Happy Conditions in Germany

North Canterbury Gazette, Volume 7, Issue 59, 26 November 1937, Page 2

Happy Conditions in Germany

A NEW ZEALANDER’S

IMPRESSIONS

“11l Germany we found better-kept towns and better-kept building than anywhere on our travels. We found in Germany, too, an almost entire absence of street begging.” This was one of the interesting things told “The Dominion” by Mr J. D. Briasco, a prominent Napier business man, who has returned after a nine 'months’ trip abroad in the course ol which he visited Great Britain, Germany. France, Belgium, Canada, and the United States of America. Mr Briasco confessed that he had gone to Germany with a feeling of prejudice against the Nazi administration, but came away prepared to praise many things which it had brought about, for instance, the Hitler Youth Movement. This was aimed first at the developjLucnt of the physique of the child, both boy and girl; secondly, a years compulsory service in labour battalions, compulsory for rich and poor alike. It

aimed at the ennoblement of work even in its most most lowly way was sometho ideal that to serve one’s country even in the most lowly way was something of which to be proud. This movement, incidentally, was giving Germany some of the finest roads, bridges, building and other permanent works in the worldMr Briasco does not think the German youth movement aims at the inculcation of war spirit. He thinks, too, that the present form of government, or some variation of it, is inevitable in Germany in the meantime. The multiplicity of political parties before the advent of the Nazi regime— there -were scores of them — was against tho democratic system as British countries knew it. During his visit to Germany he visited not only Berlin, but Dresden, Leipzig, Frankfort, Cologne, Essen, Wiesbaden and other cities. Invariably he found the people Avell dressed and apparently happy and contented. On the outskirts of most German cities ho found a large area of land set aside for workers’ kitchen gardens. These were invariably well tended