Hon. P. Ramanathan in Union

Hon. P. Ramanathan, K.C., C.M.G., Solicitor-General of Ceylon, spoke last evening in the Union on "The Spirit of the East and the Spirit of the West."

In the opinion of authorities on sociology, said Mr. Ramanathan, the nations of the west are progressive, while the nations of the east are stationary. One of the standards by which the advancement of nations is measured is industrial progress. By this standard the western nations are called progressive and the eastern nations stationary. But the east believes that effort for industrial progress should not be expended beyond a certain point. Industrial progress and spiritual progress should hold a sort of balance. If the goal of action is anything beside the satisfaction of the senses, then the progress of a people should be measured by something besides material advancement.

Another standard by which the advancement of nations has been measured is scientific progress. The man of science investigates things material, and reports the manifestations of some of the brute forces of nature. This knowledge is used merely to make things that will increase bodily comfort, or will destroy enemies. So long as science does not teach us of the author of the uniformity of nature, it fails to develop character.

Political progress is another standard. The intricate game of politics is one that fascinates western people; but how can it develop character? How can politics, with its party systems, its passing and repealing of laws, its electing and deposing officials, change individual love into neighborly love?

From this analysis of the standards by which the progress of nations is measured it will appear that the western nations are not as progressive as they seem. If the present generations persist in following the methods of their fathers, the west will sink to where it cannot rise. In the east there is a balance held between material progress and spiritual progress, and it would be the saving of the west to maintain a like balance.

At the close of Mr. Ramanathan's address he explained a number of interesting stereopticon views of India.