TRAVEL IMPRESSIONS

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 232, 29 June 1939, Page 13

TRAVEL IMPRESSIONS

Address By Mr. Justice

Smith

PRAISE FOR NEW ZEALAND

“Having been round the world, one returns with the conviction that, if we can defeud this little country, we have oue of the best places in the world to live in," said the Hon. Mr. Justice Smith, in giving some impressions gleaned on a recent tour at the monthly luncheon of the Wellington Returned Soldiers’ Association yesterday. Introducing the speaker for the day, the president of the association, Colonel A. Cowles, said that Mr. Justice Smith had taken a leading part in. the affairs of the N.Z.R.S.A. during its early and critical period. He was Dominion vicepresident from 1920 to 1925, and stated the case for the returned soldiers before the Pensions Commission, presided over by Mr. Bartholomew. S.M., the findings of which were incorporated in the Pensions Act, 1923. This Act, among other things, provided for the establishment of the Pensions Appeal Board, and recognized the principal of the economic pension. His Honour had also formulated the constitution of the New Zealand R.S.A., a solid rock on which the association had been built, and which had stood the test of lime. Mr. Justice Smith first described his visit to Java, with its teeming millions of people. If the Javanese were warlike people, they might give some trouble, he said, but fortunately they were a docile race, and the Dutch were excellent organizers. Passing on to India, the speaker said that that country owed a tremendous amount to Great Britain, and had received a great advantage from its British connexion. While the better class of Indians was grateful for what Britain bad done for the country, there were many who considered that the English were exploiting India for their own ends. An Indian in Madras had said he would not fight for the English against Hitler. In Delhi lie found that some of the educated Indians held the opinion that Britain was purposely pursuing a policy of divide and rule. In Bombay he found that the majority of the Congress leaders pre? ferred British rule. The holy city of Benares presented many strange sights. Bodies of dead babies and donkeys were to be seen floating on the bosom of the Ganges. The natives considered that the waters of the river were sacred. Italy's Aggressive Spirit. The New Zealander found a spirit almost of aggression in Italy. Great figures in stone of athletes in action and wrestlers at grips were displayed round the jvalls of the stadiums, and Signor Mussolini had surrounded the walls of the old Coliseum with maps showing how he intended Italy to develop. The same idea was carried out by means of electric fights in the great now stadium which the Duce had had erected. Italy itself was under strict control as far as propaganda was concerned.

In Germany physical power was exalted. Everyone was at work, and the whole country was throbbing with industry. 'The speaker was in Berlin during the crisis in September last, and was advised not to meddle with politics, which he was told were high matters and difficult to understand. One German told him that Britain was going to murder 300,000 of Germany’s blood brothers. The Nazi officials kept the people ignorant of what was going on. Though it was clear that the Germans certainly meant business during the crisis in September, the bulk of the middle-aged German people were not in favour of war.

17io visitor found that the people of the United States of America took a great interest in international affairs, as a result of being kept well informed by radio and Press. One man in Kansas City asked why England did not fight to defend Czechoslovakia, and Mr. Justice Smith replied by asking, “Why don’t you?” As a result of his tour, Mr. Justice Smith said, be found that New Zealand was not well known overseas; in fact, many people did not. know whore it was. A vote of thanks was carried to the speaker by acclamation, on the motion of Colonel C. H. Weston.

Mr. S. Ridley sang "Vienna, City of My Dreams,” and “I Love the Moon,” Mr. G. Holloway acting as accompanist.