RUSSIA AND SPAIN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 233, 3 October 1933, Page 9

RUSSIA AND SPAIN.

GRADUATE'S IMPRESSIONS. Mr. G. T. Wilson, of New Zealand, who reached Wellington yesterday by the Makura, en route to his home, after graduating at Cambridge University, said that in Spain a struggle was taking place between Communists and Monarchists, with Republicans between them. The strongest influence on fashions, customs and business was that of Britain, not France, as formerly.

In Russia Mr. Wilson saw few signs of unemployment, but there was lack of co-ordination between the various sections of industry. There was frequent disorganisation of transport. • He was impressed by the social services, particularly education and chikl welfare. On the other side of the picture there were long bread queues, poor quality food, a serious shortage of houses, and the absence of freedom of speech. Propaganda, met at every turn, soon tired him. The marriage tie had been seriously weakened by the ease with which divorce could be obtained. The Church, lie was assured, had not been destroyed, but lie discovered that youthful people did not go near the 90 or more churches in Moscow. In that city he heard a symphony played by an orchestra of hundreds before thousands of people, who were admitted free. Poland and Finland appeared to be slices cut away from Russia which had fared better than the trunk from which they came. Neither was attempting a social experiment like the Soviet.