ON NEW ZEALAND.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 126, 29 May 1937, Page 2 (Supplement)

ON NEW ZEALAND.

AN" ENGLISHMAN'S BOOK.

INTERESTING, ILL-BALANCED,

In the preface to his "New Zealand from Within" (Whitcornbe and Tombs) Donald Cowie says lie has adopted the method of quoting extensively from the views of recent visitors to New Zealand, printed in the Dominion's newspapers. ''These, views are ostensibly those of visitors, but in actuality they are the views of the newspaper reporters who took them down. Therefore, they are the views of intelligent New Zealanders. And they absolve me, in most cases from the unpalatable necessity of defending my own opinions." The notion thus expressed—that newspaper reporters tell the travellers they interview what to say, and then solemnly "take down" their remarks—is ridiculous, and it can hardly be entertained by Mr. Cowie, who spent eight years in New Zealand, and elsewhere in his book praises the Press for reliability. What lie meant his readers to understand is not clear, but a misstatement occurring so early in his book must make discriminating New Zealand readers cautiousin considering his other opinions. Unfortunately readers abroad may be less cautious. The book gives a readable account, in which there are many inaccuracies and much false emphasis, of New Zealand and its people. It is an exasperating book, for the author, having a fresh mind, keen but untrained powers of observation and obvious goodwill, is able frequently to make us see ourselves as others see us, but just as frequently he commits himself to generalisations so rash that the reader's opinion of his judgment is abruptly lowered. He has an exaggerated idea of the New Zealanders' sensitiveness to criticism, and so sets down, with an air of great daring, criticisms that are mostly not new, nor untrue, but no more true of New Zealand than of other young countries. References to New Zealanders as "jealous of Australia, awed by America, and faintly contemptuous of Britain," and to "Messrs. Forbes and Coates, who had long been the laughing stock of every intelligent New Zealander," and to Labour supporters as "ranging from grafters to illiterates, from Jacobins to national socialists of th% Nazi breed, and from Communists to disciples of Major Douglas"—and many more could be quoted —are simply useless echoing** of sectional prejudices, which Mr. Cowie should have been able to distinguish as such. But if the book contained only such errors this review would be much shorter. Mr. Cowie writes vigorously, his range of interests is wide—wider than most New Zealanders—and he has a sense of humour and little disposition to lecture his fellows. It appears that most of his book was written soon after his return to England. It would have been much better if he had allowed himself a year in which his opinions could have been winnowed, and his reflections could have matured.