WHAT NATIONALITY?

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 20, 24 July 1934, Page 10

WHAT NATIONALITY?

PROBLEM OF EMPIRE

A DOCTOR'S DIFFICULTY

Dr. W. J. McNaughton, of .Fiji, illustrates a problem of nationality peculiar to the British Empire. Domiciled as a medical practitioner' in the ' colonial service in Fiji, he has spent several months in Scotland, and, returned to New Zealand-on the .Marama this morning. He will visit his people in Morrinsvillc and stay: two months in the Dominion before resuming. his work in. Fiji. ■',-■..■

The doctor illustrated his difficulty in conversation with an "Evening Post" reporter. "In Scotland they Will insist that I am a New Zealander; in New Zealand they say. I am a Scotchman," said the doctor. f "I was born in Scotland, but received my carlv edu cation in New Zealand. I graduated in,GlasgowJJniversity and tfen S a year in Now Zealand. After that I entered the Colonial Service and have been stationed in Fiji for six years » When it. was suggested, to him that heredity was the strongest factor, Dr. McNaughton disagreed and voted for environment as haying the greatest influence. He had lived in Scotland only as a child and later as a medical student. Scotland was a good country to visit,- but^he preferred to live in New Zealand. He was' glad at, tho prospect of returning to Fiji. "It's warmer" ho said with a smile. The weather had been unusual. From last he spent two months in New Zealand but shivered in the .cold summer. He went to Scotland in early spring.' MONSTER HUNTING. \.Dr. McNaughon spent a day peerintr round the waters of Loch Ness hoping for a glimpse of the "monster", which people declared they had seen the day before. The doctor was disappointed and gave ■up the search only to learn that the monster appeared the next morning. A little later a photograph of the monster appeared in the "Daily Mail.", The reports were considered to be authentic. ' The people in the Old Country Dr MeNaughton thought, seemed very cheerful—much happier than they had been during his last visit. There was still a lot of/unemployment, but the attitude of the peoplo was optimistic. In Scotland the people were quite joyous, especially about Glasgow and the Clyde, because of the number of ships under construction. There was quite a lot of activity on the Clyde.