MR G. CRUICKSHANK, S.M.

Southland Times, Issue 17476, 3 April 1915, Page 3

MR G. CRUICKSHANK, S.M.

RETURN FROM WORLD TOUR. AFTER TWELVE MONTHS ABSENCE AN INTERESTING INTERVIEW. Mr G. Crulckshank, S.M., who is paying a flying visit to Invercargill before taking up relieving work in the North Island, granted an interview to a Southland Times representative last night. Mr and Mrs CruickshanU have lately returned to New Zealand only a week ortwo ago.

Referring to his tour Mr Cruickshank said that on landing at Vancouver he met Mr Irving who was at one time at Clinton, and after spending a couple of enjoyabe days in that centre they went on to Winnipeg, spending a day at St. T'aul. whore he saw the Capitol, the magnificent marble hall of state. It was the first building of the kind seen by Mr Cruicksbank, and in many respects it was the most impressive he has seen during his travels. It was announced that a guide would take a party through the Capitol one morning, said Mr Cruickshank. and about -0 or 30 of us assembled. I wanted to know all about it, so 1 chummed up to the guide and told him I came from New Zealand. Yes. lie said. New Zealand - that's a town in England isn’t it. Well, I visited the Supreme Court, and saw the sitting. and met some of tho lawyers. I went to tho office of one of the lawyers which was on the top floor of a great fifteen-storey building, which was. of course, the highest I had been in up to that time. That night we left for Chicago, and wc got there the next morning. We spent tho day there. I visited the Supreme Conrt. the library, and the parks, and had a long ride through the city. At 11 o'clock that night we left for Detroit, 1 had intended visiting the Ford motor works, but hs our train was two hours late that became impossible. However, we saw the great Cadxilic, Studebaker, and Ford works. I asked someone to show me a good road and was directed to visit Goodwood Avenue. It is a remarkable road, about nine miles of it with trees along each sach side, perfectly smooth and straight. We went on to Toronto, and the next day Good Friday, visited the Niagara Falls. Wo spent the day at Toronto and on Easter Saturday arrived in Montreal. On Sunday we attended a great service in the Notre Dame Cathedral there and went on to Quebec. There 1 felt the keenest cold I had ever experienced. We had a splendid time revelling In tho historic atmosphere of the city, and visited the Plains of Abraham, and then went down to Boston and out to Concord. There we had a splendid time visiting the houses of Emerson, Longfello'w. Hawthorne and Russell Lowell. We were In Boston for several days and left on a White Star liner, arriving at Liverpool on May 1.

BEAUTIFUL ENGLAND,

I will never forget that first ride in England from Liverpool to London. The smooth ruiminp of the train, th© ciulet, and above all the beautiful, green English landscape. We wore two months in London, and there saw the usual things seen by travellers. Later we went to Edinburgh for three weeks. I took flying trips down to London and attended some of the League of Empire meetings, at one of which I had to speak. Wo then went to Portsmouth, and saw the big naval review. There were 175 ships, making a line of 22 miles in length, and we steamed down the line only a fortnight before war broke out. From Portsmouth w© went to Edinburgh and through Scotland to Perth and on tho Bracmar and Balmoral, then to Aberdeen and on to Inverness. We visited the field of Culloden, ami then by slow degrees worked our way down the canal to Glasgow. Wo were there when war broke out. We went on to Troon. Awre. and Cumberland. and then down to Liverpool and back to London. After a short stay we went again to York and on to Sheffield. At Sheffield all the works were going as hard as they cpuU lick. AH til© works were guarded. Every workman had a pass which he had to show on going in or coming out. I wont through the Humber motor works. They were making motor bikes for the itussian Government. They showed me a sample. There was not a scrap of nickel on them, but they were coloured khaki from beginning to end. Later on I went through the Triumph works were they were building bikes for the British Army. From Sheffield we went to Haddon Hall, .Chatsworth, and then returned to London. After remaining there for some time we went to Northampton and visited a village where some of Mrs Cruickshank’s people had lived. We went over to Gloucester and down the Wye Valley. It was autumn and on every side the valley was glorious in its clothing of verdure. We went through the Severn tunnel in Hath and on to Taunton, and tin'll down to Cornwall. We stayed there a little while and then went back to Exeter, and then on to Salisbury, where we saw ;;:;,000 Canadians in camp near to Stonehenge. We were also at Plymouth before we returned to London, and we finally got away in the Osterly on December IS. This was the third boat we had booked on. The first and second were taken by the Admiralty. When we got to Gibraltar we saw the Sydney and Melbourne there, the former fresh from her triumph over the Enuicn. We saw the armed liner Carmania witii her bridge a bit smashed after her fight with the Cap Trafalgar.

NAPLES. We landed at Naples, but that was the only point on the continent i visited, and we sliert a little time seeing the ruins of Pompeii. We also called at Port Said ard then sailed down the canal which was lined witii Indian troops and English territorials. We remained for two nr three days at Colombo and then travelled by a Dutch boat to Sumatra, and on arriving at Pedang 1 was mcl by a friend who used to ho in New Zealand. but who is now managing a, gold mine nut there, a Mr Swindley. He took as away 100 miles up a rock and pinion railway, and from tho rail-head we travelled r.d miles by motor, crossing the erpialnr in transit. At one place we passed through a native market where there were about 1000 natives and as we cam.- along they lined the roadside to gar.e mi the ears. The remainder of the Journey we followed a track which Mr Swindley had made himself. I rode a little native pony. Mr Swindley walked and Mrs Cruickshank was carried by Out at the mine this young

View Zealand and an Australian have 200 natives working. They have a wa-ter-driven electric plant which tho natives have been taught to manage, and in a short time they expect to get their battery out. We later returned to Colomba and joined the Orsova, returning to New Zealand via Perth, Adelaide, and Sydney.

A SPLEXDin CALM. "[ cannot toll you much about the war that you don't know." said .Mi- Cruickshank. We were at first humbugged by suffragettes, but when 'war broke out they called a truce and took up recruiting. The finest speech I heard while in Krisla ml was -delivered by .Mrs rankhurst to a recruiting meeting. Of course the war prevented mo going to the Continent, -which was disappointing. At the same time it was a glorious experience to be in England. It was wonderful to sec the self-restraint of the people, the putting away of party feeling, and the way in which Lloyd George handled the Financial situation. Effects - .’ Well, I seemed to notice when I came hack to London the second time that there was rather less traffic, and most of the young men Hint one used to see about the parks and in Piccadilly were vanished, gone to the war. There was khaki everywhere, and some of them, training without their uniforms, could bo seen on their route marches. The feeling among English people is that they will see the whole thing through. They are all very proud of their big men. Kitchener is almost king of England, although it is wonderful what the King himself is doing. The whole of England seems to be given over to the war. All the women are working, and all sorts of organisations are hard at it with committees. So much so that one felt that one was something of a trifle to be looking round while other people were working. To show you the losses England is hearing. I went to visit a friend at Winchester in October. He told me that his son left Winchester on Friday. He went to Mons and was in the retreat. He was killed on Wednesray. That gentleman was secretary -of the Winchester Education committee. There were nine members and of those nine seven had lost sons. I marvelled at the wonderful control there was everywhere.