MR. ROBERT BELL

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 55, 2 September 1926, Page 16

MR. ROBERT BELL

A TOUR IN SOUTH AFRICA. (From Our Own- Correspondent.) LONDON, 31st July. Jlr Robert Bell (Christchurcn) is one of the latest arrivals in England. He landed a few days ago from the Ihemistocles after having spent a month en route in South Africa. Mr. Bell joined the Diogenes at Sydney and left her at Durban. , . From Durban he went to Johannesburg and then to the Victoria Falls and the Zambesi. He was greatly impressed with the splendour of the scenery. He crossed the Zambesi to the town of Livingstone -which is the administrative centre of Northern Rhodesia. Then he journeyed back to Johannesburg, stopping at Bulawayo, which is the commercial centre of Southern Rhodesia. He allowed sufficient time there to visit the Matopa Hills where he saw the graves of Cecil J6hn Ilodes and Leander Starr Jameson, as well as the fine memorial to Captain Allan Wilson, and the men who fell with him at Shangani River. Arriving again at Johannesburg he spent a short time there and saw Pretoria and a number of centres in the surrounding district en route to Capetown. Mr. Bell was very much struck with Rhodesia. The moment a Britisher arrives in Southern Rhodesia he is sensible of a different feeling, a feeling that he has once more come among his own people, in contrast to the feeling that one gets unmistakably shot into himVvhen in tho Transvaal, and some of tho other States of the Union of South Africa, where there is so much dissension being engendered at the present time over the flag question as well as the treatment of the natives question. Natal is taking the flag question very seriously, and the general consensus of feeling in that State is that they are now sorry they ever consented to come into the Union at all. This impression is also to be found in the Cape Province where tho people are very outspoken about, the matter. Rhodesia has been pressed of late years to join the Union of South Africa, but it can hardly be doubted that the flag question will effectually kill any wish to do so now, Rhodesia being thoroughly British in all its ideals. During his long journey in South Africa Mr. Bell found that travelling by rail' was very comfortable, the sleeping accommodation being exceedingly good. The traveller is well catered for in the dining saloons, and as well as being good, the meals are very cheap. It is possible for a traveller to have three good meals on the railways at the price of 7s 6d per day. The hotels in South Africa, too, he found to be very comfortable, and their tariffs to be reasonable. Mr. Bell is not desirous of saying anything very definite about the opinions which he may have formed, because, he says, he was too short a time in this vast country. After a short time in London he will leave for the North, and in August he will be at Geneva to attend the International Press Congress, which will open on 14th September. Mr.- Bell is one of the vice-presidents, and a member of the Institute of tho Press Congress. One of the chief reasons for his trip was to attend this important fixture in Switzerland.