NEW ZEALAND SAVAGES

NZ Truth, Issue 1149, 8 December 1927, Page 1

NEW ZEALAND SAVAGES

SAVAGES Freftek Newspaper Sees Us As Cannibals YES, MADAME, THERE FEROCIOUS

t EST you should be inclined to feel too conceited about your present state ■of civilization, 0 wild men from the backblocks of New Zealand, allow, me to inform, you that the above paragraphs are not taken from a book dealing with the days of • Hongi or <Rauparaha, or wicked old heathens like that, but from a respectable Parisian newspaper of repute and Respect. I f orward a popy Of the newspaper .with 'the offending paragraph marked^ ' Ai tea you have Seen this newspaper, you will be able to credit

me with speaking the truth when I say that it happens to be one of the most', excellent journals m Paris, specializing m things literary, theatrical an 4 m the lore of the beaux arts: But m geography — no; although it declares oh the front page that its soene is the universe. I am afraid it may come as a bit of a blow to some of you New Zealanders to 'be taken for Solpmoii Islanders by the -enlighteneri Paris / press;- ; ' '■■ : ' ! . '-, „'. -" y . No, alas! Geography-is not a strong subject with the average Frenchman. In fact; the old saying defining a Frenchman as "a nf'ah who eats large quantities of bread, wears a decoration m his buttonhole, and is utterly ignorant of geography,' ' does not seem to be so far out as such generalizations are apt to be;. ; Yet the FrMchman is as truTiy cultured as anyone, in^ the^ world , whiie his • artistß— the modern ones— are m a class oh their own. But geography;! y V ;'"', . >•' '.-. lAs witness the following. story, told m!e by a Ne^vY.Zealander and the;sonpfra judge, over two tall jugs lo'f j^eer ; ; in a Berlin cafe just twoYyeai's past* Llhaye told v it you exactly as . he told it me ; and he ' sw ; pre it was ; tru> iaecaiise; ■'•'■ : ;Y „ '"iyellj -because , \% was there himself. y -y'..y<:m. '• -y^-ii „ :It' was in^ttei y^r^pf^^ Fash- ; od%ihfeidei^/!:i^d^^

ers became m Paris, that twpv New Zealanders, Dick and Bill, entered a- well-known cafe m ' Montmartre. The place was full ; and m trying to ' squeeze between the tables. Bill, who was he' chicken m point ol sizej had the misfortune accidentally to* upset a glass of wine over the jacket of Monsieur Saint- Vital- de Turenhe. ' i— — — — — ■ — —

This, as it sq happened, was a most unfortunate thing to . ha v c '1 dohe, since Monsieur Saint-V., a dark and quarrelsome southerner, was the most notorious duelling champion of the moment, who had permanently disabled no fewer than eighteen 'rivals with sword and pistol m the course of the Jast few years; He- was certainly not the man to allow such an incident to pass unnoticed, and even before Bill

WITH AXES!

had had time to stammer out a few Words of apology, he was on his feet, white with rage, and had challenged poor Bill to a duel m the, neighboring park at six o'oiock on the following morning. "What's he getting worried about?" asked Bill, who knew no French.

"Worried!

said* Dick, who did. "You're 'in for it all right now, ' digger. He's called

~ "-"■" you a sac re maladroit; challenged you* to a duel; and. wants to know ,ii" it's to be swords or pistols. -Now what are yoh going to do V " ,

"Do about it?" .answered Bill. "What should Ido about" it? , ti' the blighter wants to fight I suppose I must oblige" him. Still, as he's challenged me I suppose 1 can ch6ose my own weapon. "Tell him. that m my country we • fight , with , axes. "