EXCITING CAREER

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23315, 26 September 1945, Page 3

EXCITING CAREER

Norwegian Woman Journalist Lise Lindbaek, a Press representative at the San Francisco Conference, is one of those fortunate people whom fate has directed over and over again to the crucial place at the crucial time when world-shaking events were brewing, writes an American correspondent. The Danish-Norwegian newspaper woman was a student in Naples during the rise to power of Mussolini and learned then to know and hate Fascism and everything it stood for. She was a witness at the Facist terrorist trial in Trieste in 1930. and was the friend of many anti-Fascist refugees who risked their lives trying to escape II Duce's henchmen. In fact, she began her world girdling journalistic career at the age of 19 writing articles from Italy to Oslo newspapers. After that she became an accredited journalist at the League of Nations at Geneva. Switzerland. She travelled through Central Europe and saw the Reichstag fire in Berlin, interviewed Dollfuss, von Papen, Lord Cecil Benes and others in the thick of the gathering storm. The year 1936 found her m Spam, where, as the only woman member of the gallant International Brigade, she covered the civil war for two years. "To nave come to know rhe people of the United States, to have been present at the Conference here, is of enormous value to me." she said “Europeans do not know the United States. They think any -elf-respecting American must have at least 40 divorces. They think gangsters still terrorise the country. The movies have given a completely wrong idea The Europeans have little knowledge of the culture, the educational opportunities. the enduring family life, as I have seen it in America while teaching at the University of Wisconsin and lecturing throughout the country.” Turning to the Conference and its accomplishments. Mrs Lindbaek contrasts it with the meetings ot the League of Nations “I have great hopes of the outcome." she states. “I like the spirit here—so different from the last years of the League of Nations which were so discouraging. The League really never had a chance—it was misnamed and it had no power.” Migrations from Europe The world journalist believes that the situation in Europe is far more serious than people realise There will be huge migrations of peoples, sne predicts. "The recent report in the Press of the thousands leaving Yugoslavia for Germany indicates merely the departure of great numbers of fifth columnists.” Mrs Lindbaek’s heart is deeply touched by the plight, of Spain "The Spaniards really wanted democracy and felt they ‘were fighting Fascism for the whole world.” she said "They could not believe the rest of the democracies would fail to help them It was a valiant fight. I do hope some way will be found to get rid of Franco Ethiopia has regained its freedom. Spain, too, must be freed Though Buchenwald and the other shocking concentration camps in Germany are gone, remember, there are still concentration camps in Spain.”