GERMANY OF TO-DAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 262, 5 November 1928, Page 9

GERMANY OF TO-DAY.

PEOPLE DESIRE PEACE.

CONFERENCE IN BERLIN.

DELEGATE FROM AUSTRALIA.

On the day on which the Kellogg Peace Pact was signed in Paris 700 delegates from all parts of the world were attending in Berlin the 25th conference of the Inter-aPrliamentary Union. With great enthusiasm the delegates a resolution supporting the purpose of the pact and directed that a message to that effect should be conveyed by telegram to Paris. One of the 700 delegates is a passenger in the Aorangi. He is Senator H. J. Payne, who for many years represented Tasmania in the Federal Parliament, and he had the honour of being the first to represent Australia at a gathering of the union. "It is probable," said the senator, " that, as was the case with myself, very few people here are aware of the existence of the Inter-aPrliam«-tary Union. For many years it has dwje excellent work. It was responsible for the setting up of the Hague Convention, and played an important part in the creation of the League of Nations." Senator Payne and his wife Btate that there were many novel sensations at the conference in Berlin. With people from so many different countries taking part in the proceedings, the babel of voices could be better imagined than described. The speeches were interpreted into French, English and German. One did not know what interesting people one might be entertaining unawares. At one banquet Senator Payne exchanged cards with a neighbour who proved to possess the interesting name of Trotsky. He hailed from Russia, but was not "the" Trotsky—a brother, probably. Near by was Mr. de Valera, whose countrty of origin is well known. The visitor states that-the union is a growing movement, and he counts it well worth while for Australia to have been represented. " The purpose of the conferences is to discuss matters of international interest," he said, "and I feel that it is a distinct Advantage for a representative of Parliament of any country to have taken part in the discussions." Senator and Mrs. Payne spent some time in Germany. They saw no sign of impaired physique in the young Germans. If these suffere dfrom extreme privations in hte war they have got over the experience, and are now taking an active part in the industrial life of their country. " The people of Germany are very industrious," said the senator. "We were surprised at the amount of energy they put into their work. In one of the largest electrical factories in £he world, which we visited a few miles out from Berlin, we saw that the employees ceased work when a bell was rung at 12 o'cloiflr. The machinetry stopped, and for a quarter of an hour the workers had a hurried luncheon at the benches. The bell then rang for resumption, and immediaately the works were going at full pressure. These workers start at 7 a.m. and leave off at 4 o'clock. The company operates eight factories and has 60,000 employees." In the south-western portion of Germany the visitors noticed great bulk of the work in the fields was done by women and children. When asked the reason they were informed that the land was so poor that it was necessary for the husbands to work in factories while their wives and families tilled the soil. All the same, it was wonderful what results they obtained from farming on a small scale. "Germany," said Senator Payne, "is flooding Europe with literature in the form of pamphlets inviting people to come to their country and see the Germans in their own land. When visitors reach there they are received with the greatest hospitality. This is Germany's way of rehabilitating herself in the estimation of other peoples." Senator Payne states that while there j is still a militaristic part]ftin the land,! the former glory of PotsdaK has passed away, and the people as a whole seem to genuinely desire world peace.