Miscellaneous Items

New Zealand Illustrated Sporting & Dramatic Review, Issue 1557, 26 February 1920, Page 46

Miscellaneous Items

The death is reported from South Australia at the age of 9~4 years of Major-General Stewart (father of Mr. J. H. Stewart, of Mount Pleasant Estate, Bathurst), who saw service under the Duke of Wellington in the Peninsula war against Napoleon’s marshals, which commenced Tn 1808. He was in Spain with the British forces when Marshal Soult was defeated at Albuera; was with Wellington at the capture of Cindad Rodrigo; and at the defeat of Marshal Marmont at Salamanca in 1812. MajorGeneral Stewart accompanied the British forces in their occupation of Madrid after the defeat of the French at Vittoria that same year. The Peninsula general came to Australia in 1833, died in 1845. He was buried in a magnificent vault on the top of Mount Pleasant. The Paris correspondent of an American journal states: —American tourists are being urged by the Government to come to France. Hundreds of thousands of them, possibly a million, are expected to bring here millions of dollars that will help to rebuild France. Aside from the idea of cementing the two nations’ friendship through better acquaintance, the tourist movement is regarded by those interested as a great new bust* ness enterprise, immediately and immensely profitable, and one that will grow. Incidentally, it is said, the coming of Americans who can afford European travel at its present cost will aid in the various forms of foreign financial aid France is seeking. A definite plan to reserve rooms for coming tourists has been started already. All hotels in France, numbering about 25,000, have been asked to submit their rates and to pledge themselves not to charge more in the case of the Government-conducted travellers. The lodging difficulties and the high cost of everything are recognised by all, but it is believed a great flood of travel will come in spite of the cost. The Government’s aim is to see that travellers are not charged more than the information agencies estimate, and that they are given benefit of advice and aid in making their stay in France entertaining.