"YOU IDIOT."

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 230, 29 September 1938, Page 20

"YOU IDIOT."

3CHOOLBOY REBUKED.

DRESSED AS HITLER.

OBJECTION BY SKI TEACHER.

(From Our Own Correspondent.)

SYDNEY, September 24,

Since the New South Wales Premier, Mr. Stevens, dropped the former Chief Secretary, Mr. C'hafToy, from the Cabinet, Nazi influences here seem to have given up interfering in Australian matters stieh as, for instance, what amateur plays Australians are to be allowed to produce in their own country. But an incident which occurred thi* week shows to what lengths in a foreign land their fanatical worship of their leader will drive them.

At a fancy dress donee at the Kosciusko Hotel a schoolboy of Iti went dressed Hitler. Ho was wearing riding breeches with half puttees, khaki shirt and tie, and home-made Sam Browne belt, and hail his hair plastered over hie forchcud and a Hitlerite moustache. The boy was astonished when. in the middle of the ball, nil Austrian ski-ing instructor came up to him aiul said, "Idiot —huh!—von meat idiot. - '

There was a little more in the incident than appeared on the surface, for there have been bitter complaints recently that Australian skiing instructors at the hotel are not allowed to mix with the guests, whereas this Austrian apparently had been, and had in fact taken advantage of it to insult one of them. The manager of the hotel said that he had heard nothing of the incident. If he had heard the instructor talking to the boy like that, he would certainly have "toH Him off." • "I saw the boy dressed' asr Hitler and I thought he was rather amusing," he said.

Next day the instructor, Roland Krossmann, said it was. his duty to express anger Xo anybody who dressed up ae Hitler.

"I wae very angry to see Hitler belittled by a schoolboy," he said. "In Austria schoolings have more respect for the feelings of others. In Germany we used to make fun of Gandhi. That was all right, because he is a funny figure. With Hitler it is different; he must be respected. An Australian Would not like to go to Germany and see somebody dressing up like" Mr. Lycne."

When the. matter was referred to the director of the Government Tourist Bureau, Mr. Lam bee. he took the easy , waj' out. "Herr Krossmann's contract expired last week," he said, "and he is therefore no longer on the staff, so it is no use making an inquiry now."