AUSTRIAN LADY JOURNALIST.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXIV, Issue 16193, 20 March 1913, Page 4

AUSTRIAN LADY JOURNALIST.

INTERVIEWED AT INVERCARGILL. TIER MISSION TO AUSTRALASIA

AUSTRIA AND GERMANY COMPARED.

THE NONDESCRIPT AND THE PUREBLOODED. [From Ocr Correspondent.] INVERCARGILL, March 19,

Miss Alice Schalek, of Vienna, who is at present in Invercargill, is under contract to the “Frankfurter Zeitung ” to furnish a series of articles dealing with Australia and New Zealand. When approached by a reporter, Miss Schalek was found to be a delightfully entertaining little lady, surrounded by that charming atmosphero of culture and refinement which hangs so gracefully upon, the Viennese. Speaking her English with the hesitancy born of caution, yet choosing her vocabulary with aptness, this little brown-eyed presswoman ripples off her impressions in a style which indicates keen observation and common-sense above the ordinary. She had little to say of herself. For the last five years or so she has knocked about in various odd and unfrequented corners of tho earth, writing up matters of moment for hei own paper, the “Neue i'reie Presse” of Vienna. In this connection she went through South and Eastern Asia, all o\er Europe, and in several other directions. Her present mission is being undertaken in the interests of that all-powerful and muchquoted organ the “ Frankfurter Zeitung,” which maintains a reputation as being tho finest literary newspaper in Germuny. To represent the paper is an honour which has never before fallen to a woman, and Miss Schalek can be pardoned if she entertains just a small degree of pride in tho importance of tho task which slio has undertaken. From her pen have come some books having to do with her foreign experiences and impressions, and when she returns to Vienna she will, under contract, deliver a series of lectures dealing with the present tour. Of Austria also she was loth to speak. “ Ask me not of my own country,” she implored. “ I feel sometimes ashamed of my people when I compare their lot with yours. Here you are, oh ! so free and happy and contented, while in my country, girt about by class and vested interest and heavy taxation, our people are so differently situated. We go back and back, while Germany goes ahead all the time. We are clover in our country. There flourish and are encouraged tho highest forms of art and of literature, of music, of all that makes for the moulding of the artistic temperament: but all the time we go back and back in the march of the nations.”

In explaining this retrogression, Miss Schalek can furnish many reasons. “Those in the high places,” she said, “ know them well, and no good purpose can bo served by giving publicity to them here. Here you fail to appreciate many circumstances which enter into our politic; not at all, and which if touched upon would give rise to bitt r controversy.”

In connection with the trend of European politics Miss Schalek has opinions of her own, and, as might be expected, they are formed on Austrian

ideas of wliat is right or otherwise. Her oy A s b!.i;:cd when she was remindrd of Servian aggressiveness. “ Talk not to mo about t-'orvia. I cry when ! think about it nil; but for that awful dialoinaiic blunder of Austria four

y>?."s ago we should have been in possession of Belgrade. Servia woujd then have b'-en silenced. Wc had no !cVi that th.e Turks were so weak, cubor—another result of our muddling diplomatic representation.” ' Thus, pas od An t.ria’s dream of pos••c'siu.g an outlet b.v any sea other than the Adriatic. She spoke interestingly A her country’s trade problems. Serin’s only market for pigs is Austria, •.•’•.Hi will not take them. It is in pursuit of another market that Servia would pc'- e:s an outlet- on the Adriatic. From Hungary comes all the meat for Austrian consumption. There are to be found the large estates and *he wealthy landowners who control the market. Hence it is that prices are high and Australian, Argentine and New 7>sland produce is denied entrv. A shipment of Argentine meat actual'v arrived, but was promptly sent back by the authorities to the port whence" it name. Colonial manners nrd customs appeal strongly to Miss Rehalek. She comes from a. country where the tinning of servants is a general custom, oven the guests at private houses are expected to line the nalms of the cook, the maids, and the butler. ,• “ Oh. you w"n’t have to do that bora.” ventured Oie pressman. “ Anyhow they wouldn’t take it.” ‘‘Oh! wouldn’t they? "Well. T have tried them, and never yet met with a refusal or a single look of offended dignity. I think, too.” she said, “that there’s a lot of hypocrisy amongst your p-o’-le. Tlmy all co to church, yet there aptvars to he an absence of religion under the surface, A lot goes on surreptitiously wh>ch is. done onenl.v in my country.” Pho was amazed at the freedom which girls had in the colonies. In Austria it was not right for unmarried people of onnosite sexes to fro out together even to the.theatres. TW O of course, women had no vote, and were not r>r : vile r '«'d to occupy pcsi-ti<-ns that con’d lx? filled by" men. Phe eonld not understand how housewives man a 5 r n <3 to get on at all pithout domestic servants. l-Tarking baok to polities Miss Fchalek gave it as Imr ooimon that Germany and /ustw.a had hut little in common beyond the language. Gorman v did not went Austria, and the pvo-Gcvmr.n spirit w.as very unprononneed in Vienna. Germans wore pure-blooded. while the southern p-mule wore enmpeooc! of a ml-rtnre of Plars, Germans. Czechs nmd Serbs. As nations the two were distinct., and would, in her omnion. ev<’r remain so. Mies Pchalek loft for Queenstown yesterday, and wi'l spend five weeks in tho country. _ After revisiting Anstrnlia she will return to Vienna ma New Guinea and tho East Indian Archipelago.