AMERICAN FRIENDSHIP

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 22, 26 July 1939, Page 6

AMERICAN FRIENDSHIP

MR. D. A. EWEN

RETURNS

BIG ROTARIAN CONFERENCE

After taking part in the conference] of Rotary International at Cleveland' Ohio, Mr. D. A. Ewen, of Wellington, district governor of Rotary in New: Zealand, arrived at Auckland from] Vancouver by the Niagara, says the "New Zealand Herald." "o\'er 10,000 representatives were registered for the conference," said Mr. Ewen, in a brief review of his trip. "They came from every country in the world except Germany, Italy, and Spain, where Rotary is a banned organisation. There Avere seven New Zealand Rotarians present besides myself. So many subjects were discussed that it would take quite a long Avhile to summarise them, but the central topic Avas 'international service.'

Rotary, with its 200,000 members, of course knows no politics, but it seeks to do everything possible to promote understanding and good will between people of all nations." Before the conference Mr. EAven attended a very pleasant "assembly" of' district governors at Warm Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. He also A'isited Washington, Toronto, and Chicago. SAW ROYALTY WELCOMED. While in Washington the NeAV Zealander saw King George and Queen Elizabeth Avelcomed by President Roosevelt on the steps of the Capitol, Avhen they met both Houses of Congress on the second day of their visit. "The temperature was over 90 degrees, and it was terribly humid, but the Queen seemed perfectly cool and charming. I thought that the King looked very tired, and no wonder, for| he had to Avear morning dress or uni-j form for all the ceremonies. There isi no doubt that the visit has had enor-i mous influence in increasing American! good will for Britain —I saw signs of j it everyAvhere. It is hard to imagine how the King and Queen could have made a better impression." PRO-BRITISH FEELING. Throughout his tour, Mr. EAven J found that the Americans he met had! a strong and apparently well-rooted i aversion to Nazism and Communism, and an equally strong regard for j Britain. Their sympathy with Britain j in her stand against aggression, however, did not noticeably extend to France, Avhich Avas hardly ever mentioned. In domestic politics there was very general apprehension over the enormous National Debt, Avhich in the past seven years had increased from 16 billion to 40 billion dollars, and was still rising. Nevertheless, from what he could gather, taxation was on a much lower level than in NeAV Zealand. Mr. Ewen was Avelcomed on arrival by the retiring district governor, Mr. G. W. Hutchison, and was the guest of the Auckland Rotary Club at its annual conversazione on Monday night. He and Mrs. EAven will spend a few days in Auckland before returning to Wellington.