WORLD TOUR OF 36,000 MILES

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 88, 8 January 1935, Page 8

WORLD TOUR OF 36,000 MILES

Desert Transport Service

ANCIENT AND MODERN LIFE IN PALESTINE Completing a world tour of 36,000 miles in the course of which ho visited Australia, Colombo, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Great Britain and the United States of America, Mr. A. K. Anderson,' for 14 years headmaster of St. Andrew’s College, Christchurch, is a through passenger to Sydney on the Maunganui, which arrived at Wellington yesterday from San Francisco. Mr. Anderson in January last was appointed headmaster of Scots’ College, Sydney, and loft for a trip overseas in August prior to taking up his new positiou. In Syria Mr. Anderson met Mr. Gerald Nairn, a New Zealander who, with his brother, Mr. Norman Nairn, runs the Bagdad to Damascus motor-coacn transport service across the Syrian, desert. The Nairn brothers came originally from Blenheim, and Mr. Anderson said in an interview with “The Dominion” that they were running a very splendid service. They bad the biggest motor-coach in the world, carrying 34 passengers, and did the 550 mile trip across the desert in 24 hours. “They have made history by opening this route from Iraq to the Mediterranean, and have cut the time by eight days,” Mr. Anderson said.

Palestine To-day.

Mr. Anderson visited several places of Biblical interest in Palestine, including Jerusalem, Nazareth and . the Sea of Galilee. Jerusalem, situa’ted 3000 feet above sea level, had a population of 125,000, and was a queer mixture of the ancient and modern. The Dead Sea, 20 miles away, dropped to 1300 feet below sea level. Palestine he found a land of marked contrasts. In one field might be seen harvesting in progress in the ancient way and on the next field a modern tractor. The roads were tarmac or bitumen, and there was plenty of evidence of business in Palestine to-day. A number of colonies had been established, the most modern being Tel.ivive, settled by Jews from the west. “There is no doubt that Britain is doing splendid work developing Palestine. The evidence of her hand is everywhere,” he said. After two weeks in the British Isles Mr. Anderson crossed the Atlantic in the N.D.L. 51,000-ton liner Europa, which made one of the fastest westbound crossings, at an average speed of over 26 knots. Mr. Anderson saw the Queen Mary in Scotland, and* said she,was so large that a 5000-ton liner alongside her looked just like a tug. Self-Criticism in America. In the United States the visitor decided to cash his railway ticket and travel by motor coach, which he found the best way of seeing the country. He travelled 5500 miles by this means, and described the Grand Canyon as the most impressive sight he had ever seen. California impressed him as a land of milk and honey, with an extraordinarily fertile soil. Speaking of politics in America, Mr. Anderson said President Roosevelt personally was extremely popular. People believed he was doing his best for them. At the same time there was a great deal of criticism of the methods of the N.R.A., and of unsound finance and unsound schemes. “I found the Americans most hospitable and very courteous. Also, they have a great deal of admiration for Gfeat Britain in the way she is handling her internal affairs «nd emerging from the economic crisis,” Mr. Anderson said. “Nobody is more critical of America than Americans themselves. This is literally true, and is a good sign. Once they smiled at the so-called dole system in England, but now they are only too glad to copy that system of social insurance,” he said. jiiiiiiniiiiniiiiiiiiiiiicniiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiKiiiiiiiiiiiiiniiiiiiiiiiiiKii