VISITED TWELVE COUNTRIES

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20851, 6 October 1937, Page 9

VISITED TWELVE COUNTRIES

ROTARY GOVERNOR IN TIMARU IMPRESSIONS OF TRIP Having attended 16 Rotary meetings in 12 different countries during his recent visit abroad as District Governor of Rotary in New Zealand, Mr F. W. Hall Jones, of Invercargill, was able to present an interesting review to members of the Timaru Rotary Club yesterady, on his first official visit as the head of the movement in the Dominion. The address, which was heard by a large gathering, contained many sidelights on conditions in other parts of the world. The president (Mr A. G. Tait) in introducing Mr Hall Jones, said that the District Governor was always -ssured of a special welcome as he was born here and was educated at the Timaru BOys’ High School.

The District Governor explained that he had been absent from New Zealand for four and a half months. He had reached England in time for the Coronation, and he carried away indell':'> impressions of that wonderful ceremony and colourful visualisation of Empire through the Coronation procession. He attended the meetings of two London Rotary Clubs and was impressed with what was being acc- •- plished by the St. Pancras Club. Its members were turning tl.eir hands to something really worth while in their endeavours to clear up slum are.-.s. They collected funds by debentures, purchased areas of land and provided new homes. Their womenfolk assisted by seeing that the tenants did not allow their new surroundings to degenerate Into slum areas. The tenants were charged reasonable rents a id the debenture holders were able to show 3 per cent on their investment.

Peace Palace Visited

Visits to Amsterdam and The Hague were referred to by Mr Hall Jones, who spoke of the Peace Palace at The Hague which was erected as a result of a gift of 4,000,000 gilders made to the Dutch Government by the late Andrew Carnegie. It was erected as a meeting place where the problems of the world could be discussed. All nations contributed some of the furnishings of the Palace and the ’• derful building was opened in 1913, just in time for the Great War. The Palace made him thing of Rotary's Fourth Object of good will and understanding and of how much could be accomplished outside of such buildings and conferences by peaceful penetration.

Mr Hall Jones said he was very pleased to find that at the Paris Club a message of good will had been brought by two German Rotarians. He had followed Herr Hitler’s speeches directed at France, such as “let us end the feud with France,” but had found that France had always turned a stony ear to the overtures, and it was particularly gratifying to find the two Germans at the Paris Club with the friendly message. From Paris he journeyed to Montreux, where the Assembly took place, and where there w is also a conference of Past District Governors and Past Directors. He would never forget Montreux, overlooking Lake Geneva, with its many scenic attractions and where he had heard the music of the inspiration of Ro' ’■/. The Convention at Nice was touched on by Mr Hall Jones, who said that th conference, attended by about 4000 Americans, 100 Britons, 100 Europeans, and representatives of other nations, at a time when there was a crisis in France as a result of the resignation of the Prime Minister and the dispute in Spain, was a striking de’ onstration of the possibilities of Rotarv. He had learned from his associations overseas that the Americans were taking an acti c interest in the problems of Europe. They were abandoni.ig their former policy of isolation and self-sufficiency and were keen to learn about Europe.

Conditions under Dictatorships

“Although we must all have disagreed with Mussolini’s foreijn policy, we must agree that he has revivified and re-nationalised Italy, which is now a better country than when he came into power," continued Mr Hall Jones. The same could be said about Hitler. Visiting Austria for two days he felt that the Austrians could see i.o daylight as to the future of the country's economic position, while Hungary, on the other hand, was prosperous, with a balanced budget and the development of an extensive export trade, particularly with Germany. Czechoslovakia also was boomi--.

The improved conditions in Germany were referred to by Mr Hail Jones, who said that before the Hitler regime there were 6,000,000 unemployed, while to-day there were 500,000 who were actually old men and unemployable. He had been informed that there was a shortage of skilled tradesmen and that some of the men in industry had been obliged to help with the harvest. In Dresden he was shown a street where six years ago the shops had to close their doors and windews were barred five and six times a day to prevent the Bolshevists from . mashing and grabbing. To-day that street was peaceful but busy. In Berlin many of the older parts of the town had been demolished and replaced by huge buildings occupying the whole block. In the suburbs huge administrative blocks had been erected for insurance companies and the like, and beyond those ports flats had been built for the workers. “I was surprised at what was being done for manual labourers in Germany,” said Mr Hall Jones. He saw one workers’ flat which prov'’ d accommodation for 1000 families, and felt convinced that working men were as well cared for under a dictatorship as they were under a democracy. Having flown from Cologne to England, Mr Hall Jones said there was no doubt that Europe had taken to the air and fully realised the value of the aeroplane in time of war. He felt convinced that there was no likelihood of war between the Great Powers. It would not be war but a suicide compact. Poi sibililties of Rotary The tremendous possibilities of the development of Rotary were emphasised by Mr Hall Jones, who said that the : ovement was a common bond which appealed to all creeds and nationalities. If New Zealand Rotarians could catch the vision of 14,000 clubs instead cf 4000 in the world to-day, all developing fellowship arid

friendship, community service, and good will as a means to peace, not one of them would sacrifice their membership. They would all strive to attain the goal of Rotary. On the motion of Past District < overnor W. Thomas, who said that as a result of similar talks throughout New Zealand and his interest in the movement Rotary would be richer ihrough Mr Hall Jones's term, the District Governor was accorded a vote of thanks for his visit and address.