ROUND ONE WORLD IN 13 STAGES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 16, Issue 416, 13 June 1947, Page 10

ROUND ONE WORLD IN 13 STAGES

Corwin Programmes from ZB’*s

"JTNTERVIEWS with people | geographically as far apart as : the British Prime Minister in No. 10 Downing Street, Pandit Nehru, in a library in New Delhi, the Danish Finance Minister in

Copenhagen, the editor of the Moscow News, and school children in Wellington, follow one another in the recorded story of Norman Corwin’s recent 37,000-mile world tour. During his visits to 17 countries, as first winner of the Wen‘dell Willkie One World award, he sought for evidence of goodwill, and for signs of a uniting world. He found fewer of the latter than he would -have wished, but he also found plenty of hope. Corwin listened to peoples’ troubles and nations’ troubles — often the -same thing. He did not conduct a poll, but gathered a consensus of world opinions which are significant to everyone in these days. His findings, in recorded form, have now been received by the NZBS, and they will be heard from the ZB stations shortly. 7

Using a wire recorder, Corwin gathered sounds as well as opinions-the roar of a train in Moscow, the cry of a London street peddler, the noise of workmen repairing damaged buildings in the Philippines, the voice of an exsailor in Mercer Street, Wellington, are heard in one or other of the 13 episodes in the series. Distance is No More He starts by saying that no place in the world is far away any more. The war left in its wake all kinds of attitudes of mind and spirit, and the drawing together of all people is. the only way to lasting peace. The New Zealand episode opens with a Maéri action chorus, and then Corwin speaks: "My last country visited was in many ways the most remarkable of all. I had the average American’s lack of knowledge of New Zealand, but I studied a map on the flight from Australia, and I soon realised that it was no mere speck of land in the ocean. We flew in over rich, green, hilly farm lands to find Auckland looking like a cross between Seattle and Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Modestly Prosperous "This city gave me the impression of a modest prosperity, designed for the greatest security of the greatest number. The first three people I stopped in the street said they had no worries. The election campaign was quiet and

dignified, compared with American campaigns. ... The long week-end is a good thing in New Zealand, because of the country’s highly attractive outdoors; and the worst thing that can happen to you is getting caught in a rainstorm, "T flew to Wellington, to find it in a perfect amphitheatre of 1000-ft. high

hills, architecturally unimpressive, but in a setting which made up for that.... I visited the Rongotai School to interview bdys. Their answers to my questions showed a knowledge of world affairs. .. . And I found that the Maori has a position’ of ‘greater respect than is enjoyed by any other native people in the world. It is a respect that goes well beyond lip-service." Corwin, discusses New Zealand’s social security legislation, health measures, housing programme, and other enactments. In some cases he interviewed people for their opinions on these measures, "Twelve years ago," he says, "New Zealand was alone in taking a positive stand for collective security, and .in calling for aid to the victims of Fascist oppression. To-day the country is just as internationally-minded." Prime Minister Interviewed He interviewed the Prime Minister at midnight, after a long day in the House. Mr. Fraser told him that people who talked of the inevitability of war did qa great deal of harm-‘"I do not think any responsible person wants war, hence our support of United Nations, and our desire that the organisation should be a success." Corwin sums up his experiences in New Zealand by saying: "The experiments in this beautiful and interesting little democracy are ones the world may (continued on next page)

(continued from previous page) well watch and study. For New Zealand is boldly attempting to reconcile the best features of private enterprise and socialism, and to eliminate the worst in each. From the ‘traveller’s viewpoint, the country is important out of all proportion to its size. I have not seen many places where the people -are so free, busy, healthy, and unworried, and at one with their minorities, The children | are strong, well-clothed, well-housed, well-educated, and happy. There is a sound of hope and promise for the inheritors of to-morrow." But there is a grim side: to some of these recordings. Corwin interviewed, in Italy, a woman whose village had been bombarded. Through an interpreter, she told him that she had lost all close relatives but one son. She had no idea of what she could look forward to; she was hopeless. Denmark’s Finance Minister was not sure that the world was finished with making widows through ‘war. A stevedore in Copenhagen took the view that the world must regeneraté itself through sincerity: Russia should be assured that other countries did not want,war with her, and she should assure the others that she was satisfied to work out her own destiny with the territory she had." One World Flight, which is the title of the Corwin programme, will start at 2ZB this. Sunday, June 15; at 1ZB on June 29; 3ZB, on July 13; 4ZB, on July 27; and 2ZA, on August 10. It will be heard weekly for 13 weeks, and the time at each station will be 9.0 p.m. er