CHINESE VISITOR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22006, 12 January 1935, Page 18

CHINESE VISITOR

A CLEVER LINGUIST MAKING A WORLD TOUR Smartly dressed in a white linen suit and a white "pancake" hat worn well to the side of the head, Mrs. Jap Eng Ho, a Chinese lady from Java, presented a most attractive little picture when interviewed at Hotel Cargen yesterday. Mrs. Jap, who is making a world tour with her husband, a prominent figure in the tea trade of Batavia, speaks fluent English with just a suggestion of a Continental accent, and in addition can converse in Dutch, Malay, Chinese, German and French. Most of these languages were taught in the schools and colleges in .lava, and Mrs. Jap expressed surprise that more languages were not taught to the children in New Zealand.

Although for children attendance at school was optional in Java, most parents Wished their sons and daughters to be educated, many of the latter being trained as teachers. Very fewtook positions in offices, for although parents in Java were gradually becoming more modernised, there was still considerable conservatism especially with regard to the daughters. Girls in Batavia did not dance much, for instance, and cigarette-smoking among them was unknown. Implicit obedience to parents was an unwritten but strictly observed law in Java, and although Mrs. Jap rather admires the freedom from parental observation which obtains in most white countries of the world, she thought it would bo a long time before such a state of things existed among the races in Java.

During the course of her world tour Mrs. Jap was some time in Germany where she spent a very happy time. She was interested in the great amount of propaganda work which went on practically every night in favour of Herr Hitler, in the nature of meetings and other demonstrations. Everybody in Germany seemed very satisfied under Hitler's regime, Mrs. Jap said. A distinct contrast to German conditions, however, was seen in Vienna, once the gay city of the world. " It was most distressing to see the poverty ■which exists there," Mrs. Jap said. " Beggars are an all too common sight and mothers with babies in their arms implore passers-by for food. Men who served in the war and are permanently injured lie on the streets and all the people are suffering from poverty and starvation." .

' Mrs.. Jap and her husband are very charmed with New Zealand, which they have toured fairly extensively, but Mrs. Jap naively confessed that the shopping hours confused and worried her. Coming into Queen Street on Saturday afternoon on a shopping expedition Mrs. Jap was amazed to find the shops closed.. " I do not like it," she said firmly. " You have to hurry too much on Saturdays." ■■ Mr. and Mrs. Jap will leave to-day by the Mariposa for America and will afterward visit China, the home of Mr. Jap's parents. Mrs. Jap's people were born in Batavia. ' '