MOTOR TOUR OF EUROPE

Southland Times, Issue 23816, 13 May 1939, Page 8

MOTOR TOUR OF EUROPE

MAJOR CAMPBELL’S EXPERIENCE \ —- LATVIANS TURN TOWARDS BRITAIN After spending four years on the Continent of Europe, two of which were spent in Vienna, Major Astley Campbell has returned to New Zealand and is at present paying a visit to Invercargill. An interesting motor-tour covering the principal cities in Austria, Germany, Latvia, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and France was made by Major Campbell, who was able to travel through Europe with almost as much freedom as he can move about in New Zealand.

Major Campbell was in Austria before the German invasion took place. There was then no sign of the approaching Anschluss and internal conditions seemed to be improving with rmemployment decreasing. He described the capital, Vienna, as the most beautiful city in Europe.

What impressed him most on entering Germany from Austria was the solemn appearance of the Germans. There was rarely a smile; they seemed to be under a cloud. It was impossible to discover the real feeling of Germans to the Nazi regime as they were afraid to speak out. While, the young people were sincere in their devotion to Herr Hitler, the attitude of the older generation was less certain. There was a rumour during the Czech crisis that senior German officers had written to friends in England expressing the hope that Britain would fight, as an opportunity might then be presented for a rising in Germany. Major Campbell said he liked the German people he had met. One sensed that there was a shortage of commodities m Germany. It was almost impossible to get cream, and butter was available in only small quantities.

“In Riga, the capital of Latvia, English has been made the first foreign language to be taught in the schools, he said. “German used to be the first language because Latvia was at one time controlled by the Baltic barons, who were of German descent. They had their land taken away from them and it was cut up into small holdings.' It is doubtful whether that will prove of benefit to the country as the Latvian is a lazy fellow.” AGAINST GERMANY The Latvians had turned against the Germans and were more friendly towards the British. The German name for Latvia was Lettland, but if correspondence arrived at Riga bearing the German name on it, it would not be delivered. In Riga an Anglican church

had been built on soil brought from England. Latvia was a remarkably cheap place to live in. There were huge markets in Riga with pavilions for the various commodities and everything was scrupulously clean. “You could hardly smell the fish in the pavilion in which it was marketed,” said Majob Campbell. The very best meat sold at 6d per lb. From Riga Major Campbell motored to Konigsberg (East Prussia), thence to Tannenberg, where an inspection was made of the great memorial commemorating the Germany victory over the Russians. Warsaw, the capital of Poland, Major Campbell described as a fine city with modern buildings. The Poles were found to be very friendly towards Britain and most hospitable. Motoring in Poland was hardly a pleasant experience as the roads were very poor. They were covered with a thick coating of dust in the summer, and mud in the winter made them almost impassable. Continuing south, Major Campbell passed over the Tatra Mountains into Czechoslovakia and from there went to Budapest, in Hungary. He returned to Czechoslovakia before proceeding to Germany again and travelling via Nuremberg and Stuttgart to France.

As he speaks French fluently, and German a little, Major Campbell experienced no trouble with languages in the various countries he visited. In the big departmental stores in the principal cities, he said, there was usually someone who could speak English.