TRAVELS ABROAD

Hokitika Guardian, 30 June 1928, Page 1

TRAVELS ABROAD

EUROPE IN WINTER

A European holiday in winter time was tlie theme. of Sir James Gunson’s address last Monday to members of the Auckland lto.tary Club. Sir .Tames, who was received with an outburst of applause, having already dealt with many of his travel experiences in other addresses since his return home, took his hearers in imagination through a tour of Europe. After dilating on thirty days cf blue skies in the districts around the Pyrenees. he made special reference to Madrid, which lie described as an entrancing city which had been practically rebuilt during the last 23 years mainly by American and British capitalists. who were in that country the chief competitors for business. In Madrid, as ill other places, he found the British officials at the various embassies most obliging and anxious

! > do all they could to make the visit • i himself and party pleasant. There •v; i no doubt that the chief contenders 'tn- national supremacy were the United States and Great Britain, a fact that was Forced upon him in the vriri us countries and the Old Country v.i’.s fully holding its own.

He had been surprised to find that though Spain imparted large quantities of dairy produce, and had a port, Corunna, right on the Panama route, at which insulated steamers called, no

[New ‘Zealand butter was received. There seemed to be an opening there. From Barcelona, a city of over a million inhabitants, eoukl be obtained a magnificent panoramic view comparable with that obtainable from Mount Eden.

At the holiday resorts in the South of France he had been amazed at the wealth which appeared to be squandered by the idle rich. Closer investigation, however, showed that many had important commercial interests there. Their women’s power of spending, he declared, amidst laughter, was “simply enormous.” Skiing 'in Switzerland, driving through snow in Austria, five days in Vienna, under snow, were impressive experiences. Hungary and Czechoslovakia were next visited. In Prague the speaker had noted, as in some ether European centres, a desperate endeavour to sell their manufactured products. In this connection he suggested that the Empire would be do-

ing good business to purchase as fains passible from countries that were monetary debtors to Britain. In Geneva .be spent a few days, where ho noted the habitation o,f the League of Nations and the wonderful building known as the International Labour Bureau. He had Teen astounded at the scope and character of the various associations connected with the League. Referring to Russia, he declared emphatically his hearers could take it from him that the days of the Bolshevik were gone, the menace which lan years ago threatened from Russia had for ever passed. Their leaders were now gradually but steadily evolving to a position where they would co-operate with other nations of the world in orderly development.