CLERGYMAN'S TRAVELS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20402, 2 November 1929, Page 15

CLERGYMAN'S TRAVELS.

ARCHDEACON MacMURIW. THE' PALESTINE TROUBiLiS. BRITAIN AFTER 23 YEARS. After an eight months' tour embracing nearly a dozen countries, the Vera. G. Mac Murray, Archdeacon of Auckland, returned yesterday by the Rangitiiki, accompanied by Mrs. Mac Murray. The travellers left Auckland last February by way of Australia for Palestine, and spent Easter in Jerusalem, witnessing Hie Holy Week ceremonies. Thence they visited Marseilles, the Riviera, Northern (taly, Lucerne and Paris. From London they toured by motor over a large part of the British Isles, and attended the Boy Scout world jamboree at Birkenhead. In the course of a second Continental trip they visited the Flanders battlefields and spent a little 'while in Germany, going as far as Heidelburg. Although the Palestine disturbances did not break out until several months after he had gone. Archdeacon Mac Murray found European residents uneasy and some tension in the air. One intelligent and apparently well-educated Moslem, whom he asked about the state of Palestine under the mandate, replied: "You have brought us law and order, education and good roads, but youi have mads it harder for us to live." Arabs' Living Standard. The man explained that the new regime had imposed a higher standard of living on the Moslem inhabitants, without improving their opportunities for earning mouey. In the old days, when tourists ate the food of the country, rode on horse or donkey-back, and stayed several weeks, the traffic brought considerable profit. Now all travelling was done in trains or imported motor-cars, and much money went out of the countiy. Also, tourists came and went in a few days. This was one aspect of the matter, said the archdeacon. It appeared to him that the troubles of Palestine were: racial, religious, political and economic, and the last class were perhaps the gravest. The Arabs had wanted, noi; a mandate, but an Arab kingdom, embracing both Palestine and Syria. They resected the incursion of Jews, who, liberally financed from Europe and America, bought land and became very efficient cultivators, leaving; the Arab behind in the race. From what he saw, the archdeacon was convinced that the country's difficulties, were unlikely to be settled for a lc<ng time to come.

Revisiting Britain after an interval of 23 years, he noted many cha iges for the better. In spite of all that veas/heard about unemployment, the people sacrned better dressed, and the standard of housing appeared to be higher. It was quite clear that the country was sound at heart. Liquor in Britain.

"One thing that pleased me tvati Iho appearent decrease in drinkin said the archdeacon. "There has been a great improvement. Still, I must isay that it was sad on Saturday nights in the poorer quarters of industrial towns to st'o the hotel bars crowded with men, while their wives and children waited fcrlornly outside. There is no doubt thai six o'clock closing, such as we bavo here, would do a vast amount of good if it were enacted in Britain."

Archdeacon Mac Murray found no signs of any general .decay in English church life. In all parts of the country Lie saw large and reverent congregat ons, and it appeared that the laity were contributing more to the support of church work. Where church attendances fall off, the fault generally lay in i;!he personality oi the minister. A man of the right sort, whatever his "colour," did not la:k a following. So far as the Frayex 800 l controversy was concerned, be beHeved that the new book would be modified in some degree, and would then be accepted by all parties.