A RUSSIAN VISITOR

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 311, 28 June 1912, Page 4

A RUSSIAN VISITOR

SOME OF Ills IMPRESSIONS. ] "I must say that I like New Zealand-1 era better than Australians. They seem i more polite and more hospitable. Australians resemble Americans, but they do not appear to have the 'push.' of that nation." This is the opinion of M. Constantin Balmont, a Russian poet and writer, who is just concluding a trip through New Zealand. "It was a delightful change, after my own country,'' he said, "to find a place so free from soldiers. All the way from the Bluff up I did not see more, than two. And the I police are few. In my own country now," said our foreign visitor, and he suggested the rest of his meaning with a most eloquent shrug of his shoulders. He mentioned the same freedom from militarism in England, and expressed the greatest admiration \for the system of voluntary enlistment, "ft is really wonderful to think that with such a system there should be enough soldiers in time of war. To a foreigner, accustomed to the Continental way, it is always remarkable'to think that complete reliance can be placed upon such a system as that of England." , M. Balinont, though quite frank in his admiration for New Zealanders, was not slow to detect one of their foibles, and ho smiled very much at their complete confidence in their country and their futnre. He is a keen student of folk lore, particularly of the Polynesians, and to further study these interesting people he is making a trip to the Islands, lie was much struck with the similarity between the legends of the Maori and those of other primitive people he has come across in 'his extensive travels. It is six years since he was a resident of his native country, except for one brief visit, and Paris is now his place of abode. The unsatisfactory state of the Government, and no immediate prospect of an improvement, induced him to leave Russia. Questioned as to the future of that unres'tful country, he said it was most difficult to say what would happen. The principal difficulty lay in the fact that the aristocrats, the workmen in the cities, anil the peasants were three distinct classes, with so little in common. Every Russian was an anarchist by nature, every one was a philosopher and a thinker, and these very facts militated against any common action such as was necessary to bring about a successful revolution .in the present unsatisfactory state of affairs. Corruption was rife, gild though speech was much freer than it was, not a day passed hut somebody was being fined for expressing sentiments in opposition to the ruling authorities. Jl. Balmont, who wears an Imperial and long-flowing locks, makes a striking figure in the street, and his appearance is strongly reminiscent of Napoleon 111. He i.s well read in English literature, and has translated much of the writings oi Shelley and Edgar Allen Poe into Russian.