TOUR GUT SHORT

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 103, 28 October 1939, Page 13

TOUR GUT SHORT

VISITOR TO BRITAIN

REACTIONS TO THE WAR

When Britain became at war with Germany, Mr. W. E. Nichols, of Wellington, secretary of James Smith, Ltd., of which he is also a director, was at Inverness, in the west of Scotland, on a motor tour of the British Isles. Mr. Nichols, who is now back in Wellington, stated in an interview today that as a New Zealander who had not previously been out of the country what had left an outstanding impression on his mind was the beauty of the countryside of England, Scotland, .and Wales. The war cut short his tour and, because of the prospect of petrol restrictions, he did not go further than Inverness.

So impressed had he been with the lowlands of Scotland that naturally it was disappointing to leave out the highlands and a tour of the east coast. "Everybody expected bombs to be dropped on this part of the country immediately war broke out," said Mr. Nichols, "and all were surprised and relieved when this did not happen."

The quaintness of the sea ports in the south of England has also left a vivid impression on Mr. Nichols's mind. During his travels he saw a great deal of the preparations to meet the possibility of air raids. In his conversations with business men and private people he found that their reaction to the war was that, although they did- not want it, they were relieved to know that things had come to a head. They realised full well the responsibility falling on them, and also the sacrifices that would have to be made, but they were riieeting the position with calmness and determination.

' There was no exuberance of spirits as troops marched by. The expression on the faces of the people looking on was one of grimness; they were solemn about it all. The only ones' who showed any real signs qf jollification were the troops themselves, who marched by whistling and with bands playing.

Mr. Nichols was also on the Continent, and was in Berlin as a member of a tour party about ten days or a fortnight before war broke out. Not knowing the German language he said that he personally heard nothing to suggest, that within a short time war would come, but an American member of the party felt otherwise about the situation, and they did not linger in the country.

Mr. Nichols paid tribute to the officers and crew of the ship in which he returned for the great care taken by them during the voyage and their skilful navigation under difficult conditions. The male passengers co-oper-ated with them in keeping a look-out in turns for. submarines and seeing that the black-out conditions at night were strictly enforced. At Tilbury Customs officials and Scotland Yard men were very thorough in the examinations they carried put, particularly in regard to photographs and cameras. They looked through all photographs before the passengers were allowed to board the ship and any undeveloped photographic films were, destroyed.