The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1883. A Distinguished Visitor.
The system of interviewing notable men who happen to visit our shores has not become so striking a feature in colonial journalism as it is in America, either because newspaper proprietors in this part of the world are wanting in enterprise, or because in most cases the visitors themselves are only too ready to say what they think of New Zealand without being asked. Mr Archibald Forbes, who certainly did not make himself personally popular here, whatever admiration might have been expressed concerning his lectures, is a case in point, and it will be remembered that he was quite ready to give his opinion of our institutions, climate, etc., after a very short sojourn amongst us. Then again we had the “great” Maccabe, who ventured to hint that the climate of New Zealand was not at certain seasons of the year quite so equable as might be wished, a sentiment that earned him as many enemies as his entertainment had earned him friends. A gentleman who has gained a far higher renown throughout Europe than either of those named, has just finished a rapid journey through the colony, but had it not been for the enterprise of an Auckland paper he would have left us in ignorance as to the impression made upon him by what he had seen here. At the eleventh hour the New Zealand Herald sent a reporter to Baron Hubner, and the result of his interview was reprinted in our columns on Wednesday last. It must be admitted that the remarks of the Austrian diplomatist are neither very original nor very important, but it should be remembered that it is not so much what is said as the high rank of the speaker that constitutes the value of utterances such as these. And after all, what is the sum and substance of the Baron’s confidences to his interviewer. He is grateful for the politeness shown him ; he is astonished at the progress made by the colony in so short a time, which he considers “ a remarkable event in the world’s history”; he.has made the rather obvious discovery that we are a “ democratic community, and from the nature of things could have been nothing else ”; and lastly he is impressed with the lake scenery of Rotorua and Rotomahana, which reminded him of scepes described in Dante’s Inferno. The only passage we can call to mind in the great Italian poet’s masterpiece which can be said to apply to the hot lakes is in the seventh canto, which contains the following description of the Stygian lake:
We the circle cross’d To the next steep, arriving at a well, That boiling pours itself down to a foss Sluiced from its source. Thisapplies appropriatelyenough to Rotomahana, but when we consider that the Stygian lake was “ far murkier . . . than sablest grain,” it seems to us that the simile somewhat fails. However, the Baron can easily be pardoned if his imagination got the better of his memory in this instance, especially as he was no doubt intensely bored by the obtrusive interviewer, who arrived at the inopportune moment of packing up for departure. A nobleman has his feelings like other people, and we all know that there are times when interruption is intolerable. ; If the opinions of a gentleman who had only spent five weeks in the colony, arid whose opportunities of judging our manners and customs were consequently extremely limited, had the slightest value, there might have been an excuse for troubling him, but such an idea is simply absurd. That Baron Hubner should be gratified at meeting with ordinary politeness, and also that he should find our ex-Go-vernor Sir George Grey well informed on the subject of European politics, probably arises from the fact that previous to his visit New Zealand was to him little more than a geographical expression. It seems surprising that even highly educated Europeans, especially those living on the Continent, should be so ignorant of the colonies, but if this had not been the case with our recent distinguished visitor his surprise at our progress would assuredly have been more measured.
But if Baron Hubner’s opinion of the colony was of little worth, the aged diplomatist’s remarks upon the present state of Europe were more interesting. Here, at all events was a subject that he could speak upon with authority, as one who had taken an active part in the game of politics for many years. Unfortunately, however, the reporter,
why seems to have been a tyro at the interviewing business, evidently did not ply his victim with many questions, perhaps because the subject was not so familiar to him as colonial affairs. Noc that much was added to our previous knowledge even in this matter, as most people are aware that Europe is at present armed to the teeth, although there is no immediate prospect of war. The Baron aptly described France as an “ open crater,” but the volanco only emits a great deal of noise and is well nigh extinct. While Germany and Austria are firmly allied, as we are assured they are at present, there is little to fear that the peace of Europe will be disturbed. We feel thankful to Baron Hubner for giving Us this assurance, and in return can sympathise with him in his objection to sailing Home through a common sewer, which tqrm he applies to the Suez Canal. Whether it was worth while for the Auckland interviewer to take so much trouble for the sake of obtaining so little information is an opea question, but the article that resulted from the meeting will not be without its effect if it tends to discountenance the kind of journalism which finds so much favor in America, and which we should be sorry to see obtain a footing here.
Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AG18831123.2.9
Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka
Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1007, 23 November 1883, Page 2
Word count
Tapeke kupu
983The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1883. A Distinguished Visitor. Ashburton Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 1007, 23 November 1883, Page 2
Using this item
Te whakamahi i tēnei tūemi
No known copyright (New Zealand)
To the best of the National Library of New Zealand’s knowledge, under New Zealand law, there is no copyright in this item in New Zealand.
You can copy this item, share it, and post it on a blog or website. It can be modified, remixed and built upon. It can be used commercially. If reproducing this item, it is helpful to include the source.
For further information please refer to the Copyright guide.