Noted New Zealander Visits Native Land

Chronicle (Levin), 12 June 1948, Page 3

Noted New Zealander Visits Native Land

Press As.soeiation)

(Per

' AUCKLAND, June 11. A New Zealander wlio played a prominent part in planning the army operations against tlie Japanese dliring the war, Lieutenant-ColoneJ J. W. G. Duncan, arrived in Auckland by air from Sydney. A niember of the Koyal Scots Fusiliers, Colonel Duncan was from .1941 to the end of the war almost contintrasly in the operations branch of the War Offiee in London. He attended the Quebec Oonference as military adviser to Mr. Churchill. For the past three vears Colonel Duncan has been stationed inv Austria in charge of travel control for the Allied Control Commission. After spend ing his leave with his parents in Wellington Coionel Duncan will return to England. His4 position with the Allied Connnission has now tenninated and his future movements are uncertain Born in New Zealund, he , was educated in Great Britain. Before the war he was employed as a schoo. teacher. Conditions in Austria todav were better fcthan in (Jerniany, said Colonel Duncan. The Austriaus reganled tliemselves as a liberated country rather than an eneniv oue, and were grateful for what the Allies had donfe. The slandard of living in Austria was barely above starvation level, l»ut the Austrians appeared to be uiaking a wonderful recovery. The country possessed plenty of naturai resomves and there was no reason whv it should not in time bceome very uealthv. Unlike the position in (Jerniany where the Allied Coinmission niled the country, local govennnent 111 Austria was now tlie controlling autliority and the Coinmission only an advisory boclv. 1 Coniinunistic influence in the country was only sliglit. In tlie eleet ions in i 194(3 tlie, Coiuniuuist I'arty secured only a negligible nuniber of voles and had not gained mucli ground since lliat timo.