EUROPE IN WAR TIME

Grey River Argus, 7 October 1914, Page 2

EUROPE IN WAR TIME

CHEISTCHURCH BUSINESS MAN'S OBSERVATIONS. It fell to the lot of Mr. H. J. Marriner, of Christchurch, who returned recently from a visit to England, to make a tour of Germany", which was concluded a week or so before hostilities began. In an interview with a representative of "The Press" Mr. Marriner made some interesting observations en his tour. After attending, in Paris, the International Congress of Chambers of Commerce, Mr. Marriner returned to Lon'don, and afterwards went to Germany, where he visited many of the manufacturing centres. Everywhere he went he found the greatest commercial activity; the only place where there were any signs of decrease of business was at Plauen, where lace-making is the principal manufacture. Owing to the caprices of fashion the demand for lace had diminished, and consequently Plauen had suffered. On every hand throughout Germany he saw evidences of the vast expansion of commerce. New factories had sprung up on every hand, and in some centres the factories were working day and night in their endeavour to cope with the orders from all over the world. Germany had made enormous strides in wealth, and the standard and comfort amongst the poorer people had been raised. Mr. Marriner came in contact with all classes oorf r Germans, and discussed with them political and naval questions, and apart from military and naval men he did not hear on single voice raised in approval of war, or any possible war. One or two had expressed the opinion that Avar would be disastrous for. Germany, as it would kill her industries and that the loss of life and prestige would never be compensated, The war on which Germany had embarked was consequently not a war of the people, Mr. Marriner added. As British statesmen had stated, the Allies were not fighting the German people, but were fighting the German war party and the Junker party with the Kaiser at their head. The scenes in Loudon during the first three or four days after the declaration of war, Mr. Marriner said, were such as would never be effaced from his memory. Once the alarm was raised, and war whs declared, there was not one dissentient voice, and every newspaper, irrespective of its political colour, declared that England must do her duty as she did in the time of the great Napoleon. When offers of assistance came by cable from British Dominions the Londoners quickly appreciated the fact that in the Empire's time of stress and trouble Britishers all over the world had offered to help the Mother Country in her difficulty. "I am proud to say, " Mr. Marriner added, "that the first offer of help to appear in the newspapers was an offer of troops from New Zealand. You could hear on all sines: 'New Zealand to the fore again; well done little New Zealand! ' ." Referring to tiie* passage from England in the Rualiine, Mr. Marriner gave a vivid description of the Channel auvu ! with warships, ana of the patrolling of the ocean along the coast of Africa. "You appreciate the navy after a trip like that," he .said. "You begin to ifralise what the British navy really means when, though there was not a vessel in sight when we were steaming off the coast of Africa, we were in touch with British warships all the way. ' '