WRITING-UP THE WORLD

Evening Star, Issue 21036, 25 February 1932, Page 11

WRITING-UP THE WORLD

BOSTON JOURNALIST ON TOUR rm visit ro rew Zealand Globe trotting is the occupation of Mr Marc C. Gr.eene, a Boston journalist, who is making another visit to New Zealand, which, m his opinion, is the wonder country of the world from the tourist point of view. For many years Mr Greene has been wandering round the world, typing as he goes for newspapers in the United States and the East, and for periodicals. A few years ago he visited New Zealand on a Norwegian tramp steamer, his name appearing in the articles as purser. And, he says, ho will lose no opportunity to pay furthei visits to the dominion, which he considers the finest country in the world to live in. / But one objection to New Zealand is held by Mr Green—and that is this country’s operation of its mandate over Samoa, Ho blames the administration of Colonel Allen and Mr Clinkard, now both back in New Zealand, as being responsible for most of the trouble. Mi Greene has written several articles strongly opposing the New Zealand administration. Some sections of the influential Press would have it that the Mau’s career had been brought to an end. That was not true. Only last week he had received advice from Samoa that the Man was stronger than ever, and that recently 17 points had been submittEsd to the new Administrator, who, however, had his policy dictated from Wellington. Mr Greene said that trouble would continue in Samoa until the Government decided to meet the Mau, the influence of which was increasing in the islands. Some years ago Mr Greene was joint editor of an American newspaper published in Shanghai. With the exception of Honolulu, Shanghai contained the biggest American population in any part of the world outside of the United States. The International Settlement, he said, had extended far beyond its original bounds, and the property ol nations was endangered by the fighting close to the settlement. The Japanese had a most efficient fighting machine, but the Chinese were also -well equipped. The more serious and coucentrated the fighting became the greater would be the risk of international complications. The use of aircraft and the concentration of fighting near the settlement provided dangers of bombs landing in the Settlement. Should a disastrous loss of international life be experienced, the position would become verv serious. In Shanghai the United States had' vast interests. The Philippines, which are held by the United States, were not attracting many American citizens, the bu.k of the Americans going only to Manila, said Mr Greene. The Filipinos were demanding independence, and recently Congress had decided to grant indopendence in fifteen years’ time. Congress was merely putting off the day. The Philippines Legislature, by its harsh land laws was making it extremely difficult for Americans to settle in the country. Americans were almost prohibited from taking up land. The Philippines were very rich in resources, but the country was remaining undovelopcd by the difficulties of the land laws.

In recent months Mr Greene has been living at Tahiti, that paradise of the South Seas. He said there was no place like Tahiti in the tropical world in which to live. It was an extremely popular place with Americans, but unfortunately the right type of American was not _ staying there. The class who were going to Tahiti were those whose desire was to live on others. Wealthy Americans also visited the island, but their extravagant displays of wealth were not good. Tahiti and Honolulu—there is no comparison between the islands, either as places of residence or as resorts for tourists, according to Mr Greene, Honolulu was the greatest tourist trap in the world, he declared. The wonderful charms of Hawaii as set out in the propaganda brochures were largely fictitious. The island had been spoiled. Few tourists ever decided to pay a second visit to Hawaii. The Fortescuo case would further diminish the attractiveness of Honolulu to American tourists. Of them, it could not bo said that they were adventuresome souls. They would not go to any part where there was the slightest risk, and they would not travel on anything but tho most comfortable ships. The Fortescue case added an element of uncertaintv to a visit to Hawaii for Americans.

If any country fully merited all that was said or written of it, Now Zealand was the country, said Mr Greene. Ho had never failed to tell people of the wonderful charms of New Zealand and of its people. The New Zealanders were the most courteous people he had met in his long travels round the world; there were exceptions, though, and they were met with frequently, but that in no way diminished the feeling of pleasure which visitors derived from contact with the people as a whole. Every word in the tourists’ advertisements of New Zealand was true, but the written word could not fully <et out the wonders of the country. And, said Mr Greene, Dune liu and the surrounding country exerted a fascination over him. H© had looked fonvard to revisiting Dunedin, a really beautiful city.

Mr Greeno left this nfternoon lor Queenstown, from where Jie goes to Pembroke and Mount Cook.