REPUTATION ABROAD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21968, 27 November 1934, Page 10

REPUTATION ABROAD

DOMINION'S HIGH STANDING INTEREST IN SOCIAL LAWS " It is very interesting to the New Zealand traveller to find in what high regard his country is everywhere held," said Mr. D. M. Rae, principal of the Auckland Teachers' Training College, who returned yesterday from an educational tour overseas. " Not only in Britain, but also in the United States and on the Continent of Europe, one finds people keen to know more about this little Anglo-Saxon nation in the South Pacific," continued Mr. Rae. " In Britain one realises that our high reputation is due in large measure to the tradition built up by the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces, and to the belief that we adhere closely to standards set by Britain herself in all departments of life, none being more important than economic theories. To the American, and in lesser degree to some Europeans, we are an interesting people because we still are regarded as fearless experimenters in social legislation. The New Zealander feels somewhat guilty as he listens to the foreigners' praise of our social experiments, that certainly and deservedly attracted international envy in the days of Ballance and Seddon.

'"The effect, however, upon the New Zealander is to make aim determined to urge his fellowmen to realise our high reputation abroad, and to see to it that, a? far as it is possible, an effort should be made to deserve it. "We are sometimes inclined to think we are so far outside the main currents of international affairs that we can forget that ,'there are- also men beyond the mountains.' When one finds groups of men and women in Minneapolis, in Winni£eg or in Copenhagen, who wish to now of our social experiments, of our very.. creditable low infant mortality "or of . how we manage to sell butter to England at 70s a ewt., one realises that we are not altogether by the world forgot."