WORLD TOUR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23504, 15 November 1939, Page 13

WORLD TOUR

'AMERICA AND [WAR THE FEELING IN ITALY AUCKLANDER'S IMPRESSIONS "Many of the thinking Americans say that America will bo unable to keep out of the war," said Mr. J. L. ConInn, of Auckland, who has returned after an eight months' tour of the world. "This view is never published, and the people hope their gravest fears will never materialise," he said. "At the same time, they arc leaving nothing to chance and they are getting ready to take their part." Shortly before the "outbreak of war, Mr. Conlan toured the Continent in an estranged atmosphere. He arrived in Italy on a ship carrying 1000 British and American subjects. The situation was then so grave that only a minor section of the passengers would leave the ship. In Eome Mr. Conlan stayed at the samo hotel as.General von Brauchitsch, Commander-in-Chief of the German Army, who was surrounded by a great many German and Italian officers. A week later in Milan Mr. Conlan stayed under the same roof as Herr von Bibbentrop and Count Ciano, Foreign Ministers for Germany and Italy respectively. "1 found from many conversations that the Italians viewed the Germans with suspicion, and that the only reason they wore friendly toward Germany was because of the; latter's help in connection with the sanctions in the Ethiopian war," said Mr. Conlan. Mr. Conlan said he saw destroyers, convoying the ship on which ho crossed the Atlantic, drop depth charges which destroyed a German submarine. "I was amazed at the patriotism of Canadians and the American sentiment toward the Allies, which is practically 100 per cent, due in a largo measure to the influence of soldiers who fought alongside the British in the Great War," said Mr. Conlan.