CONTRAST NOTED

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20071, 18 October 1939, Page 4

CONTRAST NOTED

BRITISH AND GERMANS NOT SAME SOLIDARITY INTERNAL DISCONTENT VALUE OF PROPAGANDA “During' the few months immediately preceding the outbreak of war I could not help but be impressed with the striking contrast afforded by the demeanour of the people in England as compared with that in Germany,” said Mr. Ivan Collett, elder son of Mr. and Mrs. E. A. Collett, Clifford street, Gisborne, who has been visiting his parents at the conclusion of a seven-month tour of Belgium, Germany, France, Switzerland, England, Canada, and America. Mr. Collett is attached to the sales staff of the Atlantic-Union Oil Company, Limited, Auckland, -and left Gisborne this morning on his return ;o the northern city. While in America Mr. Collett made a study of the latest refining methods. In England there was an atmosphere of confident determination to pursue a duty that had to be done, he said. Though defence activity was noted everywhere, the people accepted it as part of their national life,-and hid their fears and doubts as to . the future under a firm determination to meet what was to come with a confidence that the cause was a right and just one. England’s Refreshing Attitude “People in England discussed the pros and cons of the international situation and local politics with a freedom that was most refreshing after visiting Germany, where it was impossible to talk of politics,” confinued Mr. Collett. “Though appreciating what war meant in hardship and horror, the people in England could still smile and laugh, but with it all was that clear-cut atmosphere of confidence in the ability of England to win if war did eventually come.” Great hopes for the success of the propaganda campaign to engender internal unrest and strife in Germany oy the dropping of millions of pamphlets was held out by the Allied forces. He considered that the field was ripe for such a campaign, and believed that in time its prosecution would have the desired effect, especially when the blockade began to manifest itself more stringently. “We know the Germans to be a highly-intelligent people, scientific-ally-minded, well disciplined and generally progressive and enterprising, and it always has surprised me how it comes about that they can be so cowed by the Nazi regime,” said Mr. Collett. “During my visit this year to Germany I was amazed at how the people generally had been subjected to the domination of Herr Hitler and his Nazi organisation. The Black Shirts .and the Gestapo have : nstilled an atmosphere of fear into ’he people, and the effect is readily aoted if one wanders off the beaten tourist track. “Households are divided in themselves, the older people having no sympathy with the Nazi movement in which their sons and daughters are members.- Family relationships are strained and there is no feeling of understanding between the older and younger generations. The former dare not express their political views for fear of the secret police. There is nothing bright or happy about the family and community gatherings. There are no smiling faces, and laughter is rare indeed. “Ripe For Internal Disruption” “I should say that a very substantial parj, of the country is just ripe for internal disruption. All that is wanted, I imagine, is someone to lead them, for there can be no getting away from the fact that most certainly the older generation, and a good number of the younger people, particularly the women, are opposed to the present regime. They fear it intensely, and even five months before war broke out it was patent that there was much unrest and discontent, particularly because there was a fair amount of rationing of foodstuffs and other commodities going on, and they could not understand the need for such rationing.” Butter was a luxury, explained Mr. Collett, and even the tourists were given short rations and allowed just a few “whisps.” In the boardinghouse in Munich where he was staying milk was supplied for tea only on one day in three, and then the waitress poured it from a jug into the tea cup and took away the jug. There was barely enough meat, and that at a high price, but there were plenty of green vegetables. In other directions he noticed that the economic position of the country was obviously strained. Clothing material, for example, was very poor, being mainly synthetic. With the winter approaching he doubted whether that clothing would afford the wearer, much warmth. Footwear, too, was of poor quality, the “leather” being a composite material closely resembling cardboard. Petrol was rigidly rationed. Though many of the highways, and some were magnificent pieces of work, were made for high-speed cars, only the small “baby” cars were seen frequently on the roads.