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Bird's Eye View By The Hawk

6th October 1961, Page 38
6th October 1961
Page 38
Page 39
Page 38, 6th October 1961 — Bird's Eye View By The Hawk
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Mr. Stokes Says His Piece In German

T SUPPOSE acceptance of the Presidency of the S.M.M.T, imust automatically imply that one is also prepared to undergo various gruelling assignments, including making speeches in foreign languages. Donald Stokes' turn came the other week at a Press conference held by the S.M.M.T. in Frankfurt just before the opening of the Motor Show there, when he had to address the German journalists present in their own language. And a very creditable performance it was too.

I wished I'd had a camera with me in the Exhibition the following morning, incidentally. It looked as if the Common Market had arrived with a vengeance, for whom should I see but Sir Henry Spurner and Donald Stokes touring the stands, the latter carrying a very distinctively decorated Daimler-Benz plastics carrier bag! I wonder if Daimler-Benz's chairman has a Leyland ashtray in his office now?

Ubersetzung

A S can be imagined, life becomes very much easier for any 1-1 journalist covering a. foreign motor show if specially prepared Press releases in his own language are available. One would imagine that the thoroughness of the German exhibitors at the Frankfurt Show would result in reams of information in English. Not so, however: Daimler-Benz and Volkswagen, of course, turned up trumps; so did Krupp who, with disarming honesty admitted that: "The visitor will not find any new

designs. . ."

Henschel excelled themselves by producing a really corn prehensive 65-page book in perfect English on their product: and their future plans in connection with SAVIEM, but on thi,

54 stands of the majority of the rest of the commercial-vehicle exhibitors written English was outstanding by its absence. On Press Day this applied to many sales and publicity personnel also, and in some cases even to the exhibits, some of the stands still being incomplete and unstaffed on the morning of opening day. Critics of Earls Court can take heart from this.

Practice Made Perfect

ON the same day that Mr. Stokes was proving his bilingual abilities in Germany, Bernard Scott, vice-chairman of C.A.V., Ltd., was giving a parallel performance in France. Mr. Scott had to speak at the opening of the Roto diesel factory in Blois and—because all the other speeches were in French— he felt impelled to abandon his native tongue.

He spoke with a fluency that was admiringly remarked upon several Frenchmen I spoke to afterwards. That fluency Jill surprise me, because I knew that the perfectionist streak Mr. Scott's character had been working overtime the night fore. He had a French colleague record the speech, and then t up in his hotel room until he had matched his own promciation to his colleague's.

rnique Link 4R, SCOTT has been responsible for developing a unique link between this country and France—a link, I should d, which is costing C.A.V. a penny or two. He is chairman the Berkshire County Boys Clubs and a very ardent worker that field.

Arrangements have been made to set up a permanent camp Blois, complete with tents, canoes and bicycles, to which itish boys will he sent for holidays, "It is important that r young people should think of themselves as Europeans," told me (he is a strong advocate of Britain entering the numon Market).

anoes and Chateaux

LOIS is, of course, set in the heart of the Loire Valley, Phome of innumerable French beauty spots. The Loire itself an ideal canoeing river, hence the canoes, and abounds with ateaux which the boys will be able to visit, hence the bikes. addition, they will be able to get to know the French and ir language in the best possible way—by being there. This is, I feel, a fine gesture. Both Mr. Scott and C.A.V. serve all credit for making it possible.


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