NOVELIST RETURNS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23011, 12 April 1938, Page 3

NOVELIST RETURNS

MISS NGA.IO MAIiSH IMPRESSIONS ABROAD ENGLISH PUBLIC SCHOOLS Education, the stage, conditions- in Germany, were among the subjects discussed by Miss Ngaio Marsh, the wellknown New Zealand novelist, on her return to Chriatchurch at the week-end after spending about a year in England, during which she paid two visits to Europe. Miss Marsh intends to stay in Christchurch indefinitely and will work 011 a new novel. The manner in which the English, public schools were adopting modern educational ideas, watching the more modern and advanced schools, and taking a middle course, particularly struck Miss Marsh. She noticed the wide knowledge of world affairs that was held by schoolboys, their broad interests and wide reading, and she formed the opinion that the great public schools had greatly altered their methods. The council schools in England were also very up-to-date; it was the small private schools that were lagging behind, and probably many of them would gradually disappear. The London Stage

Miss Marsh saw a great deal of the stage in England and considered that it was by no means moribund. The films had not affected its popularity in London, where people still went to see a play when they wished to make an occasion of an evening's; entertainment. The touring companies had, however, received a very severe blow. She thought that the theatres were making the mistake of not competing with the films 011 their own ground. Instead of trying to provide better scenery many of them were economising, and oi'ten they offered only canned music. Actually musicians had been most seriously affected by the films, yet the theatres could offer a great attraction with real orchestras. Many of them, too, could face the competition of the picture theatres if the.v provided more comfortable seating and reduced. their prices. Persecution in Germany Miss Marsh found some evidence of the thorough manner in which those who had any Jewish blood were persecuted in Germany. She visited a small village called Beilstein, where the famous Austrian statesman, Prince Metternich, had placed a Jewish family in charge of a castle. The family had since intermarried with the peasants, and when she was there a proclamation was issued that it would be unpatriotic to patronise a shop kept by an old couple who had some Jewish blood. People were inclined is think that the stories of persecution were untrue, but they were probably underestimated.