AMERICA AND EUROPE

Hokitika Guardian, 21 January 1925, Page 4

AMERICA AND EUROPE

A VISITOR’S IMPRESSIONS.' DUNEDIN. Jan. If). Captain Sundstrum, who has just re* turned from a trip to America and Europe, stated ill the course of an interview that during his tour across the United States he saw only two men xlie worse for liquor; one man in San Francisco was slightly mellow and the other was a porter in a Detroit hotel. “Prohibition does not trouble the people at all in the Central States.” Captain Simstrum said, “and I really believe it has come to statu Although there is .some opposition in the seaport towns the Government is determined to enforce prohibition, and quite recently there was a big meeting of business men and citizens in Washington to assist the Government in its work. There is not a ghost of a chance of its being repealed, and the people are going to see it through.” Referring to the general living conditions Captain Sunstrum said that the country was all too prosperous. There were high wages and salaries, hut on the other hand everything was dear. “At present the States fire confronted with several formidable problems,” said the captain, “with which they will experience almost insurmountable difficulties. “The first of these is the negro and the immigration problem. Immigrants are pouring into the country in thousands, and what is more, these people —Germans, Italians, Greeks and Hungarians.—have their own schools, speak their own language and are not compelled to learn English. From a liritish point of view this appears a serious mistake. “Another peculiar problem is the Ku Txlux Klan. which is more or less ol an unknown quantity. It is supported by perfectly respectable people, who think it is a valuable factor in the improvement of society. To an Englishman or a- colonial their attitude is beyond comprehension, and an organisation of this nature would not he tolerated for a minute in a British country. The American seems to have a code that is unfathomable to us.” After visiting other American cities Captain Sunstrum continued his voyage to Southampton, and visited many pVaees of interest ill the Old Country, including the Wembley Exhibition. From a. spectacular and advertising point of view, he said, the Canadian Court was decidedly the best, with Australia a close second. The New Zealand Court, he thought, was a little disappointing, hut as an exhibition it. was all right. There were splendid displays of butter, meat, wool and timber, and the only poor display was the frail., which was the poorest of the poor. ' '(’hey were all Nelson apples, but subsequently shipments arrived I rum Central Otago, and these had a much better appearance. Oil the whole, lie thought most of the criticism was unjustified. One important fact he noticed in nil travels was that New Zealand was lav too backward in advertising itself. I he country did not get a quarter ol the publicity it shorn!!. Never, even in Switzerland, had he seen scenery to equal that of the New Zealand Sounds,

and if the facts were only known and one or two improvements were carried out thousands of American visitors would come. However. Now Zealand was a young country, only about id years old. and has done wonderfully well so far.