MR. LOCK'S TOUR.

Colonist, Volume LI, Issue 12679, 26 October 1909, Page 4

MR. LOCK'S TOUR.

(Continued.) Germany considers that its fleet can at present easily hold its own against any navy in the workl, except Ureat lii-itain's, and that, owing to the peculiar situation ot their main x'orts, it is absolutely necesary tor them to have a good navy to protect them. They are increasing their navy at a greater rate than Uritain, and their population is -increasing about threo times as fast as Britain's. It is to bo hoped tliat hostilities may never occur between two such powerful nations j such a tiling would Oe dreadful to contemplate. Whatever may be the real object of Germany in maintaining such a magniheent army, and the activity she is displaying in, building ships ot war,* is not plainly evident, but it seems imperative that Britain and her colonies must not simply look on whilst Germany and otner 'continental nations are being so well prepared for war. Britain's rulers must see that they also are well equipped for defence purposes, it has been said that "to Keep peace we must be piepared for war," but I heard a man remark that this was tantamount to saying that it you want to keep peace with your orother you must shaKe your list in his face'; May the day soon come when Hll national disputes will be settled by arbitration. Oid age pensions were in operation in Germany long before this country made provision for them on the Statute Book, but their system is different to ours, inasmuch as the workmen pay for the pension by way of compulsory insur* ance, the premiums bemg deducted irom their wages. There are 18,743,---000 workmen in Germany who received from 1885 to 1895 about two hundred and fifty million pounds in the way ot pensions. There were scarcely any xeuces inland; 1 travelled scores of miles and saw none near the roads, on the farms, nor enclosing the railway lines. 1 might mention that a Ku-s---sian chemist who was employed in an •'apothoko" establishment vi Berlin ivanted to sell. me a composition which would remove writing Irom any paper, ledger, etc., so eilectually tiuiL .t .i-ould not bo possible to tell that it had been there. Ec gavo me some illustrations ,* it removed words and ngures without leaving a trace. He had -ottered the formula to a big London firm, who said it was a dangerous thing to have. This chemist was a clever man who could speak five languages. He informed me that of the number of compounds used for a similar purpose none could in anyway compare with his. I wasn't having any. i'rorn Cologne I travelled with a young Hungarian who could speak a little linglisn. On arrival at Paris he put mo in a taxi cab, and instructedthe cabman to take me to the '-Grand Hotel de Loidres." 1 had previously found out that if mj T stay in a foreign city was to be pleasant or of advantage to me I must stay at a good hotel,^ for besides tho porter, and at least one' of the waiters, there was a probability of finding guests staying at the hotel who could speak English. I had already battled my way through countries where four diilerent languages wero spoken, and had to become acquainted with five different kinds of money. After getting settled at the hotel. I took a taxi and drove right through the city to the agents of the steamship company in whose vessel I had voyaged from New York, and there I got some letters. Paris lias a population of threo millions, and that it is one of the finest and most interesting cities of the world goes without saying. (As lam anxious to bring the account of my tour to aii end, it having gouo much beyond what i intended, 1 will give little .more than a passing notice of the other places I visited, but Paris deserves something more than that.) 1 took an electric ear and travelled as rar as the Bastille, passing ou the way iome beautiful parks and gardens, well laid out with -ilower beds of pretty designs, grand boulevards, and hand-some-public and private buildings. 111 tlie evening 1 visited a number of stylish cafes, and later attended tho big Opera House, where a gorgeous performance was given. As far as I could judgo it was a comic opera, but any performance by handsomely attired men and women who were singing and talking in a language one docs not understand would appear a little comic. Noxt day I engaged a guide, on my own, and was taken to the most interesting sights of the city. Among the principal oue were the Arc De Triomphe, a very niasive aifair, said to be the largest in tho world. It is IGO feet high. 146 feet wide, and 72 feet deep. Tlie Bois do Boulogne, a fashionable parade ; here crowds of stylishly dressed peoplo could be seen either walking, driving or riding. It is a very fine park, and the unitary reviews ancl races are held there. 1 saw the monument of Gambetta, the Champs Elysees, Trocadero Palace, then the Eiffel Tower, which was a much larger concern thau I anticipated. 1 invested a franc or two, and was taken up practically to the top ol the tower in a large hydraulic lilt. A grand view of the city and its surroundings is obtained from here. These lifts, or carriages, have stopping places in the tower, where you cau alight at large platforms, and tlio higher you are taken up the more you have to pay. At one of these stages there is a good promenade, with quite a number of shops where souvenirs of the tower, post cards, etc., aro sold; there are also all kinds of slot machines, refreshment rooms, post office, etc. 1 ascended the tower in company with an American gentleman, and we had a good time. JNot far from hero is the famous "Big 'Wheel." lt is a "bonser," and moves very slowly. 1 couldn't resist taking a turn ou this; when at the top one seemed to be a terrible distance from tho ground, almost as high as the "Flip Flap" at the Franco-British Exhibition (which 1 previously described. 1 visited the Palais Royal and The Louvre, with its magnificent art gallery. Li front of this palace are some beautiful gardens and monuments, and the palace hall contains, besides the marvellous collection of beautiful paintings, manycurios. Here could be seen Charlemagne's crown, Napoleon's State sword, the liegent diamond, etc. There are numerous paintings by ltubens, Rembrandt, and Van Byck. There are a number of galleries, all full of paintings, and I noticed quite a number of artists, both ladies and gentlemen, making copies of celebrated pictures. I weut also to a large museum. Paris had some lovely gardens and attracth'e squares — in fact, it has more than its share of bright beauty spots. The shops are very attractive, and make great displays, more especially of ladies wearing apparel. Most of the people in the city are well dressed, aud there are any amount of amusements going on. There is uo doubt that tho people believe in pleasure, but I saw no part of Paris as lively aud gay as Coney Island, near Brooklyn, New York. I saw in the suburbs many nice plantations, and further inland splendid vegetable aud fruit gardens The people appeared to be always eating or drinking, for no matter what time 1 passed the big cafes scores of people wero sitting at small tables in the open eating various kinds of food, and drinking both beer and wine. The. working classes looked very poor, and. hard up. I saw several thousands of them all. a gathering of Socialists. There appeared to be a good deal of discontent amongst thorn, and at this meeting the speakers were very earnI est 'and excited. Several murders I occurred whilst I was in the city, as well as many robberies. I I left Paris for Boulogne, a city of about 150,000 inhabitants. It is a popular Watering placo; and has some particularly fino churches^ I stayedin this :place about ah hour, and took -a fast" .turbine, steamer _ bound for Folkestone (England) , having finished my continental wanderings. _ Although I had on the whole a very interesting time, I wds growing tired of sight seeing and of trying to struggle with foreign languages, whioh w.as anything but pleasant,, and I may say that right through the Continent I seldom enJoyed the food ; it -ivas not to my taste. On several occasions horseflesh w*as tendered to me for beef steak, so I had ho -groat regrets at leaving tho

Continent — in fact, was glad to get away to some Km- 1 >h speaking place. At the same v,..0 w»* some wonderful sights, that well repaid mo for the drawbacks I experienced through not knowing any of the languages. However, I am pleased that I had the opportunity of visiting these foreign countries, seeing their magnificent sights and public institutions, as WgII as obtaining information coiiceniiug tho people, and an insight into their mode of life, aspirations, etc. (To bo continued.)