EXAGGERATED TALK

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 109, 1 February 1935, Page 12

EXAGGERATED TALK

References to Preparing For War IMPRESSIONS OF EUROPE Impressions of conditions in European countries he had recently visited' were' related by Mr. William Teeling, a member of the' governing council of the Overseas League, when lie was entertained nt luncheon yesterday by the New Zealand Club. He expressed the opinion that the talk of war and of preparation for war was greatly exaggrated. He said that nine-tenths of the people had no knowledge of what was going on outside their own country, and appealed for support for organisations such as the Overseas League so that they might have a better knowledge of the Empire what it stood for. Mr. W. S. Fern presided, and in extending a hearty welcome to Mr. Teeling said he understood he was • travelling in various parts of the world in order to prepare himself as a candidate for the House of Commons. Mr. Teeling’s example of making himself familiar with conditions in the outlying parts of the Empire was one that might well be followed by politicians at Home, to the mutual advantage of Great Britain and her colonies. Beller Understanding. Mr. Teeling said he intended to speak briefly on his experiences in Germany, France, Italy, Austria and Great Britain. His European tours had not been made de luxe, but more or less on tramp lines, though not entirely so. Among the ordinary, everyday people of Europe there-was a better understanding of the general conditions than obtained some years ago, and all this talk of war and of preparation for war was - extremely exaggerated. Having visited those countries he would say that there was no more risk of war. than at any other normal time in history. He would go further than that, and say there was probably less of it at the moment. Large numbers of people who participated in the last war were taking an active part in public affairs, and he had not met a single person who had any desire for war. The younger generation was infinitely better educated and they had no desire for war.

One must look at Germany as a whole, and not the details. He had a most interesting conversation with Herr Thyssen, head of the German steel trust, who was largely instrumental in bringing Herr Hitler into power, it was a matter of interest that Herr Thyssen was an active and practising Roman Catholic. He mentioned that because there was a,Roman Catholic problem as well as a Jewish one.

Dreamer and Idealist. Herr Thyssen had said to him he thought the best thing he; could say about Hitler was that he was a dreamer and an idealist, that he was looking ahead into the future, and was convinced of the sanity and good sense of the German people, and that by giving them a little rope they would eventually settle down in a reasonable way. In the meantime Hitler was concentrating on the biggest necessary thing in Germany, and that was to revive the people pride- and spirit. It might be said that would lead to war. but be did not think so. A keenness and pride in themselves was developing in the German people. That was Hitler’s great strength and the reason the young people were so keen in him.

Mr. Teeling said that in his opinion if there was any chance of war in Europe to-day it would be in consequence of unemployment. If there were any danger it was in unemployment. Hitler was settling, down to the big idea of dealing with the unemployment problem. He was working up a spirit that might well be copied It wits not Governments that were going to solve the unemployment problem, but the unemployed and the people themselves. Position in France. _ In France unemployment was not «o grave, on paper, at all events. Nearly SO per cent, of the working class there were their own employers, and those people were not out of work. The Italian idea of dealing with the. unemployed was natural to Italy. Some of the methods adopted by Continental countries for dealing with unemployment could not be carried out in Britain. England had a method of her own, not the dole or unemployment insurance, but the Prince of Wales’s effort to get the unemployed into development schemes of their own. In making a plea for support for the Overseas League. Mr. Teeling said the ordinary citizen who travelled could be aipowerful ambassador for'rightful understanding of conditions in his own and in other countries. One of the objects of the league was to provide facilities for people from various parts of Empire to meet, fraternise and make themselves acquainted with the true conditions in different parts of the. Empire.