came
on again in place of Prendergast. Cumpston was very uncomfortable, and
after making 5 was bowled by Cussen. Campbell followed, and, too eager
to open his account, was run out. This made six wickets for 58, and
Newman were in a strong position.
74
NEWMAN
There was no further play that day and the following owing to rain.
On Friday Greenham and Waterman resumed for Queen's. After adding
3 to his score, Greenham was clean bowled by King. Cook followed, and
the cricket at this stage became very slow. Waterman came in for some
barracking on account of his over-cautious running between the wickets.
After a dull period, Cook was caught off King. Eggleston followed, and
was dismissed for a duck. The last man, Williams, was out to a fine catch
in the slips by Cussen, who fell on his back in taking the ball. The Queen's
innings closed for 78.
Newman began their innings late in the afternoon, King and Cussen
opening. When the score was 33 Cussen was caught by Waterman off
Holt. McMahon followed, and in attempting a big hit skied one to
Osborne, but the Queen's captain missed a "sitter." But the batsman did
not profit by this let-off, and was caught by Cook without further addition
to his score. Cohen, who took McMahon's place, was out for 1 before he
got properly started. The score now was three for 53. King was batting
very brightly at this stage, chiefly from hard cover-drives. When he had
made 35, however, he was caught at point. This made four wickets for 53.
Although Queen's had made a very modest total, we looked like going very
cheaply ourselves. But Wren made 32 in fine style, and, though the other
batsmen went cheaply, we succeeded in making 100.
The next morning's play saw the complete debacle of Queen's. King
was bowling at his top on a tricky wicket, and he succeeded in getting
seven for 18 while Cussen accounted for another two wickets. The Queen's
innings closed at 34 runs. All the batsmen had failed to make a stand,
the highest individual score being 7. This made Queen's 102, and it was
necessary for us to make the necessary 3 runs. Wren and Prendergast
opened, and Wren hit 3 off the first ball. Newman therefore won by ten
wickets and 1 run.
This was the lowest score ever made against Newman. The previous
lowest was 52, made by Ormond in 1920.
S. King equals the best bowling performance for Newman by taking
twelve wickets in one match. This record is also held by K. Schnieder,
K. Cussen and K. Jorgansen.
NEWMAN.
First Innings.
Cussen, K., c. Waterman, b. Holt
King, S., c. Eggleston, b. Holt
McMahon, T., c. Cook, b. Holt
Cohen, C., c Letche, b. Boquest
Prendergast, F., b Holt .. ..
Wren,J.,J. b Boquest .. .. ..
Cawley, W., b Holt .. .. .
Rodriquez, T., b Boquest .
Parker, J., b Holt .. .. ..
Kelly, J. L., not out .. ..
Kelly, J. N., b Boquest ..
Sundries
.. .. .. . .
13
35
1
1
1
32
4
3
1
0
0
9
Total .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
100
Bowling.—Boquest, four for 23; Holt,
six for 65; Cook, 0 for 3.
NEWMAN.
Second Innings.
Prendergast, not out .. .. ..
Wren, not out .. .. .. .. ..
0
3
3
Bowling.—Boquest, 0 wickets for 3.
NEWMAN
QUEEN'S.
First Innings.
Holt, c. Wren, b. King ..
..
Osborn, c. Cussen
Letche, c. Prendergast ..
Boquest, c. Kelly, J. N., b. King
Cumpston, b. Cussen
Greenham, b. King ..
Campbell, run out ..
Waterman, not out ..
..
Cook, c. Cohen, b. King ..
..
Eggleston, c. Kelly, J. N., b. King
Williams, c. Cussen, b. Prendergast
Sundries ..
..
22
15
10
1
5
5
0
6
4
0
6
4
Total ..
..
78
Bowling—Cussen, two for 23; King,
five for 38; Prendergast, two for 13.
QUEEN'S.
Second Innings.
Waterman, st. McMahon, b. King
Campbell, c. Wren, h. King ..
Holt, c. Wren, b. King ..
Osborn, c. Kelly, J. N., b. King ..
Cook, st. McMahon, b. King ..
Boquest, c. Kelly, J. N., b. King
Greenham, run out ..
Letche, st. McMahon, b. King
Williams, not out ..
Cumpston, b. Cussen
Eggleston, c. Parker, b. Cussen
Sundries ..
75
2
1
0
2
7
2
0
1
4
0
4
..
24
Bowling.—King, seven for 15; Cussen,
two for 5.
NEWMAN v. TRINITY.
In the final we were opposed to Trinity, who had defeated Ormond.
Our team was strengthened by the inclusion of F. O'Leary, who had been
unable to play against Queen's owing to inter-'Varsity tennis. The Trinity
side seemed to be the best team seen in inter-Collegiate cricket for years,
and they were led by E. L. a'Beckett, the international.
Trinity won the toss and decided to bat. Juttner and Macfarlan opened
to the bowling of Cussen. McMahon began at the other end, but after his
'first over S. King came on to bowl, and McMahon went behind the wickets.
King did not have to wait long for his first wicket. Juttner, after making
22 slowly, placed a ball into Roderiquez's hands at square-leg. Harvie
followed and began to brighten up the play. The Newman fielding was not
good, and, besides chances being missed, too many runs were allowed. The
batsmen seemed to be playing the bowling confidently, and King was the
only one who troubled them. Just as the batsmen appeared set for a big
score, Macfarlan was qaught behind off Prendergast for 28. Two wickets
were down for 74. The opening batsmen had given the side a fair start,
and with a'Beckett yet to come Trinity seemed like making a big score.
a'Beckett came in, and his first two scoring shots were 4's. He seemed
determined to knock the bowlers off their length.
After lunch King and Cussen opened the bowling. In Cussen's second
over he skittled Harvie's stumps with a beautiful length ball.
O'Brien
took his place, but was very uncomfortable in facing Cussen,.
a'Beckett
was in fine form. He was not troubled by any of the bowlers, and was
hitting the ball hard. When the score was 128 he drove Cussen hard to
cover. He ran for what looked like an easy single, but King picked up the
ball smartly and threw the wicket down. It was a magnificent piece of
work and a pleasant interlude to the faulty fielding which had characterised
the day's play. With a'Beckett out for 31, our hopes ran higher. Sutherland followed, and after compiling a neat 28 was out 1.b.w. to King. Five
wickets for 173. Renowden followed, but was not confident in facing King
and was given out l.h.w. without scoring. Keon Cohen came next, but did
not last long. He drove a ball hard past the wicket and ran, but Prender-
'14
76
NE,W MAN
gast picked up the ball and cleverly threw the wicket down. The score now
was seven for 182. When O'Brien had made 50 he was clean-bowled by
Cussen. He had hatted well for his side, but was never comfortable to
Cussen. Weir and Sholl now proceeded to take toll of the tired bowling,
to the delight of the crowd. In attempting a big hit, Weir was caught by
Kelly. He had made a very breezy 16. Bidstrup followed, but was caught
off King for 4.
The Trinity innings closed for 234. It was a big score for an interCollegiate match, and our men were faced with a hard task. Late in the
afternoon O'Leary and Cohen opened the batting to the bowling of a'Beckett
and Bidstrup. Our first disaster came when a'Beckett skittled Cohen's
stumps after he had made 14. Wren followed, but was out to a good catch
off Sholl, who had come on in place of Bidstrup. Two wickets were down
for 22. Our opening batsmen had gone cheaply, and it seemed that we
would fail to reach the Trinity total. Play was resumed on the following
morning, with O'Leary and King at the wickets. A'Beckett and Bidstrup
began the bowling. Our men began cautiously, as the situation was
difficult. The score mounted to 89, when O'Leary, who had batted in fine
style, was caught by Sholl off Bidstrup. He had made an invaluable 41, just
when Newman were in danger of collapsing. Cussen joined King at the
wickets, and it soon became clear that the bowling had no sting for them.
Sholl gave the batsmen no trouble whatever, and a'Beckett wisely took him
off. Harvie was brought on for a while, and kept the runs down slightly,
but was not successful in breaking up the partnership.
After lunch the batting was brisk, and S. King was not long in getting
his century. Just as the tide seemed to be flowing strongly for Newman,
Cussen was run out. When he had made a brilliant 67, he hit a ball to
point. King began to run, then stopped. Eventually both batsmen found
themselves at one end, while the ball was returned to the other, and
Cussen was given out. From three for 89, the score had risen to four
for 232.
Prendergast took Cussen's place at the wickets, and wisely left most
of the scoring to King, who dealt severely with the bowling. After
Prendergast had scored 15, which was worth more for his side than the
value of the runs themselves, he was clean bowled by Macfarlan. Cawley
replaced him, and began batting in his usual breezy manner. He made 28
before he was bowled by a'Beckett. With the score at 347, O'Brien, at
cover, dropped a pretty stiff catch from King. In the same over Parker
On
poked one short into the slips, but the fieldsman couldn't reach it.
bringing his total to 183—thus creating- an individual record for a Newman
man in inter-Collegiate cricket—King was loudly applauded.
He was
A'Beckett bowled the last over of the day ; it was his 41st.
visibly tired, and the last two balls went over the wicketkeeper's head.
On the following morning, Parker succeeded in remaining at the wickets
From 8 on the preceding day, Parker carried
while King scored freely.
Roderiquez and J. L.
his total to 19 before being bowled by Bidstrup.
Kelly both went for ducks, and McMahon added four to the score. The
Newman innings closed at 477, and we failed to overtake the highest
NEWMAN
77
inter-Collegiate score by 11 runs. King, by carrying his bat for 260, made
the highest individual score in inter-Collegiate cricket.
Macfarlan and Juttner opened for Trinity, and, after making seven,
Macfarlan was bowled by King. Harvie took his place, and the score
was carried quickly to 56, before Juttner was clean bowled by King, this
making his second wicket. In the next over, Harvie, who
had made 25, was clean bowled by Cussen. With three wickets
down for 59, and 243 behind on the first innings, Trinity had a stern task
ahead of them. A'Beckett, after starting patchily—he spooned one up to
Parker third ball—began to punch the ball in fine style. On the following morning O'Brien, Sutherland, Renowden, Keon Cohen, and Sholl all
went cheaply, and the score stood at eight for 173. But Weir joined
a'Beckett at the wickets, and they began to make a firm stand. They
carried the score from 173 to 327 before Weir was bowled for 52. This
partnership was a magnificent effort. Not only did Weir and a'Beckett
avert an innings' defeat, but left us over 100 to make. The innings closed
at 361, when a'Beckett, who had made a well-deserved 182, was given out
1.b.w. to King.
O'Leary and Cohen opened the batting for Newman, but Cohen was
out l.b.w. to a'Beckett, after making eight. Wren joined O'Leary at the
wickets, but also went cheaply. With two wickets for 48, and 122 to make,
the Trinity position did not seem impossible. But on the following morning,
King and O'Leary brought the score to 87 before O'Leary was out, l.b.w.
Cussen joined King, who was again batting in his best style, and surely
they brought the score tip to 122. Newman thus won the match by seven
wickets.
Great praise must be given to S. P. King for his magnificent display
both against Queen's and Trinity.
He virtually won the cricket for us
this year, and brought out the best that was in his team.
NEWMAN.
First Innings.
Cohen, C., b. a'Beckett
O'Leary, F., c. Sholl, b. Bidstrup
Wren, J., c. Juttner, 'b. Sholl
King, S., not out ..
Cussen, K., run out ..
Prendergast, F., b. Macfarlan
Cawley, W., b. a'Beckett
Parker, J., b. Bidstrup
Rodriquez, T., b. Bidstrup
Kelly, J. I.., b. a'Beckett
McMahon, T., b. a'Beckett
Sundries ..
4
41
5
260
67
15
28
19
0
0
0
34
Total ..
.. 477
Bowling.—a'Beckett, four for 115;
Bidstrup, three for 90; Macfarlan, one for
34: Sholl. one for 157.
NEWMAN.
Second Innings.
O'Leary, F., 1.b.w., b. Bidstrup
Cohen, C., 1.b.w., b. a'Beckett
Wren, J., c. O'Brien, b. Bidstrup
King, S., not out ..
Cussen, K., not out ..
Sundries ..
Total ..
39
8
11
44
11
9
„ • • ..
.. 122
Bowling.—a'Beckett, one for 41; Bidstrup, two for 72.
78
NEWMAN
TRINITY.
First Innings.
Macfarlan, c. McMahon, b. Prendergast .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ..
Juttner, c. Rodriquez, b. King ..
Harvie, b. Cussen .. .. . • — • . ..
a'Beckett, run out .. .. .. • • • • • •
O'Brien, b. Cussen .. .. • • • • •
Sutherland, I.b.w., b. King ..
Renowden, l.b.w., b. King .. ..
Keon Cohen, run out .. .. • •
Sholl, not out .. .. • • • • • • • •
Weir, c. Kelly, b. Cussen .. ..
Bidstrup, c. Cawley, b. King ..
Sundries .. .. .. .. . • • .
28
22
24
31
50
28
0
0
21
16
4
10
Total .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 234
57;
for
three
Bowling.—Cussen,
McMahon, 0 for 9; Prendergast, 1
for 44; King, four for 70; O'Leary, 0 for
21; Parker, 0 for 23.
King ..
Cussen ..
O'Leary
.
Wren .. ..
Cawley .. ..
Parker .. ..
*Not out.
TRINITY.
Second Innings.
Macfarlan, b. King .. ..
Juttner, b. King .. .. ..
Harvie, b. Cussen .. .. ..
a'Beckett, I.b.w., b. King
O'Brien, b. Cussen .. ..
Sutherland, b. Parker ..
Renowden, b. King .. ..
Keon Cohen, b. King ..
Sholl, b. Cussen .. .. ..
Weir, b. King .. ..
Bidstrup, not out .. ..
Sundries .. .. ..
7
23
25
182
8
15
4
2
13
52
7
23
361
17;
for
three
Bowling.—Cussen,
O'Leary, 0 for 14; King, six for 94;
Prendergast, 0 for 33; Parker, one for
100.
AVERAGES.
Batting.
In. N.O. H.S. Ag. Av.
King .. ..
2 260* 339 339
3
Cussen .. .
1 67 91 45.5
3
Prendergast
0 41 80 40
2
17
1 32 51
4
0 28 32 16
2
0 19 20 10
2
Bowling.
0. M. W. R. Av.
5.3
17 22 117
81
67 18 10 182 18.2
3 90 30
9
34
Rowing
Eleven years have passed since the commencement of Newman's
career, and while the years have brought us much success in the majority
of sporting activities, we have only met with a very small measure of success in rowing. Perhaps it is a consolation, but not an excuse, to consider
that others have spent years to build up a rowing tradition on the river,
and we could probably point our finger at numerous other colleges that
have passed through similar periods of failure that we are experiencing
at the present time. But while fortune may vary and we may appear,
judging from the results obtained in any one year, to be slipping back
instead of progressing, yet, if we have the will and determination to win,
we will ultimately see the realisation of our ambitions. And we can confidently say that we have that will and determination, and even though 1929
has passed without success, we repeat what has been said in practically
every year—we look forward with confidence for next year.
NEWMAN
79
1929 saw us start off with just reasonable prospects. We were fortunate to secure the services of Mr. E. J. Farrel as coach of the crew, who,
in addition to being well-known in other spheres of the sporting world, has
had considerable experience on the river, having represented the State on
several occasions. He is exactly the type of enthusiastic coach that we
need, and we hope that his efforts will not be denied in the future.
The crew was selected as follows :—W. J. Flynn, 10.4 (bow) ; P. L.
Connolly, 10.6 (2) ; T. K. Prendergast, 11.11 (3) ; J. D. Palandri, 10.8 (4) ;
J. W. Whitehead, 12.3 (5) ; N. J. Burke, 12.4 (6) ; K. N. Stevenson, 11.4 (7) ;
L. J. Clements, 11.2 (stroke) ; T. K. Roderiquez, 8.7 (cox.).
An early beginning as was possible was made with the crew, which
trained very hard, and, despite the strength of the opposition, our enthusiastic coach inspired us with confidence and hope. After many promising
practice rows, we considered our chances of success to be reasonable. But
in our race against Trinity we failed to display the form shown in training.
We got away to a bad start, and Trinity appeared to have little difficulty
in winning comfortably. Ormond defeated Queen's very decisively in the
first heat, and the final proved to be a good race between Ormond and
Trinity, with the honours going to the former. We congratulate Ormond
on their fine victory.
While our race was a disappointment to every member of the crew,
there is a strong determination to make amends next year. We have been
fortunate to secure a coach who is just as determined as we are to win,
and if the writer may offer a suggestion, the keeping of a permanent coach
who can teach us a uniform style will do much to bring us success. Next
year a good number of the crew will be returning, and as there are rumours
of an influx of new and promising talent, we look forward with confidence
and hope.
Mr. A. Heritage was secured as coach for the second eight. Perhaps
the most necessary thing for the blending of a good crew from more or less
inexperienced material is plenty of time. Only two weeks were given to
our coach to prepare our second eight, and this evil should be corrected in
following years. Despite this handicap, Mr. Heritage performed a difficult
job in a creditable way.
The second eight was selected as follows :—B. J. Lee, 10.1 (bow) G.
R. Delaney, 10.7 (2) ; E. Clark, 10.10 (3) ; W. Dixon, 11.12 (4) ; W. 0.
O'Nial, 10.4 (5) ; H. J. Sinn, 12.1 (6) ; J. R. Flynn, 10.2 (stroke) ; R. Daffy,
8.8 (cox.).
Our men fought well in a hard race, the four crews being well bunched
together at the finish, and although we finished last, we have nothing to be
ashamed of in their efforts.
We desire to tender our sincere thanks to the coaches for their enthusiastic work. It is a task which requires a lot of time and trouble, but the
willingness with which they rendered us their invaluable services deserves
special recognition.
During the year various eights have been rowing under the supervision
of Mr. Farrel. These practice rows are just as valuable as the recognised
training period, as it gives more time to the coach to correct individual
faults and improve style.
80
NEWMAN
For many years we have felt the need of a new practice boat for the
eight. Thanks to the generosity of the College Council and the work of
the Rector, we hope to have it by the beginning of next year. This will be
greatly appreciated by the second eight, who for some years have been
handicapped in having to row their race in a heavy, obsolete boat. We sincerely thank our donors for their benevolent gift.
The Regatta was conducted on October 5 in brilliant sunshine. Rowing
is, of course, not the only attraction to the river, and when everybody leaves
in good spirit we naturally conclude the function is popular with everyone
in the College. The racing was interesting, and the results were as
follows :Table Fours.—K. Crispe (bow), H. Sinn (2). J. W. Flynn (3), B. J.
Mahon (stroke), A. Munday (cox.).
Rector's Fours.—B. Lee (bow), P. O'Loughlin (2), W. Cawley (3), M.
Connell (stroke), A. Munday (cox.).
Challenge Pairs.—C. Whelan (bow), W. Dixon (stroke).
During the year Mr. J. W. Flynn officiated as captain of the boats, with
Mr. J. D. Palandri as vice-captain. We desire to express our thanks to the
above for their good work during the year.
K. N. S.
Athletics
It is with some pleasure that we chronicle the fact that, although the athletic
team was again second (to Ormond's thirteenth consecutive win) in the intercollegiate athletics, nevertheless the team scored more points than in any recent
years.
It was expected that the loss of O'Brien and Green would seriously weaken
the team, but even the absence of the quarter-mile champion did not cause any
slackness in training among the enthusiasts, whose efforts were rewarded with
excellent performances, not only in inter-collegiate but in 'Varsity and inter'Varsity athletics.
Fortunately, this year, training operations were not interrupted by illness
and injuries, as has often been our unpleasant experience in the past.
The advent of Ray Triado, Public School half-mile and mile champion, and
the presence in the team of five men who had scored points in the past, compensated partly for the loss of O'Brien, and Green, and on May 22 a strong Newman
team took the field.
College trials in all events had been held in previous weeks, and they produced keen competition and excellent times and performances.
The weather was good, with a slight wind, but the wet track was all against
good times. In spite of this, the performances were well up to the high intercollegiate standard.
NEWMAN
81
The first event, the weight-putt, was again won by Mackay (0.), with Torn
McMahon and Kevin Cussen second and third.
Davidson (O.) won the 100 yards, with Jim Tehan a good fourth and
Cussen fifth.
Ray White, first string in the 880 yards, was beaten by Triado, who finished
magnificently, and was barely beaten by Grant (0.), the champion and record
holder. White was fourth.
Officer (0.) won the hurdles, with Jim Whitehead, running at forty-eight
hours' notice, fifth and Tehan sixth.
Davidson again won the high jump, this being the only event in which Newman failed to score.
Davidson completed the treble in the 220, in which Cussen and Whitehead
ran well into third and fourth places respectively.
McMahon and Tehan performed very well in being placed first and second
in the broad jump, this being our best performance for the day, and also our
best performance in any event for several years.
Jack Parker ran probably his best race to date in the mile, finishing only
15 yards behind Nichterlein (Q.), the record holder, Nichterlein putting up the
very excellent figures of 4 min. 35 sec., on a dead track. Cyril McCubbery was
a good sixth.
In the last event, the quarter, which had been won by O'Brien for several
consecutive years past, White put up an excellent performance in running into
second place, five yards behind Reilly (0.), the winner recording the excellent
time of 51 4-5 secs. Triado was a good fifth.
At this stage the points were :—Ormond, 80i; Newman, 48; Trinity, 27;
Queen's, 15k, but these were afterwards reduced, owing to the disqualification
of McMahon and loss of points gained by him, due to an unfortunate technical
breach of his amateur status. This resulted in the final points being:—Ormond,
84k; Newman, 40; Trinity, 29; Queen's, 17i. So that even the loss of 8 points
and consequent gain by Trinity did not prevent our retaining second place from
a greatly improved Trinity combination.
First place in the broad jump reverted to Tehan, who is to be congratulated
on being the only Newman winner.
The Seconds' relay team (O'Loughlin, Moroney, Ziegler, McNiff) were
placed third. We extend our hearty congratulations to Ormond, and particularly to Davidson, on their victory.
The evenness of the Newman team is shown by the fact that in several
events No. 1 man was beaten by his team mate.
Results:—
100 Yards.—Davidson (O.), 1; Hooper (0.), 2; Langley (T.), 3; J. Tehan
(N.), 4; K. R. Cussen (N.), 5. Time, 107-10 secs.
220 Yards.—Davidson (0.), 1; Hooper (0.), 2; K. R. Cussen (N.), 3;
J. C. Whitehead (N.), 4; Langley (T.), 5. Time, 23 2-5 secs.
440 Yards.—Reilly (0.), 1; R. B. White (N.), 2; Wimpole (T.), 3; Grant
(0.), 4; R. J. Triado (N.), 5. Time, 51 4-5 secs.
880 Yards.—Grant (0.), 1; R. J. Triado (N.), 2; Lempriere (T.), 3; R.
B. White (N.), 4; Champion (T.), 5. Time, 2 min. 4 secs.
82
NEWMAN
One Mile.—Nichterlein (0.), 1; J. 0. Parker (N.), 2; Shann (T.), 3;
Keays (0.), 4; Southey (T.), 5. Time, 4 min. 35 secs.
120 Yards Hurdles.—Officer (0.), 1; Lobb (T.), 2; Sturtridge (0.), 3 ;
Anderson (T.), 4; J. C. Whitehead (N.), 5. Time, 179-10 secs.
High Jump.—Davidson (0.), 1 ; Macfarlan (T.), Williams (Q.), 2; Alexander (Q.), Taylor (0.), 3. Height, 5 ft. 77-8 in.
Broad Jump.—J. Tehan (N.), 1; Ransom (0.), 2; Williams (Q.), 3; Taylor (0.), 4; Langley (T.), 5. Distance, 20 ft. 8 in.
Weight Putt.—Mackay (0.), 1; K. R. Cussen (N.), 2; McGregor (0.),
3; Weir (T.), 4; Turnbull (Q.), 5. Distance, 36 ft. 6 in.
Other activities in open competition are noted below.
Five men, Parker, White, Moroney, Triado and McCubbery, competed
successfully with the M.U.A.C. and other clubs during the V.A.A.A. track and
cross-country season, and performances at the 'Varsity meetings were also good.
On Freshers' sports day, McCubbery was second in the half-mile handicap ; Triado won the half-mile and was second in the mile in the freshers' championships. Tom Rodriquez won the freshers' broad-jump championship.
On Teachers' College sports day White was first and Triado second in the
880 yards 'Varsity handicap.
On 'Varsity day Tehan won the 100 and 220 yards handicaps ; Triado was
placed in the 'Varsity half-mile championship. Parker, captain of athletics, was
again placed in the mile, but the high standard of 'Varsity milers prevented
him gaining inter-'Varsity honours. McCubbery won the mile handicap ; Cussen
was third in the weight putt championship. McMahon was second in the weight
putt, broad jump and hop, step, and jump championships, for which he was
selected in the inter-'Varsity team which competed in Brisbane on May 29.
The belated discovery of his breach of status prevented his competing; a most
unfortunate affair, as he would certainly have won the inter-Varsity shot putt,
and possibly the broad jump. White was second in the 440 yards hurdles
and was selected in the inter-Varsity team. He was also selected in the combined Australian 'Varsities' team which met New Zealand 'Varsities in Sydney
on June 5, where he won the 440 yards hurdles, for which performance he was
awarded an Australian blue.
On inter-collegiate day, Jack Flynn was placed first in the 880 yards handicap. The results of the inter-collegiate athletics indicate clearly that performances in open competition are of the greatest importance in attaining to success. Freshmen with extensive experience as schoolboys will find that open
competition is the only way in which they may start on even terms with their
older and more experienced opponents in the more gruelling running favoured
in the M.U.A.C.
This year three good men are leaving college, but in Cussen, McMahon,
Triado, McCubbery and Whitehead there is the nucleus of a team which can
best be strengthened by its members competing whenever they are able in outside athletics. A bare six or eight weeks' training from March to May is
quite insufficient to bring out the whole of the latent athletic talent in anyone.
Athletic colours were awarded this year to Tehan, White and Triado.
I'00 '1 ' I,
H e Ma hon,
M STXVIII.
Connell (coo t),
S. P. K ing,
NEWMAN
83
Football
**4-'
After being successful in all their practice matches, Newman finished the
season by adding one more inter-collegiate football championship to their unbroken series of four.
M. Connell was once again elected captain, with S. King vice-captain, and
K. Cussen, W. Cawley and L. Clements on the committee. As usual, we played
in practice matches Xavier, Melbourne Grammar, Wesley and Geelong Grammar, and, although the teams that met these schools were by no means a true
representation of the first eighteen, we had no difficulty in defeating them. A
good game played against the Teachers' College on the University Oval resulted
in a victory for Newman.
The second eighteen, however, played only a few practice matches. We
were narrowly defeated by Melbourne Grammar and St. Kevin's, but the team
did not play at the top of its form until the inter-collegiate games, in which they
proved their supremacy by decisively defeating first Ormond, and then Trinity
in the final.
NEWMAN v. ORMOND.
The first eighteen played its first inter-collegiate game against Ormond College on Wednesday, July 17. The team was :—Full-backs, Parker, King, Whitehead. Half-backs : Beaumont, Hendry, Cawley. Centres : Rodriquez, McMahon,
Cohen. Half-forwards : K. Prendergast, Cussen, J. N. Kelly. Full-forwards :
Galbally, J. L. Kelly, Soding. Followers : Connell, Clements. Rover : McNiff.
Before this match, the second eighteen played Ormond, and defeated them.
It was a fast, open game, and Newman showed flashes of system
which they had failed to display in the practice games. The successful
team was :—Backs: F. Prendergast, Cloonan, Delany. Half-backs: Triado,
Clarke, Gargan. Centres : Mulcahy, O'Driscoll, Tehan. Half-forwards : Wren,
O'Leary, Cummins. Forwards : Miller, Meehan, Zeigler. Followers : Morrissey, Flynn. Rover : Whelan.
A spirit of suspense and doubt prevailed amongst the Newman supporters
until the game commenced. It was rumoured that Ormond had a particularly
fine team and were confident of victory ; while the fact that many of our finest
footballers of last year's team had left college, only served to intensify our
doubt.
Nevertheless, as soon as the ball was bounced, it became patent that that
system and dash which has become a tradition of Newman football had not
deserted us this year. The game started off at a great pace. Ormond took
the aggressive. The ball was driven down to their forward line. However,
the remarkable system and steadiness of our backs, which was a feature of the
match, proved a vast obstacle between them and the goal. King relieved the
situation by a long kick down the wing, and a chain of passes culminated in a
spectacular mark by Cussen. He attempted to score, but failed. Ormond carried the ball down to their forwards and scored a behind, the first score for
the match. Newman retaliated by a goal from McNiff. Ormond scored three
more behinds and a goal from Officer this quarter. Connell and J. L. Kelly
put Newman in the lead on the quarter by securing a goal each. The scores
were :—Newman, 3 goals ; Ormond, 1 goal 4 behinds.
84
NEWMAN
Newman dominated the second quarter. Our half-back line was staunch.
It was bombarded continually by Ormond, but Beaumont, Hendry and Cawley
retaliated by sending the ball well into the forward sphere. Cussen and J. L.
Kelly were scoring goals freely. Ormond managed to score one goal this quarter,
and, after securing their only other score for the term, a behind, King initiated a chain of passes along the wing, which terminated in a one-hand mark
by Connell and a goal. The scores were :—Newman, 11 goals 9 behinds ; Ormond, 2 goals 5 behinds.
The third quarter was very fast. MacGregor, with a beautiful kick, sent
the ball to Blair, who scored a goal. But the Newman backs were not going
to let this happen again. Newman took the aggressive, and drove the ball down
to their forward line. They were met, however, with stern opposition by
Ormond's backs, Taylor, Rowe, and Lawson ; but they were not strong enough
to prevent the goals from mounting up. The quarter ended with the scores :—
Newman, 15 goals 11 behinds ; Ormond, 3 goals 11 behinds.
Ormond made a final dying effort in the last quarter. They scored 3 goals
3 behinds to Newman's 2 goals 4 behinds. They attacked and scored in the beginning, but the Newman backs rallied and defended with the same doggedness.
The play was very even, and both teams were exhausted from the hard game
when the final bell rang. The final scores were :—Newman, 17 goals 15 behinds ;
Ormond, 6 goals 14 behinds.
The features of the match were the system and the accurate kicking of the
victors. Though many of our veterans of last year had left, new men who
filled their places gave the side the very best support. Connell and King played
excellently ; and the entire half-back line, Cawley, Hendry, and Beaumont, were
the backbone of the team from the start. For the losers none played better
than Taylor, Rome, and MacGregor. In goal-kicking, J. L. Kelly took the palm
for the day, contributing five goals.
It was a fast, open game, and the victory left Newman far more confident
for their match against Trinity on the following Wednesday.
NEWMAN v. TRINITY.
There were two changes in the team. Whitehead and McNiff gave place to
O'Driscoll and O'Leary. The two former played for the second eighteen. The
weather was ideal.
The second match was not of the high standard of the match against
Ormond. It was equally decisive and quite as hard. The team deserved every
credit for their victory, which made them champions for 1929. The scores
were :—Newman, 10 goals 7 behinds ; Trinity, 6 goals 5 behinds.
From the beginning, the game was played in a spirit of the sternest rivalry.
Many hard, though perfectly fair, bumps were exchanged. Trinity opened the
attack, but King, ever a stumbling block in the goal, got the ball away, and a
good kick by Cohen put the ball safely into Cussen's hands. The result was a
goal. Newman attacked again and again, and, with the assistance of Cussen
and J. L. Kelly, Newman added four more goals. We would have scored more
this quarter, had the kicking of the forwards been more effective. Towards
the end of the quarter, J. L. Kelly, after receiving a severe bump from one
of the Trinity men, had to retire with a broken collar-bone. McMahon, too,
suffered a fracture of the wrist, but ignorant of this injury, played on. The
NEW MAN
85
first quarter ended with the scores :—Newman, 5 goals 6 behinds ; Trinity, 1
goal 1 behind.
When the teams changed over, Newman opened the quarter with a display of excellent football. Whenever Trinity attacked down the centre, Hendry
checked their advance, or, if the ball succeeded in passing him, King in goals
was ever ready to dash off down the wing and place the ball accurately into the
hands of one of the wing men. Newman were scoring freely, despite the strong
resistance of a'Beckett and Wimpole on the back line. It seemed that the deciding
factor of the match was the evenness of the Newman team. Trinity, though
playing well, had to rely on a few individual players. The teams retired for
the half-time interval with the scores well in Newman's favour.
A transformation had taken place in the Trinity men ; they seemed a
different team. a'Beckett, who was their main support during the whole match,
came down on the forward line, and, backed by his ruck men, scored well. The
game had taken a new turn ; all the play was down the Trinity end. Our
captain, Connell, however, did not fail his team in this exigency. He was
giving his utmost support to his men and, by relieving the game on the back
line, initiated many attacks which resulted in goals for Newman.
The last quarter was a stern battle. The Newman backs had recovered
from their lapse of the last quarter, and, assuming their machine-like system
once more, dominated the game. Trinity continued to play well, but could not
prevent the Newman score mounting to high figures. Soding, Cussen, and
O'Leary were all shooting well for goals. A hard match ended at last in a
decisive and well-earned victory for Newman. The final scores were :--Newman, 20 goals 16 behinds; Trinity, 9 goals 9 behinds.
The two captains did their utmost for their teams. Hendry, Cawley, and
Beaumont were strong, as usual, on the back line. Cussen, Soding, O'Leary and
Clements played excellently. As well as a'Beckett, who was Trinity's best
player, Wimpole (in goals), Macfarlan, Bidstrup and Sewell played very
strongly for their side.
And so ended in a dual championship for Newman the inter-collegiate football for 1929. The success of the second eighteen is worthy of all praise, and
it augurs well for another championship in the first eighteen next year, to add
to our present unbroken succession of five.
—R. TRIADO.
C[ennis
Looking forward from the beginning of the year, our prospects in
tennis appeared much the same as they were in 1928. After last year's
success most people were inclined to be optimistic. We were without the
services of the versatile J. P. Horan, but the "B" and "C" Grade Pennant
teams commenced the season aided by such a burst of enthusiasm among
the College tennis fraternity that we were led to hope our final representative team would be quite up to last year's standard. The inauguration
of an official tennis ladder at least brought forth enthusiastic endeavour to
gain selection for the two Pennant teams. Our "B" Grade team were minus
86
NEWMAN
4
.
the guiding influence of O'Leary, who played Pennant tennis for the University. They, nevertheless, met with a reasonable amount of success.
The efforts of the "C" Grade team, on the other hand, did not exactly bring
about quite those results which make tennis history. This was probably
due to the fact that the personnel of the team was throughout the year a
very variable quantity.
NEWMAN v. TRINITY.
After lengthy and concentrated conference, the tennis committee
selected O'Leary, Meehan, Morgan and Wren to represent Newman in the
inter-Collegiate match against Trinity. The team was only different from
last year's in that Wren had filled the position vacated by Horan. Trinity
were represented by a very strong and evenly-balanced team—Wimpole,
Sewell, Catomore and Watson. The first rubber commenced on the east
court, where O'Leary and Wimpole were matched. O'Leary served first
and proceeded to force the pace in his usual unapologetic style. After the
first few games Wimpole settled down to his forehand drive, but O'Leary's
volleying and overhead shots stood him in good stead, and he won the set,
6 4. In the second set Wimpole played very solid tennis, and the games
went with the services to 4-4. He then broke through O'Leary's next
service and won the set, 6 4. O'Leary seemed to have lapsed slightly in
the second set, but he came back in the third with more pace in his shots
than ever. Having broken through Wimpole's service at 4-3, he made no
mistake about his own, and won the set, 6-3, and also the rubber. On the
west court Morgan and Catomore were opposed. The latter, playing very
fast tennis, accounted for Morgan in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1. The next
rubber was between Meehan and Sewell. Sewell has been for quite a few
years one of Trinity's pillars of strength in the tennis world. Meehan did
not appear at his best during the first set, in which he was beaten, 6-1.
In the next, however, he made a splendid uphill fight, and was unfortunate
to lose the set, 6 4. The last rubber of the Singles matches was a mighty
endurance test between Wren and. Watson. There was very little volleying, and the tennis was not exactly spectacular. Wren played very steadily
until 8-8 was reached, but then lost his service and the set, 10-8. In the
next he commenced well and finished well, winning the set, 8-6. In the
deciding set Watson forged ahead from the beginning and won, 6-1. With
the Singles over, Newman were not in a very bright position. Trinity led
by 3 rubbers, 7 sets, 59 games, to 1 rubber, 3 sets, 42 games.
In the Doubles the match between O'Leary-Morgan and CatomoreWimpole provided the onlookers with some beautiful tennis. The volleying of the four was remarkably good, and O'Leary's smashing was brilliant.
The Newman pair won the first set, 6-4, but dropped the next, 3-6. The
last set was very even, but O'Leary and Morgan just had that necessary
extra bit of nip in their play, and eventually won, 8-6. Meehan and Wren,
on the west court, opened brilliantly against Sewell and Watson, and the
hopes of Newman supporters rose as they won game after game without
Trinity breaking through. They finished the set 6-0. In the second they
continued to play excellent tennis, and led, 4-1, when fortunes changed, as
they often do in tennis, and the Trinity pair, playing now with admirable
NEW MAN
87
determination, won the set, 6 '1. This seemed to be the turn of the tide,
for Sewell and Watson completed an excellent recovery by winning the
third set, 6-4, and also the rubber. In the remaining rubbers there was
very little excitement. O'Leary and Morgan had little difficulty in defeating Watson and Sewell, 6-2, 6 3; and Meehan and Wren lost to Wimpole
and Catomore, also in straight sets, 3-6, 1 6.
The Newman team performed very creditably against the strong forces
of their opponents, and we must congratulate Trinity on their meritorious
victory. Scores :Singles.—O'Leary (N.) d. Wimpole (T.), 6-4, 4-6, 6-3; Catomore
(T.), d. Morgan (N.), 6-3, 6 1; Sewell (T.) d. Meehan (N.), 6-1, 6 1;
Watson (T.) d. Wren (N.), 10-8, 6-8, 6-1.
Total: Trinity, 3 rubbers, 7 sets, 59 games ; Newman, 1 rubber, 3 sets,
42 games.
Doubles.—O'Leary-Morgan (N.) d. Catomore-Wimpole (T.), 6 '1,
3-6, 8 6; Sewell-Watson (T.) d. Meehan-Wren (N.), 0-6, 6-4, 6 4;
O'Leary-Morgan (N.) d. Sewell-Watson (T.), 6-2, 6-3; Catomore-Wimpole (T.) d. Meehan-Wren (N.), 6-3, 6-4.
Total : Newman, 2 rubbers, 5 sets, 50 games ; Trinity, 2 rubbers, 5 sets,
45 games.
Grand total : Trinity, 5 rubbers, 12 sets, 104 games; Newman, 3 rubbers.
8 sets, 92 games.
ANNUAL MIXED DOUBLES TOURNAMENT.
Towards the end of last term the second Annual Mixed Doubles Tournament took place at Newman. Everybody concerned with the inception
of this tournament hoped that by a repetition of its last year's popularity
it would warrant its inclusion in the list of annual College fixtures. Such
hopes were fully realised last August, for though the participants were not
exactly in the nature of a vast multitude, they were very keen, and the enthusiastic support given by practically all Newman's hopeful tennis players
made the afternoon a very pleasant one and the tournament a complete
success.
Messrs. P. O'Loughlin and Galbally are to he congratulated on the
manner in which they both organised and managed the arrangements for
the tournament. We owe a debt of gratitude to the Rector for the practical way in which he supported it by his gift of a trophy. To the Matron
also we are very grateful for her assistance and co-operation in providing
afternoon tea for the competitors.
The day of the tournament brought perfect tennis weather.
The
organisers were ably assisted on that day by Harry Sinn and hindered by
Frank O'Leary, who persisted all day in whispering from the north to people
on the south court. We thank him, nevertheless, for his contribution to
the day's amusement. Though there was practically no interval between
the matches, our programme could not be completed in the one afternoon.
88
NEWMAN
The draw was played off down to the semi-finals, but the final had, owing
to failing light, to be postponed until the next day. Scores :—
First Round.—Morgan-Miss Brosnan d. Heffey-Miss Darbyshire, 10-5.
Second Round.—White-Miss Crooke d. Flynn-Miss O'Sullivan, 10-3;
Wren-Miss Derham d. Farrell-Miss Farrell, 10-5; Gilbert-Miss Bradley d.
Munday-Miss Breheney, 10-7; S. O'Loughlin-Miss Heath d. Morgan-Miss
Brosnan, 10-9; O'Driscoll-Miss Boyle d. Galbally-Miss Galbally, 10-6;
Hannan-Miss Spring d. P. O'Loughlin-Miss Hurley, 10-2; Hayden-Miss
Hayden d. Meehan-Miss Feely, 10 1 ; Tehan-Miss McCormack d.
Mclnerny-Miss Meehan, 10-6.
Third Round.—Wren-Miss Derham d. White-Miss Crooke, 10-4; S.
O'Loughlin-Miss Heath d. Gilbert-Miss Bradley, 10-4; O'Driscoll-Miss
Boyle d. Hannan-Miss Spring, 10 1; Hayden-Miss Hayden d. Tehan-Miss
McCormack, 10--4.
Semi-Finals.—S. O'Loughlin-Miss Heath d. Wren-Miss Derham, 10-5;
Hayden-Miss Hayden d. O'Driscoll-Miss Boyle, 10-7.
The winners of the semi-finals, Hayden-Miss Hayden and S. O'Loughlin-Miss Heath, decided to play a three-set match in the final. It was held
on the following afternoon, and was won, after a rather lengthy three sets,
by Hayden and Miss Hayden. Scores: Hayden-Miss Hayden d. S.
O'Loughlin-Miss Heath, 6-4, 6-8, 6-3.
Both of the winning pair played excellent tennis throughout the tournament, and thoroughly deserved their win.
Immediately after the conclusion of the final the Rector presented the
trophies, which were in the form of two cups. He expressed the feelings
of the College as a whole when he congratulated Frank and Miss Hayden.
It was Frank who practically alone was responsible for the origination of
this Mixed Doubles Tournament last year, and when his sister and he played
so consistently well throughout it was a fitting climax to a very successful
tournament that they should win it.
SECOND XVIII.
0 9Driscoll (capt.), O'Leary, Ziegler, Meehan, F. Prendergast, Clarke, Morrissey, Triado,
Wren, Creeley, Tehan, Mulcahy, Cloonan, Gargan, Cummins, D. Flynn, Whelan, Miller.
SECOND VIII.
Dailey (cox), D. Flynn (stroke), C. Whelan (7), H. Sinn (6), W. O'Nial (5), W. Dixon
(4), E. Clarke (3), G. Delaney (2), B. Lee (bow).
NEWMAN
89
cTaboo
Life is jest, and all things show it;
I thought so once, but now I know it."
--JOHN GAY.
N this age of potted music, talkies, wireless and "mighty" picture
palaces, those of us who would not be submerged in the modern whirl
cling frantically to anything in the nature of a tradition. Though we
are about to have torn from us the soul of Commencement—the Block
parade and our annual show at the Gala—we still retain a few of the institutions of our illustrious predecessors. Serenades, College Regattas, barracking "stunts," we will cling to until our last breath. Such a tradition, it
is our humble submission, is "Taboo." A bad year means only that it
will rise triumphant again the next, and the types of mind whose humour
is left uncatered for in one year will doubtless be satisfied in the future.
Therefore, we make no apologies for any shortcomings in the following. It
shows, we trust, some glimpses of life in College which are otherwise
unsung. That those glimpses are comprehensive only a fool would claim,
but they are substantially true, and by their truth they stand or fall.
It is hoped that they amuse someone. Unfortunately, they have ceased
to amuse the poor editor for some weeks, as repetition is the death of
humour, if any. Furthermore, our selective faculties are ruined. Whatsoever may have seemed bright when seen for the first time, on the tenth
reading all seem alike futile.
We began on the tradition motif. In conclusion, let us only add that
there is a custom that "Taboo" should be preceded by a foreword. Be the
tradition good or bad, we reactionaries are the last to scrap it. So here
we are.
"LOPEZ."
I
Leglet is lushing thlough our blain
To lose our plesident so gleat,
But of the sollowing who lemain,
"Taboo" has much the hardest fate.
At the Regatta.—
Bert (the stroke) : "Hurry on, boys ; we'll win the next heat."
Vocal N o.—
Bill C.: "Waltz me around again, Willie."
*
*
*
*
*
Broadcasting from S.V.H.—
T.M.G. : "Cake-eating and its effects. The evils of too many sweet
things."
NEWMAN
90
e14
10-tA--x
P-c
WATER-loo.
(With unfeigned and unlimited apologies to Lord Byron.)
There was a sound of slumbering by night,
For old god Morpheus had conquered them—
The intellect of Newman Coll—yet bright
The flat lights shone on forms of slumbering men;
.A hundred souls snored snappily—and when
Their chorus rose with its voluptuous swell,
You'd hear a snore, a sigh, a snore again,
And all went merry as a marriage bell ;
But hush! hark ! a soft sound strikes like a rising knell.
Did they not hear it? No, 'twa.s but the wind
Or a Ford rattling past in Swanston Street.
Oh! slumber on! Let peace be unrefined ;
And sleep till morn and lectures, students meet
To while away the hours with leaden feet.
NEWMAN
But hark ! That stealthy sound breaks in once more
As if the walls its echoes did repeat ;
And nearer, clearer, deadlier than before.
Ah, me ! It is
it is the torrent's deluging roar !
Within a horsehair bed in that great hall
Slept Newman's fated "Lesma"—he did hear
That sound, the first among the sleepers all,
And caught the drip on his prophetic ear.
And when he cursed because he deemed it near,
His heart more surely felt the drip too well,
Of that which many folks prefer to beer
(Which, moralists affirm, leads men to hell.)
He rushed out of his room, and 'fore the tide he fell.
And mounting in hot haste and up the stairs,
Down which the stream was rushing from afar,
He heard the snoring of the slumbering pair
Who dwell in rooms once shared by F. K. Maher.
And the slow drip of water : in a bar
There flows not beer more quickly when men come
After the race ; than did this torrent mar
The furniture : nor were the owners dumb
When whispering in their ears he said "The flood has come."
Then wild and high the "Men of Harlech" came,
Whistled by one, Jack Parker (one of our ills),
It's heard to satiety—so say his foes,
How in the noon and eve that whistle trills
Savage and shrill. But with the breath that fills
His daytime whistle, now he raged to see
His books and carpets, floor and such-like ills
All damaged by that torrent watery.
He looked around his rooms and said, "Ah, woe is me r
Last noon beheld them full of lusty life,
In other words, of students, grave and gay,
Last night some bather—curse his weary life !
Forgot to turn the tap off—now, to-day,
The battlement's magnificent array
Of carpets, rugs, and mats, all colours blent,
The lawn is covered thick with a display
Which its own green can't rival—heaped and rent,
Cushions and clothes—in colourful burial pent.
Their praise is hymned by loftier harps than mine,
Yet some I would select from that proud throng
Who helped to clear the mess up : in a line
We might dismiss them, but we'd do them wrong
For all that wading through the flood brooks song,
91
92
NEWMAN
We't
coutdily
cArisq his .app•riee tor the
by Faring
t.L219--.W tortd
bred OdtriFthis
THE TENNIS TEAM.
Standing.—J. F. Meehan, J. Wren.
Sitting.—F. P. Morgan, F. M. A. O'Leary.
NEWMAN
93
And they were of the bravest, and their feet
Were of the coldest ere they'd been there long.
So for their valour let them have a seat
Among the mighty who have never owned defeat.
There have been tears and breaking hearts o'er thee
(My Muse!)—my own I was the first to give;
My readers, too, may think I'm up the tree.
Their pity I shall have while yet I live.
Perhaps they hope that I may Yet revive
And touched with madness of that season, Spring,
Come forth with words of magic to contrive
Like all those reckless poets on the wing.
I now crave mercy from all those who do not sing.
(I should think so !—Ed., Taboo.)
At the Inter-collegiate Tennis.
Central Umpire: "Don't call them when they're right, only the faults."
Guileless Line Umpire: "What about the doubtful ones?"
"Uneasy Lies the Head —"
Scene, G Flat, a bedroom.
Time, circa 3 a.m.
Our Public Man : "Snore! Snore !" (tosses) "Snore" (tosses) "I won't
propose it, but I'll second it." "Snore !" Oblivion.
First Student : "I say, can you lend me a fiver?"
Second ditto (incredulously) : "What !"
First Student : "I said could you lend me ten bob ?"
Boy was decidedly attracted by Leo F. after the Ball.
there's something in a name after all.
Apparently
A correspondent has pointed out the difference in standard between
the President's speeches on his election and at an impromptu debate. Apparently at the latter the spirit did not move him.
Scene: A Bookshop.
J. I. B.: "Have vou anything on Ju-Jitsu?"
Saleswoman : "No, but here is a splendid new book on Pavlova."
At the Reception of Freshers at St. Mary's Hall.
Helpful Senior : "Do you dance?"
Our Youngest Fresher (scornfully) : "Do I? Watch me!"
After the Ball :--"Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown."
Cackles (ramblingly) : "After a while at the Ball I'll just be hanging
about all over the place. I won't be able to stand up at all."
Ivy: "Jove! You must he going to use your advantages in the early
part."
94
NEWMAN
4
A Humble Tribute by the Staff of "Taboo" to a Doughty Opponent.
Students all watch de Collegiate tennis,
Students look on while de two teams play,
Watching dose men from de start to de finish,
Gettin' no rest till de end of clay.
Don't breathe in and please don't shout.
You don't dast put de players out.
On yo' knees an' bow yo' head,
And pray de Lord dat ball was dead.
Let me go way from de University,
Let me go way from where Cackles plays,
Show me, dat man dat dey call Jim Sewell,
Dat's de ol' man dat I long to praise.
Refrain (with deep feeling) :
01' Man Sewell, dat 01' Man Sewell,
He sho' know sumpin', he don't say nothin',
He jus' goes scrapin', he keeps on scrapin' em back.
He don't hit winners, he don't serve aces,
An' dem dat serves dem he soon effaces.
Dat 01' Man Sewell, he jus' keeps scraping dem back.
You an' me, we sweat an' strain,
Body all achin' an' racked with pain,
"Kill dat lob !" "Chase dat smash !"
Belt his serve an' you've done your dash.
Dey gets weary, but he's still thrivin',
Dey're tired of lobbin' an' feared of drivin'.
But 01' Man Sewell, he jus' keeps scrapin' em back.
Ivy (seeing aeroplane over college) : "Hello, it looks as though we'll
be stung for another six bob."
"Silence on the Court is Golden."
Then the little Jimmitehan,
Chief of all the tribe of Albert
(He, the great and powerful leaper
Into sand-pits, over fences,
So that he was named Clan Robert).
Said to his assembled council
"We will hold a mighty pow-pow
In the manner called impromptu.
Do thou, then, prepare an edict
Naming not the weighty matters
Here decided for discussion."
So his chief scribe, Gerardeffey,
Wrote him then and there a notice
Calling on the tribe of Albert
To be present at the pow-pow.
:
NI. CUN MEN ' EMEN T.
1. What
price Stiohon f
2. Their Excellencies.
Crowd."
3. A section of
"The
NEWMAN
Au -fit a -77 Of S
95
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96
NEWMAN
Came they then a mighty concourse
From the Dome and from the cloister,
Till their chatter and their greetings
Echoed back and forth in Newman.
Gathered they around the camp-fire
(Minding not at all the smoke there),
Making all a grievous uproar,
Till appeared the Jimmitehan,
He, the great and gifted chieftain,
Whose mere presence stayed the turmoil.
He, with gracious condescension,
Spoke to all that mighty concourse,
Told them that the young Boyeally,
He, the great, the mighty lover,
Should be first among the speakers.
Strode the young one to the rostrum,
Gave he of his store of knowledge
Gained on many a field of combat.
So that all the tribesmen wondered
That such youth could speak such wisdom.
Followed him, the wily Buster,
But without his ukelele.
Him they listened to with interest
For they knew that from the movies
He had gained his lore of college
And procedure on the campus.
So the big chief, Jimmitehan,
In the fullness of his wisdom,
Chose them each to suit their subject
And they argued long and often.
Then the wily, artful chieftain,
Searching through the braves assembled,
Saw a sight that near o'ercame him.
Midst the crowd of common tribesmen,
As if he himself were human,
Was the great god, Bryanmahon !
What a sight of condescension,
This unbending of the mighty,
Thus to favour us mere mortals
Wont to do the great god honour !
So the big chief, Jimmitehan,
Summoning all his store of courage,
Spoke with awe and humble deference,
Called upon the great god, Mahon,
Please to honour his poor subjects,
To speak from his fount of knowledge
Thoughts upon the weighty motion
"Silence on the court is golden."
NEWMAN
97
Then the great god, Bryanmahon,
Raised aloft his mighty stature,
Faced the concourse there assembled,
So they feared to gaze before them
At the grave and learned features.
Spoke he then in voice of thunder,
"Silence on the court is golden,"
So that all the tribesmen trembled.
Stood he then before them speechless
While the pause became more painful,
Adding not a single word.
Then he sat again amongst them.
Then they realised they were not yet
Capable of comprehending
More of wisdom ; he, the kind one,
Therefore had resolved to spare them
Pain and the humiliation.
Of more words from him, the godly,
Which would be past understanding.
So they went to each their study,
And therein they sat and pondered
On the great god, Bryanmahon.
All except the knave, O'Leary,
Who was not in the assembly,
Missed the words of Bryanmahon ;
Thus it is that he, the only
One of all the men of Newman,
Follows not the worthy precept,
"Silence on the court is golden."
At the Basketball.
Our Goal-thrower (after another good shot gone wrong) : "I don't
seem to be able to put them through."
An inquiry has been instituted to discover why the Common Room
chimney smoked on the night of the debate.
The authorities are inclined to view this incident as one of the periodical
outbreaks of the "basher" gang.
Leo (looking at picture of aeroplane which has crashed) : "And the
pilot was exonerated. What's that ?
Burnt to death?"
Keith : "Yes, I get very dry in the mouth debating."
Jim : "I've got the very thing you want—chlorate of potash tablets."
Keith : "Oh, no—I wouldn't dream of taking drugs."
Keith : "I know it for a fact—there's no getting away from it—I have
the spirit of music, that is, jazz music, in my blood."
We recommend a strong blood mixture or other purifier.
NEW MAN
Gal.: "Have you heard Murray singing Have a Red, Red Rose?' "
"No, what's it go like ?"
Gal.: "He doesn't sing it he talks it."
—
er
7-rat
I T: !_y 7777w iS /1" t c
Ho-me Ve /-r o c/.9a/
Nursery Rhymes Brought Up to Date.
I.
Lucky Prendie sat in for a hand,
Lucky Prendie took all he could land :
All straight flushes and four of a kind,
Went away with his pockets lined.
40-
NEW MAN
II.
"Fiscom, Fiscom, of build so lissom,
How does your magazine grow?"
"Oh, an article here and a parody there,
And we'll publish it yet, you know."
Old King Pot
Was a trifle hot
When he ruled Gal. out of court.
But the meeting, they
Had more to say,
And they cut his ruling short.
IV.
Charles, Charles, the "public man,"
Learnt to play the banjo-man ;
And all the tunes that he could play
Turned the hairs of his hearers grey.
V.
Stan and Jack
Went out to crack
The "books," amid some laughter.
Stan "fell in"
And "did his tin"
And Jack did his soon after.
VI.
Sing a song of students
Gathered in the hall,
Add to them their tutors
Beaming over all.
Suddenly a "black-out"
Cause the power failed,
In that murky darkness
Even stout hearts failed.
Then from out the blackness
Candles soon appeared,
"Strike a match and light them !
Gosh ! the place looks queer !"
When they all are lighted,
Electric lights shine too.
Now, isn't that an incident
To sing of in 'Taboo'?
99
NEWMAN
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DEcoRATNE ART?
Dinner Discussion.
Maurie (broaching a subject which has caused him uneasiness) :
"What's a peccadillo ?"
Dot. (always ready with an answer, even if it is wrong) : "Isn't it an
animal ?"
Lofty Minor (who has done Zoology) : "Oh, no ! you're thinking of an
armadillo."
NEWMAN
101
Dot. (unabashed) : "Well, it's something to eat."
Fitz. (profoundly disgusted) : "Stupid, you mean piccalilli pickles."
Loftus Major (venturesome as ever) : "Isn't it the dart used in bullfights ?"
Wort (chiming in blithely) : "I always considered it a musical instrument."
Chorus of Know-alls : "That's a piccolo, not a peccadillo."
Maurie (who up to this hasn't added anything) : "Well, I think it is a
battleaxe with a tube at one end, used by South Africans—they make a dint
in your skull with it."
After all this bright suggestion, conversation lapses into the inevitable
subject of s x. At dinner next day, Dot, who has looked up the word
in a dictionary : "Do you know what a peccadillo is ?"
Everyone ventures their previous suggestions : "Musical instrument,"
"Battleaxe," "Dart for bull-fight," etc.
Dot.: "No ! Rot ! It's a slight offence or sin ; an insignificant misdemeanour."
Chorus (meekly) : "Oh."
Maurie (brightly) : "Well, I tricked you all that time. Anyhow, it is
a battleaxe used by South Africans to make
The rest is -lost in laughter.
)1
There was a little boy,
And he had a little brains,
And he crammed them with what he'd read, read, read.
So after schoolboy honours
He came up to foist upon us
His knowledge of what men have done and said, said, said.
Thus bent on spreading knowledge,
He came up to Newman College
With the ultimate idea of doing Med, Med, Med.
But from Med he turned to Art
As an interest apart,
And humanistic twaddle filled his head, head, head.
So he read the Romans classic,
And the modernists Parnassic,
He could spout to you the wisdom of the Greek, Greek, Greek.
Into Mediaeval churches
He had made some deep researches
There were topics few on which he couldn't speak, speak, speak.
But in November sad,
Examiners said they had
Found his knowledge of Med. I. was rather scant, scant, scant.
He'd a style exactly right,
But his answers weren't quite ;
"For his style we'd like to pass him, but we can't, can't, can't."
NEWMAN
102
Alowe Presentations
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NEWMAN
103
So heed my Muse prophetic,
As she sings this lay pathetic
Of the most aesthetic hero of this lay, lay, lay.
So that if you're doing Med.
You'd best keep this in your head;
If you cultivate the Arts you'll surely fail, fail, fail.
Books Received.
"After Me, the Deluge," by Jim Cummins.
"Impromptu Debating," by B. J. M.
"Was it Rash?" by Joe Z.
"Smouldering Fires," by A. P. D. S. and N. S. V.
"From Toasting to Trysting," by F. O'L.
"Gowns and Their Wearing," by Jack S.
"The Pedagogue's Curse," by L. C.
"A Bathtub," by Farmer Giles.
Answers to Correspondents.
X.Y.Z.: (1) Yes, Frank was quite right at the meeting about his special
reason; (2) Yes, boasting, perhaps, but there is much to be said for him and
by him.
Leo : No, there is no truth in the rumour that the A.P.D.S. has adopted
as its slogan, "Where there's fire, there's smoke."
"Three Bullets": (1) So your mother told you never to play cards with
tall gentlemen with red hair. Mother knows best. (2) Yes, tin, or, at
least, some tin-bearing alloy.
Student : Long letter received praising the Tiger's Brew.
Are you
not confusing two different teams?
On 'Change.
Mitt : "I believe stocks showed an upward tendency to-day."
Les : "Yes. But Amalgamated Copper was rising and falling all the
afternoon."
104
NEWMAN
College Lists
Rector:
Very Rev. J. M. Murphy, S.J.,
Resident Tutors:
Rev. Wilfrid Ryan, S.J., M.A.,
F.R.S., Dip.Ed.
Rev. D. Kelly, S.J., M.A.
J. X. O'Driscoll, Esq., B.A., LL.M.
R. J. Fallon. Esq.
Non-Resident Tutors:
F. O'Sullivan, M.B., B.S.,
F.R.C.S. (Eng.).
L. Tighe, M.B., B.S.
E. J. Prendergast, M.S.
J. G. Hayden, M.D., M.R.C.P.
R.
Col. J. A. Clareborough, D.D.Sc.,
L.D.S.
J. F. Mulvaney, M.A., LL.B.
Miss A. Cookson, B.Sc.
Miss Stillman, B.Sc.
Miss Lightfoot.
Students:
Allman, E. M.--Law 4.
Beaumont, C. E.—Med. 3; XVIII.
Brewer, H. L.—Med. 3.
Burke, N.—Law 2; VIII.
Cawley, W.— Med. 6; XI.; XVIII.
Clarke, E.—Med. 3.
Clements, L. J.—Law 4; VIII.; XVIII.
Cloonan, K. L.—Law 3.
Cohen, C.—Med. 4; XI.; XVIII.
Connell, M. P.—Med. 6; XVIII.
Connelly, P.—Engin. 2; VIII.
Conway, M.—Law 2.
Creely, T.—Med. 1.
Crispe, K. A.—Engin. 4.
Cummins, J.—Engin. 2.
NEWMAN
Cussen, K. R.—Med. 5; XI.; XVIII.; Aths.; G.C.
Daffey, R. J.—Arts 1.
Delaney, G.—Arts 1.
Dixon, F. W.—Med. 5.
Dooley, J.—Engin. 2.
Farrell, L.—Engin. 2.
Fitzgerald, W. E.—M.B., B.S.; Med. 6.
Fitzgerald, L. J.—Med. 2.
Flanagan, W.—Educ. 4.
Flynn, W. J.—Med. 3; VIII.
Flynn, D. J.—Med. 1.
Galbally, J.—Arts 2; XVIII.
Gargan, F.—Arts 1.
Gilbert, T. M.—M.B., B.S.; Med. 6.
Hannan, G.—Law 1.
Healy, M. J.—Med. 1.
Heffey, C. J.—Arts 2.
Hendry, W. J.—M.B., B.S.; Med. 6; XVIII.
Kelly, A. R.—Med. 2.
Kelly, J. L.--Comm. 2; XVIII.
Kelly, J. N.—Med. 1 ; XVIII.
Kenny, J.—Arts 1.
King, S. P.—Law 4; XI.; XVIII.; G.C.
Lee, T. J.—M.B., B.S.; Med. 6.
Lee, B.—Arts 1.
Loftus-Hills, G.—Agric. 3.
Loftus-Hills, K.—Agric. 3.
Mahon, B. J.—Dent. 4; President.
McCubbery, C.—Law 3; Aths.
Mclnerny, M.--Arts 2; Aths.
McMahon, T. M.—Journ. 1; XI.; XVIII.; Aths.
McNiff, J.—Arts 1; XVIII.
Meehan, J. F.—M.B., B.S.; Med. 6; IV.
Miller, H.—
Morgan, F. P.—M.B., B.S.; Med. 6; IV.
Moroney, L. A.—Arts 3.
Morrissey, J.--Med. 2.
Munday, A. F.-13.A.; Law 4; G.C.
105
106
NEWMAN
Mulcahy, M.—Med. 1.
O'Driscoll, E. J.—Law 3; XVIII.
O'Leary, F. M. A.—Law 3; XI.; IV.; XVIII.
O'Loughlin, P. J.—Arts 2.
O'Loughlin, S. J.—Med. 2.
O'Nial, W. 0.—Engin. 3.
Palandri, J. D.—Med. 4; VIII.
Parker, J. 0.—Eng-in. 4; XI.; XVIII.; Aths.; G.C.
Prendergast, F. P.—Med. 1.
Prendergast, T. K.—Engin. 3; XVIII.
_
Rodriquez, T.--Med. 2; XI.; XVIII.; VIII.
Sinn, H.—Med. 3.
Soding, B. J.—Engin. 3; XVIII.
Stevenson, K. N.—Engin. 4; VIII.
Sullivan, F. J.—Med. 1.
Sullivan, J.—Arts 2.
Tehan, J.—B.A.; Law 4; Aths.Triado, R.—Arts 1; Aths.
Whelan, C. P.—Dent. 4.
White, R. B.—Engin. 4; Aths.
Whitehead, J.--Med. 2; XVIII.; VIII.; Aths.
Wortley, S.—Arts 1; Aths.
Wren, J.—Comm. 1; XI.; IV.
Zeigler, J. F.—Med. 5.
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