American Outlook Like That Of New Zealanders

Chronicle (Levin), 11 October 1949, Page 4

American Outlook Like That Of New Zealanders

He had found the Americans to be as courteous, kind, polite and hospitable a people as one could wish to liy.e .with, said ihq Goyernor' of the 40th (New Zealand) District of Rotary International, Mr. R. Merrett Wilkinson, of Dunedin, speaking at the Levin Rotary Club's luncheon yesterday. He had spent some time on the •Californian coast while in the IJnited States and the people there had the same outlook as New Zealanders and Australians. The trend in the United States was to the west coast and many hundreds of thousands were moving there annually, he added. "The people in that area are looking away from the troubles of Europe towards New Zealand and Australia, and I would suggest that we are very interested in them and they in us." Mr. Wilkinson said that the high efficiency of Americans ran right through their business and country. It was surprising to see the amount of work done there. In fact a party of industriaiists from England had been very perturbed, after a. visit to the United States, to think of what was going on in their own cpuntry. Americans thought, said. and did what they wished, continued the speaker, and he had been struck ,by the spirit of independence. Iliey resisted any form of Governmental assistance. It .was refreshing to the Australian and | New Zealand Rotarians to see their initiative.