THE WORLD OF TO-DAY

Waihi Daily Telegraph, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 9435, 6 October 1939, Page 3

THE WORLD OF TO-DAY

SOLDIERS SEEN EVERYWHERE BRITISH PEOPLE UNITED FIGHT FOR JUSTICE AND RIGHT “Of all the soldiers I saw in foreign countries none were so well set up, clean and tidy as the British soldier,” said Mr W. J. Mountjoy, secretary of the Wellington Employers’ Association, on his return to Wellington early this week from a world tour. War preparations were noticed by him in all the countries lie visited. "Everywhere I travelled in England,” he said, “the people were resolute and determined to stand firm and fight l'o rjustice and right should Germany force, war upon the world. England had certainly been roused, and every precaution was being taken to meet war emergencies. Civilians had air-raid shelters erected in their gardens and the women of England displayed a wonderful spirit of determination and co-operation. “It was really wonderful to see all the people so united in their desiio to retain their liberty which has been enjoyed for ages under the British flag,” he said. The people of France, although faced with threats of war, wcie calm in their everyday work and spoke little of the future; on the other hand they showed a fearless character with determination to stand for right and justice, said Mr Mountjoy.

SWISS ATTITUDE The Swiss people,, continued Mr Mountjoy, were determined to resisL aggression by Germany. Preparations had been made on the Swiss borders for the speedy erection of barriers against invasion, and soldiers had their guns and equipment at home so that the army could he completely mobolised and every man could he at his appointed post within eight hours of the call to arms. One woman Mr Mountjoy met expressed her determination if tire Germans invaded Switzerland, to put on the Great War uniform of her dead son and fight against them. In Italy, said Mr Mountjoy, one particularly striking feature was the large number of men seen walking the streets in soldiers’ uniform. Another striking feature was the variety of the uniforms, some being quite elaborate and effective. “On the outbreak of the war,” said Mr Mountjoy, “I was in Vancouver, and the people there were in a tense frame of mind. When travelling by train through the Canadian Rockies four days before war was declared 1 saw that all railway bridges were guarded by soldiers in uniform. “When I was motoring in the outskirts of Vancouver three days before war was declared the car was stopped on a hilltop to see the view of the surrounding country. We alighted from the car and a soldier on guard on tlie roadside politely ordered us back, adding that the authorities had decided that no cars or pedestrians were to he allowed on this site. One could not help feeling that the Canadians were tackling the problems of a prospective war in all seriousness. AMERICANS PRO-BRITISII

“I found the Americans pro-Brit-ish; they did not want to take part in another world war,” said Mr Mountjoy. “Several men of standing with whom I spoke agreed that America would come into the war if Britain got into a fix. Everyone displayed a very keen interest in war affairs and hoped that Britain and France would be successful in maintaining the freedom of all nations. “The trip from San Francisco was uneventful except for the passing of the Mariposa and a few ships which were believed to be U.S.A. warships. The sea appeared to lie deserted. The passengers on hoard the Monterey there were over 700 —whilst a little cn edge, were calm. There was. however, a general feeling amongst New Zealanders and Australians that it would be grand to reach home safely.”