COSMOPOLITAN SYDNEY

Dunstan Times, 4 March 1935, Page 7

COSMOPOLITAN SYDNEY

A NEW ZEALAND IMPRESSION In the hotel lounge there were an American, a Jew, two New Zealanders, several Australians and a Swedish lady with her English husband on leave from an important Government post in China. A couple of Italian harpists played softly in their room. New Zealanders greeted one another joyfully or explained to their new Australian friend that Auckland is not the capital of the Dominion, and that Mount Cook is nowhere near Tongariro National Park. This is quite an ordinary illustration of Sydney’s cosmopolitan character, While it would be misleading to say that the voice of Babel is the voice of Sydney it would, at least, be accurate to say that every voice that was heard among the workmen on that historic Tower is heard at one time or another in the streets, in the cafes, or in the shops of Sydney. The ships of all the world come and go on the harbour of the third largest “white” city of the Empire. The sailors—Japanenese, French, Italian, Indian, Dutch—stroll about the streets, exclaiming at the articles in the shops,comparing prices, or seeking directions from the policemen controlling pedestrian traffic. Many of the shops bear on their windows the words ‘Tci on parle Francais.” Chinese cafes, Greek restaurants, the Latin cafe, kasher shops, and of course, the (French, Italian and German clubs and little weekly newspapers all bear witness to the varied nationality of the population. The first taxi I called in Sydney was driven by a Frenchman. I have inspected flats with Spanish, French, New Zealand, Welsh, English and Irish proprietors, and already I have collected the opinions of women of several nationalities on the place and function of woman in the worldThe churches, too, add to the cosmopolitan quality of Sydney. Besides thpse of J the usual Christian sects and the Great Synagogue, there are, in . thq pity proper, a Greek chqrch, a little Gerrpao Lutheran church and, in the Chinese quarter near Central Station, there is a Chinese Presbyterian church. More than likely these are only a few of the “foreign” places of worship. A humorous incident occurred in a cabaret the other day. The chef, who speaks an admixture of French, Italian and broken English approached the cashier in a frenzy of frustration. “I cannot make &e greengrocer understanV’ he wailed. “Half an hour haf I been on ze phone, and still he do not understand” When the cashier rang the greengrocer he turned out to be a Chinese who had difficulty in understanding even the most flawless English." So what he thought of the French* Italian’s attempts Buddha alone isnowsl