CHRISTMAS OVERSEAS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18589, 27 December 1934, Page 5

CHRISTMAS OVERSEAS

BRITAIN’S PROSPERITY

KING’S EMPIRE MESSAGE

A RESPONSIVE NOTE

(Elec. Tel. Copyright —United Press Assn.) LONDON, Dec. 26.

England enjoyed a fireside Christmas, most of the pleasure haunts being dead. It was thus, as they sat at the fireside, that the people of England heard the King, as father of the British family, wish them Christmas, cheer from his own fireside at Sandringham.

The King’s speech was couched in more homely terms than ever before used by a monarch. He struck a most responsive note, particularly in his simple appeal to India. The broadcast was excellently heard. Through London’s silence came the roll of drums from 8000 natives at Johannesburg, the clatter of horses’ hoofs as stockmen rounded up strays in Central Queensland, the chirping of birds and the laughter of children at the Botanical Gardens, Melbourne; a homely homily from a Tasmanian fisherman, and the Harbor Bridge and life savers’ broadcast from Sydney. Canada’s broadcast was especially good.- Amid snow 4000 ft. above Vancouver, the broadcaster gave a vivid impression of tvvinkling lights and a steamer. ‘‘l think it is the Aorangi just entering the harbor” New Zealand was also excellent, although the melody of the Maoris’ singing was rather lost in transmission. ALL QUIET IN EUROPE

Long distance telephone conversations with the major 1 European capitals showed that all is quiet on the western and eastern fronts. Britain’s best Christmas card was the weekly return of the note issue by the Bank of England, showing that the notes circulated amounted to £401,990,743 —a record since the Bank of England and Treasury issues were amalgamated. The bank sent out £30,000,000 extra in notes for the Christinas trade, exceeding the 1933 demand by £6,000,000. There is every promise of an uneventful holiday period, justifying the decision of the newspapers not to publish on Christmas Day or Boxing Day. Therefore such news as is available at this end of the world will be published in Australia and New Zealand before it sees print in England. Prospects are for mild and occasionally rainy weather, but nothing now can prevent the festive season of 1934 being the most prosperous for the past five years. There was the last bout of shopping on Monday, and then the rush for railways, airways, motor cars and coaches began. As a big proportion of the holidays are being spent away from home, partly owing to tne generous terms offered travellers in the shape of cheap excursions, hundreds of extra porters were engaged on the main line termini.

LIVELY CELEBRATIONS

SOUTH AMERICAN CRIMES

GRAN CHACO FIGHTING

NEW YORK, Dee. 25.

That Latin America spent Christmas in, perhaps, even more than unusually interesting ways seemed to be indicated in the Yuletide news from south of the Rio Grande.

Cuba had' its bomb outrage, six persons, including three children, being gravely injured, when explosives planted in the window of the dining saloon of a well-known citizen while the family was celebrating the customary Nocho Buena supper, detonated with disastrous effect. A youthful revolutionist, is held as a suspect of the crime.

Balboa reports that a banquet in honor of the President, Senor Valasco, on Christmas Eve was spoiled' by thieves, who cleared out the pantry during the preliminary ceremonies. The police have not yet been able to determine who celebrated with the champagne and caviare intended for the chief executive and other high Government officials. From the Gran Chaco comes nows that the Paraguayans and Bolivians are still locked in a desperate struggle l'or the Gran Chaco fortress line. Both spurned' a suggestion for even a temporary suspension of the bombardment during Christmas, and fighting continued during the holiday with the usual fierceness and lack of niceties characteristic of this, one of the most bitter of American wars.

GAYEST FOR YEARS

AMERICA CELEBRATES

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

NEW YORK, Dec. 25,

America is in the midst of the gayest and, as far as possible, the most prosperous holiday since before the depression years. Every section of the nation’s merchants have reported that sales have increased from 10 to 20 per cent over last year, which recorded a considerable increase over the dark years of 1030 to 1032.

In New York, large department, stores were swamped with customers until a late hour last night frantically searching for toys in all but depleted stocks. All over the city, public Christmas trees lighted the way. Poor children received gifts and parents supplies of food and clothing. In Washington, Mr Roosevelt addressed the nation over- the radio, while Mrs Roosevelt pressed a button, lighting the municipal Christmas tree. The President stressed the need for unified devotion “to the human welfare of the country” and for another year of hope. “In the past year wo 'have,” he said, “seen fulfilled many things that a year ago were .only hopes.” The only note of discord iri the national 'scene was ,a report by the welfare department of the Methodist Church criticising Mr Roosevelt for forgetting “ the forgotten man.” It charged the Administration with inducing a lower standard of living through creating artificial scarcity under which the poor were getting poorer and profits were accruing to bankers and big business interest's.