THE CHANGING ORIENT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20538, 12 April 1930, Page 11

THE CHANGING ORIENT.

PARADISE FOR TOURISTS;

AN AUCKLANDER'S TOUR.

NEW OPENINGS FOR TRADE.

Having made his sixth visit to the Orient, Mr. H. S. Dadley, of Auckland, rvhose loan collection of Eastern antiques is one of the show exhibits in the War Memorial Museum, has returned with th»» conviction that few places in the world offer more interest lo the New Zealander on travel than Dutch Java and the islands of the Malayan Archipelago. Java, he believes, can show the world a great deal in the art of developing tourist traffic, having provided fine hotels, excellent roads and motor services for the benefit of her rapidly increasing number of overseas visitors.

No one going to Java should omit a visit to the island of Bali, said Mr. Dadley yesterday. It has only recently been opened to tourists, and it is the least spoilt by European influence of any island in the East. Indies. During his stay there he spent five days motoring over wonderfully good roads, which traverse some of the most intensely cultivated plantations of any island in the World. New Markets for Butter and Meat. "I think it would be of material benefit to New Zealand," remarked Mr. Dadley, if we could have a direct steamer service to the East, with ample refrigerating space. China, Japan, and the Indies are increasingly using butter, but every pound of butter I saw there came from Australia. If W e have an article to sell it is no use waiting for people to come along and buy it; the market must be created, as the American oil company did when it distributed free kerosene lamps to the Chinese. In these Eastern countries there is undoubtedly a market for New Zealand butter and meat." Mr. Dadley travelled in company with Mrs. Dadley and Miss A. Y. Hay, of Auckland, who was one of New Zealand's delegates to the Pacific.-jßelations, Congress in Japan. Miss Hay, who is at present in Sydney, spent three months in Shanghai studying Chinese politics. "Tokio has changed greatly since I was there last," said Mr. Dadley. "Following the earthquake the city buildings, although built to different designs, all harmonise architecturally, giving a very pleasing and imposing appearance. There has been a, tremendous decline in the number of rickshaws, whose places have been taken by fleets of cheap motor-taxis. Troubles of Japan. "The problem confronting Japan at present is that, having become a large indu's. trial country, the population is unaccustomed and alarmed at the periods of depiession that from time to time occur. The country has a very high birthrate, and the natural increase in the population has drifted into the great industrial centres like Osaka and' Nagoya. These people are quite unused to the modern phenomenon of unemployment and they bitterly resent being out'of work. " There was serious rioting in one town white we were there, when 200 out of the WXJ employees m one of the factories were put off owing to falling markets. This sort of resentment is a problem that seriously worries the Government, which is wondering what may happen if grave industrial depression should in future set

Of all (he cities in the world none was of greater interest than Shanghai,' Mr.. Dadley continued. Chinese history was being made in Shanghai. During the three months he stayed there much disorder took place in the native portions of the city and armed robberies, kidnappiiig and murders were constantly occurring. Chinese antipathy to the Europeans was if anything increasing and no stone was being left unturned to obtain full control of the Treaty ports. Importance of Shanghai.

Shanghai was one of the chief seaports in the world, serving an inland population of 200,000.000, and when the Chinese settled down from their present troubles the city would be exceedingly prosperous. The Chinese department stores were tremendous shops, selling everything fr.ora jewellery to wines. The largest of them was founded by Wing On,, a Cantonese who went, to Sydney and returned to his country inspired by the most modern ideas of commercial progress. The coolie class in Shanghai wag badly dressed and practically living from hand to mouth, a. great contrast to the state of the corresponding class in Hongkong, where they were well-dressed, happy and apparently prosperous. "Hongkong is a credit to the British Empire," said Mr. Dadley. " Since the British took over the Kowloon territory they have turned it. into a model suburb. Everywhere you go you find the rickshaws clean and in good condition and the rickshaw hoys welldressed—a very different state of affairs from what you get in Shanghai." During his tour Mr. Dadley spent a great deal of time visiting the curio shops, and he has returned with many valuablo additions to his already extensive collection of Oriental antiques.