“ SMILING SAM.”

Hokitika Guardian, 14 August 1925, Page 4

“ SMILING SAM.”

FAMOUS AMERICAN ADMIRAL. HIS lAIPRKS,SIGNS OF THE DOAIIXIOX. AUCKLAND. August I‘2. A steel-grey man of middle height, whose face bears the mark of mental concentration and heavy responsibility, whose, language is “plain American” without a trace of the “silver tongue” but whose geniality is the natural expression of a light heart, such is Admiral S. S. Robison, Commundor-iu-Chicf of the United States battle fleet. His sobriquet is “Smiling Sam”, and it is probably due to all that implies that there is so happy a spirit oil the California. “I have never been in these waters before.” lie said in an interview, “but la-fore setting oat mi this cruise I felt that already 1 knew your people and the people of Australia through the many slouch-hatted Anzacs f had seen in London. One could never forget these splendid men, whose physique proclaimed the development of new types of the old stock. They impressed me its seasoned men, a little bigger frame than the average Englishman, and with longer faces.” These remarks prompted a query ato vital he thought of the Australian people as a type. lie replied that it was not easy to generalise on siu-h matters. “To tell the truth.” he said. “I felt so much at home in Australia, and I felt so mtu at home alien I drove through your city to-day. that it hardly occurred to me to look for racial types. Amotij people speaking the same language and of precisely the same original stock, one does not make u.e same observations one would in the country of a different race. One tiling that did strike me to-day. however, was the large number of faces with Scottish characteristics. I understand that Dunedin is your typically Scottish town, but 1 have no doubt- that the Scottish strain is strong up here. “.-is a matter of fast,” he continued, with a laugh, “I am a kind of Scot myself. Aly people belonged to the Irish branch of a Scottish family, and it is claimed that we belong to the Ulan Al’Kinnon, renowned for having the ugliest tartan in the Highlands.” He chuckled merrily, and admitted that the accent which he had picked up in his native State of Pennsylvania had drowned any suggestion of Scotland. It was clear that his pride in being an American does not obliterate pride in his ancestry. Discussing the personnel of the fleet, the Admiral said it could be regarded as a fair cross section of the United States. The officers came from every State, for nominations for the Naval Academy were in the hands of Congressmen. and each Congressman had the same number of nominations. Recruiting of men embraced the whole country, and the complement of each ship was fairly representative. Comment was made by the interviewer upon the fact that there seemed to be fairly marked differences in accent among the officers, the soft Southern drawl contrasting with the harsher voice of the North. “Not- so great differences, as there used to be,” said the Admiral, “Afore

and faster means of communication are removing tho reasons for differing dialects. and in America they arc sloughing off. The New Englander, perhaps, proclaims himself by his tongue, hut in the Middle States and the West thero is no difference, except in the choice of slang.”