The Count Vay de Vaya

Southland Times, Issue 19198, 9 November 1903, Page 2

The Count Vay de Vaya

AN INTERVIEW. A representative of this paper wa_ accorded an interview with a distinguished visitor, Monsignor the Count ,Vay de Vaya, who is on, a visit to this colony. Tho Count, who has been visiting the Lukes district, has come to Invercargiil to deliver a lecture in the Zealandia HaU this evening. Our reporter was very favourably received, and found Monsignor a most genial and entertaining talher. He has travelled in almost all parts of the world, and has a fund of information at his Angers' ends, which he can impart to a listener in a charming style. The Count has travelled recently in Siberia, jianchuria. Corea. Japan, and China, countries in which general interest is so deeply concerned to-day. What gives exceptional interest to Count Vay de Vaya's experiences in connection with the Far East question is .that he saw the countries under quite exceptional circumstances, and that in each country ho passed through he was the guest of tho rulers or Government. It was thus pessible for him to see much more of the; intimate life of the different nations than is generally granted even to tho most favoured traveller. Besides this external advantage, it is apparent to, anyone who has the privilege of a conversation \»ith the Count, that what has helped him even more is his experiences of social life and a thorough knowledge of human nature. Besides being, a nobleman, the Count is a scholar. Tie writes a great deal, and his essays are generally published by the Academy of Science Hungary. At present he is engaged on a lurge work dealing with tho social ci nditions of the Asiatic races, which will tie published in four languages in America. As hus already been stated in this pnper, the Count is a Hungarian by birth, descended from one of those chieftains who established the kingdom in the Bth century. For over 1000 yearsthe members of the family have occupied leading positions in and have been closely connected with tho history of Hungary, and are connected with and related to different Royal families in Europe. In spite of this very aristocratic lineage. Count Vay do Vaya ia ' himself, a great democrat, and i 9 mostly interested in democratic countries. He has been for some length of time in America and Canada, and has written several appreciative papers on the New World. He was immensely interested Lottie democratic institutions in Australasia, and sinco his arrival he has visited most of tbe public institutions. He expresses .sincere admiration for" tho ' worn, that has been done "by comparatively very few people in a very short time in the way of development of tha • country. In Australia ho visited all the elates, and had every opportunity to > form a clear judgment on political and. ■ social matters. He was most interested in agricultural and pastoral life in Queensland and New South Wales, and also visited the mines, and stayed for some time in each town of any import- • unci-, n there are uny shadows on the Commonwealth. h^ could not help nof tiring them, but he was less interested in theni than on the bright side. "He ■ wished, before all, to see what was in a successful country, and by what means anrl work this success was achieved.mat is the main object of his travel, iv which ho hopes to gain experience which may be of use to his fellow countrymen . settling down near his own home, and he says that he has found tlie colonies ' an excellent Held for observation. Un- . doulitedly Count Vay de Vaya seems to hiivc the faculty for doing a great , amount of work in the least amount of ' time, and considering that he is- comparatively a young man it is astonishing to hear what he has accomplished. It may be said that his public fife began practically with his childhood. His rather being Lord Chamberlain at tho Court of Hungary, the Count became a puge to the Empress Elizabeth. Later , on. while he was studying at the different universities of Europe, he was at* , tuched to the Embassies as honorary , attache, and thus was introduced nt the • different Royal Courts of Europe. Ha , passed nearly a year in the Balkan _ States, servia, Bulgaria, Roumahia. Green*. Montenegro, and in Turkey he had the distinction of being received by the Sultan. It will thus be seen t*«nt he • had opportunities to gain a close fciiow- • ledge of the Eastern Question, and he published several articles hi magazines in those dnys which were of uncommon t interest. Our representative asked rhe Count's opinion of the position at the present moment, but was answered, with ( a smile, that the interview, if it wereHo • take in that question, would last till ' midnight. There were so unany interests concerned In the Balkan States, and - though there might be v temporary set- , tlement of tlie present difficulties, tho V Anal adjustment is many years' distant. : First there must be a .settlement of other j n'* ll *'"* »f vital international inttreM. The Count, in 1897. attended the Diamond Jubilee celebrations .of the late " Queen Victoria, and as he was one of s .l"*' *l? s f known and popular members of | the diplomatic body. It was natural that « he should And himself at hdhie in all countries. He speaks seven languages • with equal fluency, and is always In re- • quest, wherever he is staying, for public 1 addresses. His Inst public appearance, before starting ou his long journey, waa » at Madrid, as a Papal delegate, and it > was in 1899 thut ho left on his present • tour of observation, and study. After ]P° , united States and Canada his next? ■ Aeld of observation was Africa, where he was attached to • missionaries, and ■ penetrated from the West Coast to Sen. » egnl nnd Congo, and later on to the i northern States, Morocco, Algiers, Tun- » «.. Tripoli, Egypt, and finally Zanzibar. Asia was his next venture, passing from ; Arabia to ibe Holy Land, A B ia Itfinor. I Armenia. Persia, and to the central > countries. making stoppages in each ; place of interest. A tour in India fol« » lowed including Ceylon. Afghanistan nnd Burma, and then to the southern part of Thibet, As a guest, of Lcrd I Cur/.on. Viceroy of India\ the Count » visited the Shan States. A summons from home reached him' on the frontier - of ennui, but he returned to tho East again, this time via the now Siberian railway. o n this Journey the Count had some most extraordinary experiences, and .in his lecture he will give a vivid picture of this marvellous work ct engineering and the possibilities of tiavelIin R Home tiy this route. He passed several months in Manchuria, nnd describes it as one of the richest parts of the Chinese Empire— jf it might lie called ft , Chinese province at all. as the Count saw more Russians along the railway route than Chinese. Inland, everything seems to be unchanged, just as it wa _ hundreds of years ago, when the Mauchu dynasty became rulers over China. Fioin Manchuria the Count crossed to Corea and m his opinion Corea and Burma are tne two most picturesque xopntrles in Asia. While in Corea he got special permission irom the Emperor to get translated some of iho.MSS. in tho State archives, of great interest to thia little known country, which is bound to be mentioned in cables and newspapers for many years to cqme. After •« roughing it in Corea the.. Count . found Japan quite a civilised country— ln, fact Janan tries only too 'quickly $ adopt wraK it thinks moder^, and Dome ot the innovations are not improvement?. Anyhow ' h *y. l h ? ve 1 » great dv«_l pf good-will to do their best, and achieve some really hue work, while, by their boundless energy and ambition/ they give^vorv promise of being suocesaful in- their final aims. Count Vay de Vaya was most interested, however, in China, He haa been all over tho vast Empire, living in huts and Imperial palaces, being the guest of poor country folk, missionaries, dipjomutists, and the Einiieror himself His experience, as a guest of the l-'mner-Ipr at the famous Summer Palace must have been uuito unique. His stay in Chum deeply interested him in its hi*. Tory Hfi* CUBto "»s. its growth and dS- ,„& Ji h "L s P ecln "y interested Mm. ho sajs, was the unseen ttr - met_Dhvsie«t side of the Empire, . the cffiSS » fitod and Chinese pyscholotrv and w '»j^__i chapter after chapter^O hfc alJ^dV a^ ss struck hi?,, S' b.L c bS&r SwS'u.™ thoy were M „„n y SUcrSSS. *S_f_i- __£ ' " ™ hi» way home ttirouih sSnti «?h Cwitr.l Atorta. and tA«? vllSwtht™ t*wr_sj_s____.*T_r'gs^a' f'svx fins. £«2 Sh}.Th *""*. ° f the w»W pr_w?-Jtth which he is brought. a. good deal in coiVobliged by the sympathy and courtesy » «hown n him by all Wals^wi^u^, Lafe ™TnS^^\ h ?*^<* the head of the Lake ho' mSS to some of the most striking _nots In Europe or ns he says' \emlnds him not so much of Switzerland as of Nonvav and parts of Scotland. Ho dro^e uo th_ new road to Skippers' Point? and had an opportunity of seeing O n"oi the w ldest to r ni°_ht I^-n Z T anU ' #hS liture , v£ut »»h° n l \i show W " celebrated ? views, and at the same time oxhlhifc some of the artistic treasures which have been given him as souvenirs The Count eaves for Dunedin on Tuesday! ami w.ii g ? on to Christchurch andUfr 1Kt ;!": »' h °™ J* wUI be the gSwl ol his L.Ncellency Lord Banfurly.