General News

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23086, 31 July 1940, Page 8

General News

Living Between Guns “You were wrongly informed here —the China war did not upset the whole Orient. I did not see in Japan as much sign of war as I do here now,” said Mr R. W. Easier, a Swiss hotel manager from Japan who is in New Zealand on holiday. Mr Easier said that he had seen no soldiers in Japan itself—there were other places to keep them —and latterly he had seen only a few wounded with arm bands. Swiss friends had told him that he should not “live between guns,” but he was in Peking a few months after the Japanese occupied it, and there was no destruction to be seen, only a small crack in the Marco Polo bridge where the war began. Stray Dogs at New Brighton “New Brighton is, I believe, one of the few towns in New Zealand where stray dogs in a business area are not brought under restrictions by. a-by-.law.” said the president of the New Brighton Business Association (Mr C. K. Inrold), in his report to the annual meeting last evening. Mr Ingold said that representations about the dog nuisance had been made to the New Brighton Borough Council and definite steps to improve the position had been piomiscd. “The collecting has -either been very perfunctory, or, what is more likely, the definite steps have not been put into action as the nuisance-is still very prevalent.” Mr D. A. Clarke said that he thought, to be quite candid, that the council was frightened to take action pethaps frightened of losing votes. He favoured the association continuing its representations. Perhaps, he suggested with a smile, the dogs could be treated by the formation of something on the lines of a'corps of “parashooters.” Mr J. H. McIlraith, Mr W. S. Brown (new president), and others agreed that the new committee should continue representations. Work of Youth Centre That the surprisingly large number of 8200 parents and other callers had sought advice at the Youth Centre in “The Press” Building during the year ended March 31, was icpoited by the secretary. Mr N. S. Woods, at a meeting of the Youth Centre Advisory Committee held yesterday afternoon. This number, Mr Woods explained, was exclusive of young pel sons enrolling at the centre. Parents sought advice regarding educational and vocational guidance, and conduct and general welfare problems. Durthe same year no fewer Ilian 988 employeis bad made use of the centre in filling vacancies. The centre had thus built up a volume of information of great value to parents, teachers, children, and employers. Another Fifth Column The Department of Scientific and Industrial Research has recently been engaged in pasture surveys of parts of Banks Peninsula and of Hawke’s Bay. Both projects have had to be pushed through with the utmost speed, and departmental officers at a meeting ol farmers at Duvauchellc yesterday apologised for not having called on every individual farmer in the districts covered. It would have been impossible to spare the time, they explained. “Some of our officers have even been thought to be members of the fifth column, said Mr F. R. Callaghan, secretary of the department. “They have caused some misgivings when they have been seen going round with notebooks and making strange observations.” Fate of Channel Islanders In view of inquiries received as to the whereabouts and safety of persons in the Channel Islands the High .Commissioner for the United Kingdom (Sir Harry Batterbee) says that a Channel Islands Refugees Committee has been formed in London, and a register is being compiled of persons evacuated from the islands before the German occupation. He would be happy to forward any inquiries to London regarding relatives in the Channel Islands of persons in New Zealand; but theie might considerable delay before reliable information could be obtained. Names and addresses should be given in block capitals, and the relationship should be stated. There was at present no means of communicating with persons still in the Channel Islands.—Press Association. Espionage in Japan A visitor to Christchurch from Japan, Mr R. W Easier, knows personally some of the British subjects who were reported yesterday to have been arrested in Japan. Mr J. Cox, the Reuter’s correspondent, went for his honeymoon to a hotel of which Mr Easier was manager, and according to Mr Easier he was very popular with the Japanese. Mr Easier had also known Captain C. H. James and Mr J. F. James when thev staved at his hotel. Spying is right' out of the question for foreigners,” said Mr Easier, “because if you are not a Japanese you are noticeable and you cannot observe if you are noticeable. I speak Japanese very fluently, but I am still treated as a foreigner. I think it must be something else that caused their arrests.” It was possible, Mr Easier said, that reports had been sent overseas which did not please the Japanese. He recalled the arrest and imprisonment of Mr James Young, Japanese manager for the Hearst newspapers for spreading harmful rumours and said that for a while the position was very serious and President Roosevelt even had intervened. "War and Import Restrictions” “With this country being at war and the import restrictions still in force the difficulties of the business community are greater to-day, said the president of the New Brighton Business Association (Mr C. K. Ingold), in his report to the association’s annual meeting last night. “Business wjll not boom until freedom in the world again prevails, and I appeal to all to look, act, and talk optimistically. Our first big job in this our new year is to do all we possibly can to'iassist in bringing the war to a victorious conclusion.” Extra Tasman Flight The Minister in charge of Civil Aviation (the Hon. F. Jones) announced yesterday that there would be an additional trip this week in the trans-Tasman air service. The extra flight would take place from Auckland to Sydney on Friday, and provide a connexion with the incoming flight of the trans-Pacific service, due to terminate at Aucklbnd on Thursday. There would be no service from Auckland to Sydney next Monday, Mail closing times for the additional trip to Sydney this week would be Dunedin, Christchurch, and Wellington, 8 p.m. on Wednesday; Auckland, 10 a.m. on Thursday. The Minister added that, the co-ordination of the time-table of the trans-Tasman service with the trans-Pacific and Empire services was investigated last week by the Tasman Air Commission, and he hoped to be in a position to make a further statement at an early date.— Press Association. Japan and New Zealand “Japan is very favourably inclined towards New Zealand and Australia, though less so to Australia because of tariffs, and I do not think she has any aspirations at present,” said Mr R. W. Easier, a Swiss hotel manager from Japan, who is in Christchurch. Newspapers contained reports only, 'and no political comment in connexion with these countries, -he said. “I think that in Manchukuo China, and what might come, Japan has too much to handle already, and you need not worry. Yet a million and a half is very few people for a country like this.” Mr Easier is an officer in the Swiss army and he got as far as New York on his way to join up, but the day he was leaving New York Italy declared war and he was. prevented from going. “In the last war Switzerland lost her trade connexions because all the Swiss came home,” he said. New Zealand Artists ofi the Air The suggestion that more money should be expended on New Zealand artists than on bricks and mortar was made to the Government by Mr J. A. Lee (Democratic Labour, Grey Lynn), when the broadcasting estimates were discussed in the House of Representatives last night. “I< do not think New Zealand appreciates the way we scrounge for our artists,” said Mr Lee. “We do not want a race of listeners only. We want a race of performers.” He knew that the Prime Minister had the same feelings. It was to be regretted that in these days of radio, the tendency on the part of the people was to get their music by turning a knob. He advocated the establishment of music scholarships out of broadcasting ffinds. The Prime Minister replied that a larger amount was spent on New Zealand talent than on overseas artists. The expenditures last year were £25,250 for New Zealand artists, £7OOO for New Zealand societies, and £2500 for overseas artists.—Parliamentary Reporter. ...