ROUND THE WORLD TRIP

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 2934, 10 September 1925, Page 4

ROUND THE WORLD TRIP

The following is a further instalment of a series of articles to be written by the editor of this paper during his world tour. The last letter was from Milan where we spent a very interesting time. Much of interest is lost in not understanding the language of the countries through which we passed, and it is surprising how few speak English. French appears to be almost universal on the Continent. We was taken to see the tomb erected in the glorious Milan cemetery to the first five young Italian patriots shot by the Communists, in the rising of 1920. They, were Fascisti —Mussolini’s volunteers. The outside world know’s little of Italy’s sacrifice in aries for PnvgHsj xzfiflffffi flffjffi stamping out these red Revolutionaries, for had they gained the upper hand in Italy, there is no doubt they would have played havoc in Europe. It was the iron hand of Mussolini that swept the red tide back.

After leaving Milan we had a long and tedious railway journey to Paris. From Italy to Switzerland we passed through the Simplon tunnel —thank heaven by electric train. Passing across the borders, passports were examined and baggage scrutinised. We arrived in Paris thoroughly tired out. Paris is a wonderfully interesting city. Sight-seeing by day and night occupied most of .our time. It is almost impossible to believe that war waged within a few miles of Paris, a few years ago. People appear to be prosperous and I saw no evidence of poverty or distress. The theatres and music halls and restaurants are crowded every evening. Paris by night is wonderful. Men and women dress with the utmost good taste. The fashionable shops were crowded daily with people who appeared to have plenty of cash. It mlade me think of France’s unpaid war debt to England! Everywhere we went we happened upon Americans. They seem to swarm here. To many of them John Bull is a small potato and as for Australia and New Zealand, well, they are not on the map! We visited the Paris Exposition of Arts and Industries. At night it presents a wonderful sight, and covers a wide area of space. The illuminations are gorgeously magnificent. It is a maze of special buildings containing works of art from all- parts of the woild. There are side-shows switch-back railway, and other wonderful attractions. Each night there aie illuminated displays from the Eiffel Tower, near by. The exhibition is situated on both sides of the Seine and the scenes on the river are very wonderful. Thousands throng the thoroughfares and buildings day and night. We ascended to the top of the Eiffel Tower and obtained a magnificent view of the city an its environs. Our hotel was situated a short distance from the Are de Triomphe de 1’ Etoile, beneath which rests the unknown soldier’s grave. We also visited all the places of interest including Napoleon’s tomb. Versailles and Malmaison well repaid the visit. The historic palace of Versailles is the most gorgeous palace in the world and reflects the glory ot Louis XIV. and the golden age of France to a degree that no other building does. Here the French Kings held the greatest court m modern times and it was here that some of the most thrilling episodes of the French Revolution took place. Versailles is also the scene of the final settlement of the Great War and we stayed for a few minutes in the great “Galerie des Glnces” where the Emperor, William I. was proclaimed German Emperor in 1817, and where, nearly 50 years after the delegates of Republican Germany signed the Peace Treaty on June 28th, 1919. We also visited the delightful chateau of Malmaison the residence of Napoleon and Josephine and the church of Rued, where are the tombs of Josephine and her daughter, Queen Horteuse. The rustic hamlet where Marie-Antoinette sought distraction from the boredom of state ceremonies was also full of intei est. To fill in the details of these visits would occupy columns. Daily motor trips are made by tourists to the battle fields accompanied by more or less intelligent guides. To put it in a nut shell, Paris is a very wonderful city. Tomorrow we take train for Calais and cross over to Dover and thence on to London. Our Continental tour has increased my devotion to “God’s own country” and a higher estimation of its citizens.