OVERSEAS VISITORS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 64, 13 September 1939, Page 14

OVERSEAS VISITORS

TRAVEL CLUB RECEPTION

VICE-CONSUL WELCOMED

Language difficulties were shared by M. and Madame Olga Cuelho, of Brazil, and Mr. M. J. Pripp, of Sweden, at the Wellington Travel Club's reception in the Majestic Cabaret yesterday afternoon. Mr. Pripp, who is the newly-appointed Swedish Vice-consul in Wellington, has, however, mastered English very well, his unfamiliarity with the language being evident yesterday only in the slight pauses he made between sentences when he was obviously searching for words and grammatical sequences. Madame Cuelho was charmingly frank about her difficulty with the unfamiliar tongue. "So thank you veer much for your welcome now—l am sorry my English is veer poor," she said.

The guests were welcomed by the chairman, Mr. G. G. Stewart, who called on the travellers to speak after tea had been served. Co-guests of honour with the overseas visitors were Mr. and Mrs. John Aston, who recently returned from a trip to America. Others present were Mr. M. Ralph, Miss Andri

Bevan, Miss M. Morris (Cape Town), Miss R. Wiseman (Auckland), Mrs. C. Launder (Hastings), Miss Sears (Wanganui), and Mrs. Perry (corresponding secretary of the federated women's clubs of America). FRIENDLY RELATIONS. Mr. Pripp said that he had been charmed by the friendliness and hospitality shown him by officials as well as individuals since his arrival in the Dominion. Sweden and New Zealand, he stated, had much in common. Both shared the same ideas, and both countries were thoroughly democratic and in the front rank when concerned with enlightened legislation. A very great bond was the love and traditions of freedom which were integral parts of both Sweden and New Zealand. While in Wellington Mr. Pripp hoped to develop the friendly relations which already existed between the two countries. Mr. J. T. Martin, Consul for Sweden, who was present with Mrs. Martin, made a brief speech of welcome and J told of Mr. Pripp's distinguished record in" the service of lus country. BRAZILIAN TRAVELLERS. Madame Cuelho had pinned a spray of golden daffodils on the shoulder of' her white petticoat frock which she/) wore under a smart pony skin coafi and with a matching "cocks comb? hat. In an amusing speech, underline* with a note of seriousness when she spoke of the friendship of Britain anp Brazil, and of the progress Brazil hail made since its discovery by Portugal in the sixteenth century, Madame Cuelao poked sly fun at her own accent amd achievements. "In England," she explained, "they will always laugh at my English, yfes! No, not laugh, but they smile. If ybu smile I will not be angry at all. I hope that if you listen to my broadcast songs you will find they are a little bit better than my English. "All South America is at the side of England," the speaker avowed during her speech. "All the countries in the Continent are democratic entities; they are new countries peopled with happy inhabitants; they are ready for new ideas; they side with justice and therefore could support no other country but England." In a brief speech M. Cuelho congratulated New Zealanders on the art thye had made of welcoming strangers . and on the lovely land which was their heritage. He had, he remarked, once said that Brazil was the most beautiful | country in the world. "Now,"/ he I added amid laughter, "I am not so j sure." AMERICAN TOUR. A brief summary of his recent American tour was givsn by Mr. John Aston, who gave many points of interest and described some of his unusual experiences. He told of the attitude of many Americans towards the Neutrality Act, stating that the general feeling seemed to swing towards a desire that America should support England and France. If all democratic countries, including the United States, would stand together, the question of war would never have arisen, he stated in conclusion. I During the afternoon songs were sung by Mrs. F. L. Wood, accompan- | ied by Mrs. Burnand, Miss Marjorie Millar, of Palmerston North, giving j elocutionary items. Hostesses for the afternoon were Miss Amy Kane. Mrs. Stanley Gyles, Mrs. W. Burton Mrs. W. O. Urquhart, Mrs. G. T. Wilson, Mrs. G. Castle, and Miss N. E. Dono- ■ van (secretary).