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Hokitika Guardian, 26 January 1923, Page 2

As interesting account is given by a recently returned Christchurch resident • his observations during a visit to lit devastated area of France and Belgium. On the train journey trout Paris ;o Brussels, said Mr Mitchell, ho pass- < (trough a good deal of the devastated area in the Somme region. The first oadly damaged town seen on the jourrev was St Quentin which was still very much in the same condition as it was •' t the end of the war. The French everywhere were bravely endeavouring • o make the land suitable for fanning . gain, but they were faced with great , ilficulties. Everywhere signs of the great struggle were to be seen and om , asionally casualties occurred through people picking up o)d bombs and shells, .he Gentian pi!l-l>oxes had been found ;jo costly to destroy and probably u'.lld always remain as a reminder of :be fight iny;. They were built of re-

forced concrete and it v.*as p . act - callv impossible to blow them to pieces. The >wn of Y’pres, or what remained of it at the end of the war, was being demolished by the Belgians, who proposed to rebuild it, said -Mr Mitchell. Accommodation in A’pres was very limited and m. st of the visitors went

there in motor tours from Ostend and Brussels. There were guides all over the place who were eager to show tourists anything they intended to see. Mr Mitchell visited a number of cemeteries and saw the graves of a large number ill New Zealand soldiers, fie was told that about (30,UU0 soldiers were buried on Hill 60, which was the scene of some of the most terrible lighting in the war. Passcheltdaele, Polygon Wood and the other places where the Now Zealand Division fought in the A'pres sector were still very desolate looking. At one place just off the Alenin Road, he saw about thirty British tanks which had apparently got. bogged at one time and had never been shifted. Some of the trenches round about A pres were being kept as show places for tourists.

Cossjukuino the time that Brussels was in the hands of the Germans, All Mitcholi thought it was in a remarkably good state of repair. The Germans had taken the leather from the seats in the churches and the brass fillings I rom the doors, etc., hut otherwise there were no signs ot damage. Ah 'Mitchell spent some time in Die occupied area ot Germany where he was well treated. While he was there the value of the German mark was 2.j()I) it the pound it is now 105,000 in the pound sterling), and he iound living fairly cheap. A good room at the hotel cost him SO marks, which was very reasonable, but to make a reservation <u „ room in Belgium while lie was still in t ■erniany, cost him 21.100 marks. I lit 1 explanation was that the Belgian Government took a proportion of the amount. Although most tilings were cheap to buy in Germany it did not pay to ta he them out m the country on account of the ex pi 11 1 tax. Everything made ill Germany "as subject to a fairly heavy export tax and tourists bad in lit' caret ill not to take anything ol Berman make with them info Germany as they were liable to pay duty oil such things when coming away again. Motor ears were very cheap ami for 810 or BSO ol English money a ear could he bought, hut the export tax operated against taking Lhe cars mil ol Germany. Some people visiting Germany would Inly a ear to travel through the country and then practically give it away when leaving the country. ’I he pcopk the Continent were out for pleasure and seemed to regard business as a side-line.” remarked Air Alitehelll. Baris was very gay, quite as much so, he believed as it had boon itr the days before the war and Belgium was very much the same, fi appeared lo he a period oi recovery from the elieets oi the war and the French and Belgians particularly, were seeking all the pleasure that was to he found.