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CAMPUS MIRROR
Pi«‘rr<* De Lanux
The salvation of world democracy lies
in American leadership; this was the
theme of Pierre de Lanux’s address at
Spelman College on Sunday afternoon,
January 5, at the three o'clock Vesper
Hour. M. de Lanux is a French refu
gee, an author, lecturer, and formerly
Director of the Paris Office of the
League of Nations. He has been a mem
ber of the French Legion of Honor and
a member of the French High Commis
sion to the United States. Mr. de Lanux
has also been a radio commentator for
C.B.S. from Paris, a war correspondent
in the Balkans and a captain in the
French ambulance corps.
As a lecturer he has visited forty-four
of the states in the Union. He has served
as visiting professor at William and
Mary College, University of North Caro
lina. Carleton College. Pomona College
and Reed College. Some of the books he
has written are: Life of Henry IV, Sud,
and Return to Man.
M. de Lanux paid tribute in the begin
ning of his address to the late Dr. John
Hope of Atlanta LIniversity. He felt
that Dr. Hope, if he were alive today,
would be concerned with the same things
that men are wondering about the pres
ent world conflict.
“This conflict is not one of rivalry
and imperialism,” said the speaker, “hut
one which concerns the place of the hu
man in man's community.’ Shall man
live for the sake of the state or shall the
state operate and work for man?
For the first time in history two great
trends have merged. They are the spir
itual urge and the democratic urge, Chris
tianity and democracy. People fighting
for one of these must fight for both.
Some have said it is useless to fight for
democracy, because democracy has
failed. In 1919, it was said that the
world was made safe for democracy, but
here we are hack in a worse situation
than we were in 1919.
M. de Lanux pointed out that democ
racy did not fail, hut the people failed to
support it.. True, in 1919 the world was
made safe for democracy; but these
democratic principles were not practiced.
The democratic nations let aggressors
commit their crimes, they failed to re
move the causes for war, and they hoped
for peace, hut did not keep it. Instead of
carrying out a democratic creed, the na
tions took for their motto, ‘‘Am I my
brother’s keeper?’’
In spite of what he said about the
failure in the execution of democratic
principles, M. de Lanux took an optimis
tic viewpoint. He said that he does not be
lieve that the Dutch, the Czechs, the
French, or any of the German captives
will remain subservient to Hitler. It is
only a matter of time before Hitler’s
Claire Coei in Organ Recital
Spelman students and visitors enjoyed
a rare musical treat as they listened to
an excellent organ recital in Sisters
Chapel, January 8, by the eminent artist.
Claire Coci. The audience was highly
appreciative of the masterful way in
which she handled the stops and the
manner in which she sounded every pos
sible resource of the great organ.
Her program included Toccato and
Fugue in D Minor, Bach; Chorale Prel
ude: “My heart is fdied with longing,
Bach, which was slow, impressive and
stately; Noel, D’Agnin, which had a per
sistent theme; and Sonata on the 94th
Psalm, Renbke. Ilenbke was a German
composer, 1834-1858, a pupil of Liszt
and a great musician. He wrote only one
composition and was possessed with the
Wagnerian style of writing. The selec
tion was continuous, played without a
b r eak. Other numbers included “0 7Aon ’,
Miller; Stella Munis, Dupre; Une Taba-
tiene a Musique (A Musical Snuff-Box),
Liadon-Coci; Berceuse, Vierne; Finale
from First Symphony, Vierne; with
Rondo or “Le Cuckoo”, Coci, as an en
core. “O Zion” was a very descriptive
number in that it possessed such mystic,
weird qualities, that there was a sugges
tion of uncertainty, despondency, hope.
Miss Coci possesses a rare technique
and skill. She demonstrated the many
possibilities of the organ for producing
dramatic effects.
Miss Myra Whittaker
An interesting and wide-awake visi
tor on the campus during the holidays
and into the new year was Miss Myra
Whittaker, of the Baptist Institute in
Philadelphia.
She first became acquainted with the
student body at the prayer service of
January 2, at which she was the leader.
Miss Fleming, who is from this Institute,
introduced Miss Whittaker as the per
son who influenced her to come to Spel
man. During her stay here, Miss Whit
taker met with several informal groups,
exchanging valuable ideas and expe
riences with the students and teachers.
power will disintegrate. It may be a
decade, a generation, or a century, but,
if America assumes her expected leader
ship, the dissolving of Hitler’s rule will
be accelerated.
America has weapons with which she
can accomplish her leadership, namely,
gold and ideals, beliefs and creeds. Twice
in her history America has taken the
lead: when she won her independence
and when she defended democracy. M.
de Lanux believes that America has a
chance to exert the greatest leadership
ever exerted by any country.
In conclusion, he said that if America
DONALD GRANT
Lecture on World Affairs
The first University Convocation of the
new year on January 2 had as its speak
er Donald Grant, Scottish author and lec
turer. Taking the subject “Britain Now
Strikes — War for the Mediterranean
and Africa”, Mr. Grant surveyed exist
ing conditions in Europe and Africa, il
lustrating and making clear his talk by
means of maps. Entirely optimistic re
garding the ultimate success of Great
Britain in the war against Germany, Mr.
Grant stressed the fact that the newspa
pers, magazines, and other sources that
give discouraging accounts of the inade
quacy of Great Britain in the war are
usually just so much propaganda, and,
as such, should not he credited. On Jan
uary 3, Mr. Grant spoke again at a Fo
rum in the Atlanta University Library,
on the subject “A New Order in the
Orient”.
A graduate of the University of Edin
burg, Donald Grant has had extensive
connections with international affairs.
After the first World War, he was en
gaged in relief work in France, Switzer
land. Austria, Soviet Russia, Germany,
and the Balkans. Following the war he
was an organizer throughout Europe of
the European Student Relief, now known
as the International Student Service. Mr.
Grant is well acquainted with the League
of Nations, having spent many years in
Geneva, where he was in international
peace work. An honorary member of
the University of Graz, Donald Grant
holds the Gold Medals of the Universi
ties of Vienna and Innsbruck.
He is one of the most interesting and
well informed speakers ever to visit
Spelman.
plays her part of leadership, the turn of
the tide will begin soon, and we won’t
have to wait fifty years for Hitler’s rule
to disintegrate.