An Audience Of 400 Prisoners

Radio Record, Volume VII, Issue 5, 11 August 1933, Page 17

An Audience Of 400 Prisoners

Journalist Who Gave a Talk in the Mount Eden Gaol"War Correspondent No. 11" Was a Wellington Man-New Zealand’s Youth Hostels.

A TALK on the production and control of a modern newspaper to 400 prisoners at the Mount Eden gaol-one of the most _ interesting and attentive of audiences he has ever had-is one of the incidents in the career of Leonard J. Cronin, whose talks from 4YA have been bright features of Dunedin’s radio programmes for some time past. Mr, Cronin has had a thorough grounding in journalism-he was on the Auckland "Sun" during its lifetime.

and he is now editor of the "New Zealand Tablet" and director of the Commercial Writers’ Institute. For six years he was a familiar figure in Parliamentary lobbies, and a series Of. talks that he gave from 1YA on the lesser aspects of Parliamentary life were popular with northern listeners. When he is not battling with printer’s ink Mr. Cronin is to be found on the golf links or working hard for the League of Nations Union-for he is an earnest advocate of everlasting peace. i * at As "war Corpt. No. 11," Dr. Guy H. Scholefield, O.B.L., of Wellington, had an exciting time in those hectie days of 1914-18. He went first to the Western Front in 1915, just in time for the battle of Neuve Chapelle, in company with such distinguished war correspondents as Philip Gibbs, Valentine Williams, Collinson Owen, and Fred Palmer. Immediately after that famous battle he made his way to the bases of the Grand Fleet, and gave the newspapers for which he was writing the very first story of the fleet at war in that bitter winter of 18 years ago. Later, with the Italian army, he saw fighting in the Alps, and gained

his first glimpse of Venice under unique conditions-St. Mark’s honeycombe: off with sandbags from floor to dome: the bronze horses hidden in the Apennines; Floriani’s restaurant closed and boarded for the first time in 300 years; und Austrian Albatros planes roaring over the city every night. Between 1916 and 1919 Dr. Scholefield devoted the spare time of a busy journalist to editing "The New Zealander," which found its way regularly into every regimental canteen of the N.Z.E.F.. and practically every ship of the British Navy and every regiment of th: British Army. a * En "PHE corners of the world not included in Cook’s Tours have always held a fascination for Dr. Scholefield. He once shipped on board a Spanish steamer trading in the Mediterranean -the only member of the crew who was not Spanish, This experience yielded a good insight into the everyday life of the Spaniards and the seu: timents of the Republicans, for prac tically every man in the ship was a Republican from the province of Bis cay. Between 1914 and 1919 he took his B.Se. and D.Se., at London University, and published two books. It was later a welcome change from the exeitement and dilemmas of 1914-18 to come again to the quiet Pacific, visiting the islands and furthering tke study of Pacific affairs which had gained him the doctorate. Dr. Scholefield is a frequent speaker from 2YA 0} world affairs. By % % "THE letters after Dr. E. Marsden’s pame make a particularly imposing array-D.Sc., F.N.Z1., F.P.S.I. But this man of many letters is also a mau of many achievements, and he at present holds the important position of Secretary of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research at Wellington. Dr. Marsden, who is in his middle forties, is an Englishman who was educated at Manchester and London Universities. He lectured in the Old Country for a time, and came to New Zealand in 1914 to take up an appointment as Professor of Physics at Victoria College. But the Great War intervened, and Dr. Marsden "did his bit" as a lieutenant in the New Zealand Division, being mentioned in dispatches and receiving the Military Cross. At the present time he is on the Board of Science and Art and on the Board of Governors of the New Zealand Institute. Dr. Marsden is speaking next week from 2YA. * bd a A CHAIN of youth hostels from the north of New Zealand to the south, and offering accommodation at exceedingly low rates to hundreds of young trampers. Two years ago this was but a dream in the mind of an intensely active Christchurch woman, Miss Cora Wilding. To-day the spade-

work is over and the time is not very far away when every "trampable" por: tion of the Dominion will have its youth hostel. The Youth Hostel Assocition of New Zealand was formed in Christchurch last year, with: Canterbury’s Grand Old Man, Sir Arthur Dobson, as its president, and Miss Wilding as an energetic member of the committee. Hostels were established on Banks Peninsula, and this year the association has extended its activities and opened hostels on the West Coast, nd on the eastern side of the Southern Alps. Wellington has fallen into line with hostels in the Tararuas, Auckland has established several in the Waitakeres and other parts of New Zealand have written asking for information. Miss Wilding is a daughter of Frank Wilding, K.C., a well-known Christchurch barrister, and a sister of Anthony Wilding, whose death at. the Front robbed the world of one of its most promising tennis players. As secretary of the Sunlight League Miss Wilding has worked hard in promoting health camps for city children, and in impressing the "more sunlight, less illness" idea on the Cathedral City’s inhabitants. She is to give a talk on the. youth hostels on the West Coast from S3YA next week. , n bog BY his articles under the nom de plume of "Cyrano" Mr. Alan Mulgan, of Auckland, is well-known to. readers of the "Auckland Star" and the "Christchurch Times." And it’s a remarkably apt nom de plume, too, for his writings have all the rapier-like directness of the famous de Bergerac. Mr. Mulgan is a busy man-he is editor

of Auckland’s evening daily, lectures at the northern university, writes articles for moré than’ one overseas paper and has written a book-or two, | His book "Home" has been hailed as one of the finest pieces of literature turned out by a New Zealander-it deals with a colonial’s impressions of ‘England, and the reading of it makes one long for the gorse-bordered lanes of Sussex and the fresh sweet sniell of an English wood. . Mr.. Mulgan is speaking from 1YA next week.» |