EUROPE IN THE CRISIS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22591, 22 December 1938, Page 10

EUROPE IN THE CRISIS

City Businessman Returns

EXPERIENCES AND IMPRESSIONS

Views on Industry And Defence

"It is interesting to look back on, but it was not pleasant while it lasted," said Mr H. R. Best, a city businessman, whose experiences in Czechoslovakia during the crisis were reported from London in "The Press" on Monday. He has just returned to the city, and in an interview yesterday he discussed his experiences and gave his impressions of economic conditions in European countries.

Mr Best said that he gathered that there was a definite feeling among the Czechs that Britain had let their country down. He returned to England after a very harrowing time, during which he spent 36 hours without food, being given only a drink of brandy, and found that, although there was a feeling of enthusiasm over the return of Mr Chamberlain alter the settlement at Munich, as well as relief that the danger of war had been averted, the reaction came very quickly, and the feeling that peace had been secured at the expense of honour began to grow stronger. He saw no sign of panic in England; but there was a feeling of tension, and crowds thronged the railway stations, many Londoners having secured houses in the country for as long a period as two years. Two American warships came to take away American visitors to England, and business was absolutely at a standstill. Views antl Conditions in England After the crisis there was a strong feeling that the defence of England was not all that it should be, he said. He himself had a brother in charge of a munition factory, who expressed the view that production was being held up by Government red tape. It was becoming gener-

ally felt that the men in the Government in charge of defence were inefficient and lax, and that England was not as well prepared as people had been led to believe after the huge amounts that had been spent or. armaments.

Discussing business conditions, Mr Best said that the manufacturing industries, with the exception of engin-! Bering, which was being stimulated by rearmament, did not seem to be in a very satisfactory position. Many textile, footwear, and woollen factories were working only half time, and the cotton industries in Manchester seemed to be in the doldrums. Retail business had come practically to a standstill during the crisis, but before he left the reaction had begun, and one leading house had reported a record week.

The result of the last General Election in the Dominion had not been a surprise in England, Mr Best said. He did not find any evidence of animosity to the policy being pursued by the New Zealand Government; the attitude seemed to be that New Zealand was a country of advanced policies, although possibly she was going a little too fast If she succeeded, however, good luck to her. English people, in fact, seemed to be very friendly towards New Zealanders, and whenever he mentioned that he had come from New Zealand people went out of their way to oblige him. The assistance given by the High Commissioner's office was -also very helpful. European Impressions

Brieflv discussing his impressions of other European countries, Mr Best said that in Scandinavia, in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, he had found conditions very prosperous. There were no very rich or very poor people, but everyone seemed -•to be doing very well. They were very friendly towards Britain. In France there seemed to be an underlying feeling of mistrust of Britain, and the general atmosphere was not so favourable to the English. Holland and Belgium, however, seemed friendly. In Germany the officials were domineering and hostile, but the people themselves seemed friendly. The older people seemed to be against war, but young people were ready for it. and ready to follow wherever Hitler led. The* country was suffering from a poor and limited food supply. He saw ample evidence of the persecution of the Jews' in Germany, he added. He saw shops which had been smashed, and posters depicting the Jews as coarse, unkempt monsters. Mr Best said that there was a great improvement in Italy since he had last been there, especially in the housing and roads. The country was not dominated by officialdom to anything like the same extent as Germany. One of Mr Best's conclusions from his trip was that England needed "a shaking up." People were flabbergasted at the camouflage of the defence situation and the lack of efficiency. There seemed to be too much of the family tradition in the Government and not enough business ability.