INTERNATIONAL COURTESIES

Hokitika Guardian, 20 November 1928, Page 1

INTERNATIONAL COURTESIES

AN 1 M.PRO VISED SALUTE

APIA, November 9. Even in the remotest parts off the world, it seems that international courtesies should be carried out to the let's ter, especially in the navy, where etiquette is a very important matter. Samoa frequently witnesses these little exchanges of courtesy when the American Navy, in the shape of the gunboat U.H.s. Ontario visits Apia. Lately these visits have been fairly frequent, and a. good deal of ammunition must have Ixeon expended in salutes. Ihe matter of salutes is rather vague to the ordinary landlubber. Sometimes the Ontario biases away ber 14 guns just outtddo the entrance, and is immediately replied to by the shore battery. At times the shore battery waits almost an hour before replying, and sometime* does not reply at all. Possibly this is all part of an elaborate system of etiquette, but some people bare, been unkind enough to. hint that the shore buttery is taken by surprise, and has to be collected from various sources before it can rise to the occa-

sion. , i However, no one can accuse tlm shore battery of lacking initiative and inventive genius, and it is evident to everyone in Apia that the gun crew “ knows its onions.” Recently the batterv ran short of ammunition, and the American Navy was due to arrive before new supplies could he got. .- P'« was unaware of the dilemma until the Ontario arrived ri.ul popped oft As U oruns. Then the shore battery got to work and fired off two or three ol W rounds in excellent iashion-and stopped. The gu.nbo.it m the olhng seemed to bridle at the breach ol etiquette, but recovered when anothu few rounds were bred. .i.u u.i > >* irregular intervals the whole salute was fired, and everyone satisfied—but if the gun crew had not had the inspiration to set oil a lew ' iait-.es dynamite in place of the missing ammunition, one wonders what 111 'J tional complications might have followed.