Apres La Guerre

NZ Truth, Issue 1153, 5 January 1928, Page 4

Apres La Guerre

BEING a people of strangely meticulous mnid, we attach the extreme of foreign element to all and everybody connected with a non-British country. Mention, for instance, the Belgian consul, and we rally our imagination to depict a sedate and hawk-eyed diplomat, garbed in flowing morning coat and silken knee-breeches — replete with sashefe, medals and other, insignia of office, v. ■•■■■-. : ; • ;

He must} in our mind's eye, stroke a black, pointed beard, while ' speaking with a glib, accented tongue. In reality, the Belgian consul in Auckland describes no such personality; as a matter of fact, Alexander Manuel Fe'rgusson was born in British Guiana, Sputh America. He could, however, if he so wished, give display to a couple of ribands of honor, having been decorated with the Medaille de la Reconnaisance Francaise and being a Knight of the Crown of Belgium.

Before j arriving in New Zealand thirty- fiv* years ago, A.M.F. had been resident in many parts of Europe. Journalism occupied the earlier period of his settlement in New Zealand, when he was associated with the editorial state of the "Auckland Star" and subsequently became editor of the "N.Z. Griphic."

For this last seventeen years Ferguson has '^t behind the red, yellow and black erjsign as the Auckland intermediate [for the gallant little country that bared its teeth to the Teuton hosts of war. |