U.S.A. FLEET.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 August 1925, Page 2

U.S.A. FLEET.

[llY TELEGRAPH —I’ER I’RESS ASSOCIATION.] IN CANTERBURY. ADMIRAL NONE TOO SLOW. d CHRISTCHURCH. August. 17. 11 Any barrier of reserve between the 1 Christchurch public and sailors Horn " the Fleet has now almost completely ' disappeared, and, in its place, theie inis developed the keenest rivalry A among tile citizens to outdo each other " in the matter of hospitality to visitors. <• It is now a rare sight to see the sail- t ors unaccompanied hv civilians. To-ilov largo ol officers o jiiitl i.M’tt ninth* the excursion lo Otn.i, P while the evening was filled in with d public and private entertainment.*. < Yesterday Rear-Admiral Schofield h and party paid a visii to l!apuki. and g were entertained with true .Maori ho*- . pitality. A daughter of the chid. Airs t'aiimi. asked the Admiral’s accept- v aneeofa hand-ome piu-piu. with which I she proceeded lo invest him. lo las- I ten it she had perforce to put her arms | around the visitor’s neck. Remarking f that no woman had ever put her arms around his neck without him kissing her. the Admiral, to the intense delight of the assembled Maoris and pnkehas, and even a chuckle from the Chief, proceeded to salute the donor iti the time honoured manner. INTERFERING AY ITI I SAILORS. CHRISTCHURCH. August 17. For shouldering two patrolmen Iron) a United States warship and using obscene language on the C liri-telmrch Railway Station on Saturday night. Erie Raymond Gerald Dean was to-ila.v fined C 7; in default a mouth s imprisonment. Accused pleaded guilty. He admitted that, lie had had "a lew spots,” having just arrived ill Christchurch, and met his brother, lie was rather excited, especially as the station was crowded, and he had to push through. "It’s not a general run of mine to use had language,” lie said, "I didn’t push them because they were sailors. I'm not up against them, or anything like that. It’s just that I was very excited, and had had a few ' DUNEDIN FUNCTION'S. DUNEDIN. August 17. To-day. Rear-Admiral Alarvcll and his stall* visited Port Chalmers, where tfie Alavor and Councillors extended a welcome. The men to-day in fine weal her. accepted private hospitality, ami in the afternoon a baseball ex- . hibition was given by teams from the destroyers Stoddart and Decatur. In lhe evening there was (lie usual round of dances and other entertainments. , WELCOMED BY AIAORIS. ROTORUA. August 17. Admiral Coontz and 290 fleet officers arrived here this afternoon. After a welcome at lhe station, and lunch, they were taken Tanialekapiia, where I ihev aero received by the Arawa tribe - in splendid native lashion. with Powhiri Puis ami Itakas. the Arawas pre.-enteil a model canoe to the Admir- • al and a casket to lie banded to the President of the U.S.A. with the hope ' that ii would he used to enclose a copy of ihc Treaty for the peace of the world between Britain and America. Admirals Coontz and Wylie responded in a most happy vein, and thanked lhe Arawas for their splendid hospitality. The proceedings were marked by i great enthusiasm, and were witnessed by a great e‘‘owil of natives and vi-it-AN ADMIRALS SPEECH. Admiral Coontz. replying lo a toast al a gathering in bis honor at Wellingtcm. expressed pleasure on behalf of his officers and himself at tbe reception j that had been given them, and for the enjoyable time ihey were having. The following anecdote invoked a gale of laughter fro n Ibo gathering. Some , von IS ago. when be was stationed ill Ceylon, one n| He- native... a man with seven ehihlreii. came to bill! for a job. There happened In he a vacancy and lie used hi* influence on behalf of the applieanl. It was decided to examine him in spelling, and the word coffee, with its spei ial significance for every American, was given, and the man spelt it without celling one single letter right. He spelt it "kaupliy." (Laughter). “We decided to give bint a re-ekamiiiatioii," eon tinned Admiral I Coontz. "and ibis (inn' tin* word “tea" formed the subjei t el* ilit* examination. He spell it with, a capital "T." and as that was at least somewhere near tin mark, we gave him the job." (Laughter). Admiral Coontz went on to sav s that men of the navy travelled all y parts of the world, and lie added, “we pretend to In* business men." In the J course of bis career the naval men lias t every kind of job to do. On one occasion lie was budget ofiieer ol till II navy, the upkeep of v. liieb was £).>().- I) 0909)00 per year. ‘ r A!nn : I every place we go lo.” he said, “w" have to look n al tbe financial eondilioiis in these >* dais of ruiiiiiiiiy." They v. > i'e always interested in matters of I Inn kind, and i- they found in their travels round the k World I hat ill,* eondilioiis of Ibe var--0 ions peoples were getting easier. As a hoy lie bad to go lo work at , o'clock in the morning Until noon, then start :! • again at I o’clock, and work till fi o’llock. In the working conditions of L - the United Slates now they would not h find many working days of ten hours. Farming life in America had been G made considerably easier by tbe intros' diu t ion of manv labour-saving appliances. "1 think that the host 1 I. heard in my line was a cow-milking 1 machine." he said. (Laughter). “I often recall the lime when a young e New York lad came lo work on the a farm. AYe left tbe cow t ied up in the milking shell and lob! him lo go along and milk her. We heard a terrible noise in I here, and on investigating were told by the lad. ‘Well. sir. 1 could not get the cow to -it down on the stool.’ ” ( Laughter). Radio, in America, stated Admiral Coontz. had done wonders for tbe life of flic farmer and was going to do still more. He thought the time was coming when the people of the mil-hack would be able In rut at borne and sec ;1 a theatre or sonic other performance. ) AYiili. the rapid stride* that science was making in invention ot dillerent a appliances it would nut be long before the situation of people throughout the I world was made considerably easier. "1 onlv hope that some day science will find a means of abolishing poverty.’ lie declared, "and that possibly we s shall obtain food from U e no ." Ad--3 ntiral Coontz proceeded to tell a miniI- ber of stories, which were mm It enjoy - ed by the audience. ’ The only thing that teas worrying J 1 them, lie continued- was that they wen ’ not able to accent all the hospitality that was being offered to them. People were coming down to the ships from time to time with invitations, but they had run mil of men and officers. (Laughter). The ships, lie stated, had to run day and night iu~t tbe -nine and it took men to do il. Ft was not realised what an immense amount of work 1 there was attached to tile running of those ships. He hoped that the public ! would understand that they were ilo- , ing their be*! to send the members of tin l fleet along to the various entertainments. In emit fusion. Admiral Coontz said that never in bis time had he received such kusniiality its had I been shown in Australia and Xciv Zoa- . land. They would bo able to toll i America, what tine people they had r met and of the wonderful time they i had been given. "1 hope,” ho added, “that for ever and ever wc shall always be good friend*.”