ROTARIAN ABROAD

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 43, 21 February 1938, Page 2

ROTARIAN ABROAD

Experiences in England COMMUNISTS AND FASCISTS From Our Own CorresDondent. HASTINGS, Feb. 19. peopie at Home laid themselves out tc give visitors a good time, and they really overwhelmed us with their kindness,” sai* Mr H. E. Grainger, at the Hastings Rotary Club yesterday v/hen speaking on his experiences at Coronation time in England. Mr Grainger, who detailed a number of invitations that he and his party had received during their stay in London, said that the people went to no end of trouble to ensure that visitors were given a good time, and he attended a number of most enjoyable garden parties and functions. At these gatherings the hosts and hostesses conversed quite freely with the guests, while other notable people lost no opportunity of conversing and exchanging views with visitors from the Dominions.

Mr and Mrs Grainger had an unusual privilege extended to them in that they had a long friendly talk with the Archbishop of Canterbury. It happened through a misunderstanding that Mr and Mrs Grainger arrived too early at the scene of a gathering at which the Archbishop was to be the host, but they were made to feel quite at ease and his Grace conversed with them for some 10 or 15 minutes until other guests arrived. “He was the grandest and finest old gentleman that I have ever spoken to,” was Mr Grainger’s tribute. “Although we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves, really we were glad to get away from London and tour Scotland, Decause life was far too strenuous for us and there was so much to do, see and enjoy,” he said. During the time Mr Grainger was in London one of the outstanding topics was the question of intervention in Spain. Mr Grainger mentioned that at one big gathering which he attended it was stated from a most reliable quarter that under no consideration would the Government intervene in Spain. At the time this was a notable announcement, for there was a big controversy raging on the subject. Communist Parade. One aspect of the controversy that impressed Mr Grainger was the actions of the Communist element. A monster parade was permitted and over 10,000 Communists marched from all quarters of London on to Hyde Park. There were about 5000 policemen drafted to look after the parade and keep the peace, but there' was no disturbance. The bulk of those participating in the parade were women. The reason for this, he supposed, was that the men were working. All carried red flags, and with clenched fist in the orthodox Communist manner sang “The Internationale.” “One thing I did note was that in one section of the parade there was a gathering of children,” he said. “There were several hundreds of them, all with little flags, and it revealed the fact that they were being trained in this horrible and vindictive thing called Communism.” Fascists* Attempt. Mr Grainger went on to say that following this parade and Fascists decided to hold a counter-parade afterwards, but when i$ came to their marching through the streets they encountered hold-ups and street barricades erected by the Communists. The police had to intervene and some of the constables were pulled off their horses. They managed to clear the way, however, but one felt compelled to ask where was the fair play, for in the one instance the Communists had been allowed to march undisturbed, but they in turn were not prepared to allow others to do likewise. Touching briefly upon conditions ar he found them in the Old Country, Mr Grainger said that everywhere he went he was greatly impressed with the contrast that was struck on this visit as compared with his previous visit seven years before. Especially was this so in the vicinity of the shipyards. It was quite obvious that there was no necessity for a man to be out of work except by choice.