FAIR LUXEMBOURG

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 122, 8 February 1923, Page 4

FAIR LUXEMBOURG

NOW IN BELGIAN CUSTOMS UNION HOW A PLEBISCITE WAS DEFEATED “1 am a Luxembourger, and I have been home to sco my people,” said the Rev. Father Gondriuger, of the faculty of St. Patrick’s College, in an interview yesterday. Ho has just returned to Wellington after fourteen months absence abroad in many places and Luxembourg is a small independent State between Belgium and Germany, of which little has been heard since the beginning of the war, when the Hun armies were conducted through it.en route to the slaughter-yards of unprepared Belgium. Luxembourg protested, but in vain. She had no army, no force to support any argument with Germany in a bullying mood. Father Gondriuger was eleven years of ago when he left the city of Luxembourg to be educated in Belgium, France, and England, and his boyhood’s memories are very precious to him. He stated yesterday that before the war the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg was in the Germanic Zollverein, but economically and politically it was entirely independent. After the war the Allies ordered that a plebiscite should be taken in the Duchy to determine whether Luxembourg would enter the Belgir>i or the French Customs Union. H. was on record that 87 per cent, of the people of thq State voted for France, yet the Allies allotted her to Belgium. There was bad blood over it yet, for rightly or wrongly the Luxcmbjjurgers were afraid that Belgium would swallow them politically, a fate they did not anticipate with any feelings of pleasure. “Luxembourg and Holland,” he continued, “are the only two European States that are ruled by\women. The Grand Duchess is adored by her people. The ex-Grand Duchess abdicated after the war, owing to the attacks of the Socialists, and her sister succeeded her; She married into the Orange family, and has two children, so that the succession, is assured. None of the countries of Central or Western Europe can be said to be in a happy or pirosjierous condition. They are all upset and restless, but the people of Luxembourg generally are happy under the present dynasty. French is the- favoured language, but in Parliament a member can speak either German or French, whilst the common tongue is the Luxembourg dialect—a first-cousin to Flemish, Dutch, and English.” Whilst in Luxembourg, Father Gondringer took an opportunity offered him to lecture at the Boys’ College on New Zealand, and so great was the interest that 500 people He showed thirty slides of Now Zealand scenery and industries lent to him by the Tourist Department, which created immense admiration. They were so well received that a film man asked leave to show them in the evening in the public square at Luxembourg, -where they were seen and admired by thousands. Many people inquired 'about New Zealand as a place of settlement. “They .would make splendid settlers,” said Father Gondrmger. “They are simple, hard-working, God-fearing people, who work from 3 a.rn. until sundown. The famous Moselle vineyards are there. They are the northernmost vineyards in Europe for openair vines, and in order to tend them the peasants have to work early and late.” Father Gondringer also visited Germany, spending some time in beautiful Munich, Bavaria. When ho reached Germany the exchange rate was 1200 marks to the £1; when ha left it was (10,000 to the £l. and it is 125,000 today. “People often criticise the Germans for spending their, money so freely as thev do,” he said. ‘ Why should‘they not? If they know the money they have now will be half its value' a month hence, why should they not spend it? If you know a shilling will only be worth a penny in a month would vou not try and get the best value for it? It is only common sense 1”