NEW ZEALAND OVERSEA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20462, 14 January 1930, Page 10

NEW ZEALAND OVERSEA.

PUBLICITY IN BRITAIN, GOOD WORK BY OFFICIALS. IMPRESSIONS OF MR. R. BELL. A year's tour abroad has been concluded by Mr. Robert Bell, of Christcbufch, Chairman of the World Press Congress, who returned from Europe by the Aorangi yostorday* • Mr. Bell, who has travelled very widely iu recent years, did not on this occasiou go off the beaten track, but he saw much of interest. After spending two mouths iu the United States and Canada, he crossed to England, and later made a eomprelionsivo tour of the Somme battlefields.

Among the places visited were Lille, Armentieres, Arras, Albert, Bapaume, GrevillGrs, Delville Wood and -Vimy Ridge. He said he was much impressed by the completeness with which cultivation had been restored, The war cemeteries, lovingly, cared for and gay with flowers, were like islands in a sea of corn, among which poppies grew. A contrast was the battlefield of Vimy Ridge, preserved in its old desolation as a memorial to the Canadians who capturfed it. Advertising Dominion.

Thence Mr. Bell went by way of Paris and Switzerland. to the German Rhineland, staying at Heidelberg and Frank-fort-on-Main, and on to Berlin, returning through Belgium to London. Mr. Bell spoke in very high praise of the work done by Mr. H. T. B. Drow, New Zealand publicity officer, in keeping the Dominion and its products ever before the eye of the ' British public, through weekly journals, posters, films and, last but not least, the excellent window displays' at New' Zealand House in the Strand. It was not at all unusual, he said, to see people standing five deep in front of these windows, especially when trophies of New Zealand deep-sea angling were on view.

Also he noticed the very effective activities of Mir. Neville Wright, of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, who is Attached to the High Commissioner's staff as liaison officdr between the New Zealand exporter British consumer. Mr. Wright bad done much to ascertain the consumers/ needs, to investigate complaints and to necure recognition of New Zealand brands upon goods. Empire l'ree Trade. Regarding Lord Beavorbrook's campaign for Empire free trade, Mr. Bell said that quite apart from 'problems which the scheme raised in the Dominions, it, was evident that there would be much opposition in Britain to anything which tended to increase the price of food.

Germany at present was paying an export bounty equal to 10s a quarter on wheat, and was undercutting the British grower. The outlook for agriculture in the Homeland was depressing, and it was hard to see whore a remedy was likely to be found.

On v .is travels Mr. Bell met many New Zealanders. " They seemed to bo everywhere," ho said. "I can only• conclude that the Dominion's people are taking more holidays /abroad than they used to do."

Mr., Bell was not occupied with Press Congress business in the course of his trip. He was appointed president in 1026 and will hold office until after the next congress, which is expected to tako place in 1931.