CONDITIONS ABROAD

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19888, 18 May 1936, Page 4

CONDITIONS ABROAD

ITALY AND GERMANY. FORMER HAMILTONIAN RETURNS. AUCKLANDv Saturday. I The problems of overseas countries were reviewed by Mr F. B. Stephens, former lecturer "in economics at the Auckland University College, who returned by the Monterey yesterday after two and a-half years’ "research under a Reckefeller Fellowship. A few years ago Mr Stephens was tutororganiser of the Workers’ Educational Association in the Waikato, where he is widely known. The object of Mr Stephens’ tour was research into local government conditions abroad, and the fellowship was extended to allow a study of the work being done by universities in training for the public service, and he also took the opportunity to study traffic control. His inquiries took him to Great Britain and Ireland, most European countries, and North America, and he was in touch with both Governments and people in all the countries he visited. Fascism and Nazi-lsm. Mr Stephens found that whereas in Germany the important factor was Hitler, not Nazi-ism, in Italy it was Fascism that was of great moment, and not Mussolini, in spite of the prevailing impression- On the economic side, Italy was in a precarious state. Certain financial statistics had not been published since 1926, and he had experienced great difficulty in securing some information. In France Mr Stephens said there was an unbelievably strong fear of German aggression. The Germans had treated him most hospitably, and placed confidential figures before him on request without demur. “The Germans can still laugh at themselves, whereas the Italian young men have lost the faculty of criticism,” he said. “Germany is losing it too, and if Hitler can last another five years he will be as strongly entrenched as Mussolini.” During a period spent in the United States after leaving Europe, it became evident to Mr Stephens that in the coming election it was not a question of Roosevelt against somebody else, but of for or against Roosevelt.

The Auckland University College is desirous of again securing Mr Stephens’ services, and with this object in view of endeavouring to institute a lectureship in public administration.