BRITAIN PARAMOUNT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19976, 19 June 1928, Page 10

BRITAIN PARAMOUNT.

HIGH PRESTIGE OF NATION. GREAT REVIVAL OF TRADE. PROGRESS MADE IN EUROPE. SIR JAMES GUNSON'S IMPRESSIONS. "I am quite satisfied, after my extensive tour of Great. Britain and the continent of Europe, that in financial and commercial circles and in politics Great Britain is paramount," said Sir James Cunson, 011 his return by the Niagara yesterday from a 17 months' tour abroad. "Great Britain lias the best men in all these spheres and there are none comparable to them, in my opinion, in any of the other countries I visited. lam not speaking of individuals, but of the leaders of these respective interests, and of the communities. the men upon whom the progress and life of the nation depend." Many different happenings contributed to the creation of this impression in the mind of Sir James. One was the standing of Great Britain abroad ;i,s reflected, among other things, in the universal acceptance of British paper currency. "In file circle of world Powers to-day, our nation is absolutely supreme," hg said. "She dominates Europe, and English is spoken everywhere. Her currency is the only currency which is universally accepted. I travelled through 12 countries in Europe with only British Treasury notes and Bank of England notes and these were accepted without question everywhere at the current rate of exchange. That fact alone is a remarkable tribute to the stability of Britain and the high regard in which she is held abroad. I saw travellers with other currency being refused change. Even the currency of the United Stales of America is not accepted everywhere." Efficiency and Progress. In Great Britain there had been a wonderful revival of trade during the past 18 months, said Sir James. The efficiency of the industries and public services had been very impressiv" particularly the Post and Telegraph .Department and the railway services. "Notwithstanding the fact that the English railway systems are passing through a most difficult period in maintaining and developing their passenger and goods traffic in the face of serious competition from the roads, they remain the best railways in the world," said Sir James. "None of the Continental railways can compare with those of Great Britain. The efficiency and enterprise which has made possible the running of non-stop express trains between London and Edinburgh is typical of the enterprise which is being shown in the Mother Country to-day." The unemployment position had considerably improved and his investigations into the payment of the "dole" led Sir James to believe that the condemnation of the system which was freely indulged in some time ago was unjustified. The "dole" came fiom an unemployment insurance fund, three-quarters of which was contributed by employers and' employees, and was therefore a direct charge on industry and wages, and the remainder was provided by the State. Annual payments into the fund were approximately £45,000.000, a figure round about the total value of New Zealand's exports. Recovery of Austria. Sir James spent six months of last year in Europe, travelling 12,000 miles by motor-car through France, Spain, Italy, Austria, Hungary, 'Czecho-Slovakia, Switzerland, Belgium, Holland. Denmark and Germany. Excluding Germany, which lie said was in a class by itself, and whose people were more akin to the British, Sir James gave to Spain first place for progress among the Continental nations, He was greatly surprised with the modern condition of the cities and with the wondeiful business activity which was being shown in that country. Madrid was a very line city, which had been rebuilt during the past 50 3ears. The seaport city of Barcelona showed remarkable growth, its shipping and industries generally haying increased marvellously. Austrians, Sir James and Lady Gunson found the most hospitable, and the country was developing very well. Vienna was recovering from the ravages of the war and the famine that followed, and a good share of the tourist traffic of Europe was .now going to Austria. Activity ill Building. In Italy, Mussolini was masterfully Supreme. He was well looked upon through the nation, and the business inen spoke well of him and the great work lie was doing. One of the noticeable features in all countries was the great building activity. New buildings were going up in all cities and with great rapidity. "It was all evidence of growth and prosperity although on the Continent, as in Great Britain, there has been a tremendous change of ownership," Sir James said. "Many previously prosperous concerns and people vrere now poor, the wealth in numerous cases having passed into other hands. The r:hajige explains in a great degree the many complaints that have been heard as to hard times, but when the position is analysed, it is found the wealth of the Continent, and in England more especially, is still enormous. In a word, one nf the outstanding features of current life in the Old World is the change of control."