MUCH TRAVELLED.

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 14, 8 August 1930, Page 3

MUCH TRAVELLED.

CZECHO-SLOVAK JOURNALIST VISIT TO NEW ZEALAND. Setting out to break wmld travel records on 10th August, 1923. a CV.eelio-Slovak journalist, Mr. Holm, mil Pospisil, has since travelled over 775,000 miles. Ho arrived in New Zealand on Tuesday by the Ulininroa ■and will spend some weeks here studying the country and its people and" lecturing. To a Wellington “Pc. -jf’ representative Mr, Pospisil said that be was now on bis way liome. but be expected to complete a travel record of 100,000 miles before bis return. The traveller is well equipped for Ins task with a sound constitution and a knowledge of many languages. Nine be speaks well, and of many other tongues— ChiT,Arabic, Malay, Hindus, tanv—lki kn <vs sufficient to. make himself understood. His knowledge has been tested, for ho travelled several months in inland China-, and was far ,a,wav from the towns which p>c in trade contact with the West. When he. started from Prague four years ago be bad one suit of clothes and not a penny in his pocket. His sustenance and transport be has earned as h elias proceeded by writing apul lecturing. His aim is to visit all the continents and the moreimportant islands. So far he lias crossed fifty countries, including many where travelling .still yi< lis much adventure. Mesopotamia, Persia, Bhiluchi stan, India, the StraitSettlements, China, Java, Japan. Siam are some of the lands visited. He hap travelled on foot, by riv er.jboat,: mepor-ehr, 'horse, .(camel, donkey and elephant. EXCITING EXPERIENCES, His journey has been marked by many exciting experiences, especially since ho lias been fortunate, or unfortunate- .enough, to visit several countries where fighting was in progress. He was captured by Kurds, but released when they found him to be unarmed. Brigands also caught him, but, discovering him to be destitute, they treated him hospitably. Not so some wandering pirates, who robbed him of ids clothes and left him without food or clothing. He was rescued by mysterious devil-worshippers who live in. the mountainous oasis of Djobcl Sind, jar. A Chinese bandit band kidnapped him, but when they found he was the loader, a well-educated man, ,wiio spoke English, apologised for the capture, and courteously invited the captive to a banquet where he was offered rare delicacies, including French wines and good cigars. The official Chinese treated Mr. Po-spisil moot courteously, and it was they who christened him “the modern Marco Polo”. .AOOF OF TRAVEL. Lest some doubter should question whether ho is not rather a. modern Baron Munchausen, Mr. Pospisi! lias collected much proof of Ids wide travel. He has several ponder, ous volumes of clippings from newspapers (printed in all languages and many -strange characters) recording his arrival in those countries and reporting his lectures. In another volume ho lias a collection of strange writings—ancient Arabic, “Kufi”, Chaldean, Sankrist, Parsi, ancient Jewish, Mongolian, Tartar, Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Javanese, Geo--gian, Armenian, Hindustani, Urdu, Goudjcrate, Gournmcld, r Jjslugn, Punjabi, Tamili, iSindlii, Bengali, Burmese, Aiiiiaincso, Siamese,, Malayan in many dialects, etc. In these albums many prominent men mb shoulders—Maharajas, Sultans, Sheikhs, Emirs, Khans, generals, ministers, Consuls, authors, National leaders, high priests and lania,s of every possible creed • Bahaistes, UniversaUstes, Oomotu, Bfevil.worshippers, pagans and other mysterious ■sects/ —all of thorn wishing success to the enterprise of Mr. Pospisil and protection from all evils. So that he is (ho says) well protected by all potentates above underground, ‘i am absolutely taboo. That’s why I halve -successfully accomplished my difficult mission”. HIS COUNTRY. By delivering lectures and inform, dig the public about his country, Mr Pospisil hopes to bring aixmtj ja, better understanding between ids ami other nations. Czechoslovakia was known three hundred years ago, a tlio famous Bohemian Kingdom', for her industry, art, her second oldest university on the continent, in Prague, her thousand years old civilisation, and as a country where the first Protestantism l movement stated. She regained hoi independence in Octobtr, 1918, and is known as Czecbo.Slovak Republic, the leader of Little Entente. Czechoslovakia needs tlio friendship of the countries bordering on Pacific, as she inherited 75 per cent, of the industry or the former AnstCa-lfur-garian Empire. Besides being one of the best developed countries agriculturally, her existence depends largely upon export, as half of her population of nearly fifteen millions is engaged in industry -and trade.