TENSE FEELING IN MODERN GERMANY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVIII, Issue 233, 1 October 1937, Page 10

TENSE FEELING IN MODERN GERMANY.

Sydney Resident Gives Impressions of Tour.

"Don't ask me to say anything about Germany, because I hated it," said Mrs. A. J. Collins, of Sydney, who passed through Auckland in the Monterey to-dav, having completed a world tour.

'•Friends of mine who have lived in (Jprmany eoemed to find the people there very happy, hut I myself think that it is very difficult to know. The men. of course, are very enthusiastic, and the young children, too, but I would not like to say that the women were contented with their lot. Everywhere we went people were envious of our trip to England and it appeared that they admired our country because of its quiet traditional government.

"In Germany," Mrs. Collins continued, "everything is mobilised. Children march through the streets wearing uniforms and even the girls are organised for military work, whereas they would be far more capable in their own homes. The people in the south of Germany seemed much more contented than those in the north. We found the general attitude there far less tense and the children were not living in such a continual atmosphere of excitement."

When asked which country she enjoyed most, Mrs. Collins said that during her whole tour she had learnt to be very proud of being British and that of all the countries she had visited Kngland was the most delightful.

"English people are always polite," slio said. "Even if you are walking down the streets in the poorer areas you are struck bv the behaviour and courtesy of the race." Clean Cities. As well a« England and the Continent Mrs. Collins and her husband visited the Dutch East Indies, Singapore and fienoa. During the first part of the tour they travelled in Dutch ships, which she emphatically stated were very comfortable and clean.

Talking about cleanliness, Mrs. Collins ranked the cities of the world in thU order—Edinburgh, Berlin and Lucerne. "And not meaning to be offensive," she added. "I found Dublin the dirtiest; in fact, the whole of South Ireland was distressing."

Another thing that impressed Mrs. Collins was the comparison between the French and Italian Rivieras. English tourists were ahuniiing Italy, and compared with the gay crowds the French territory the Italian Riviera was dull.