The Sun 42 WYNDHAM STREET AUCKLAND MONDAY, MAY 26, 1930 THE WINGS OF FAME

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 981, 26 May 1930, Page 10

The Sun 42 WYNDHAM STREET AUCKLAND MONDAY, MAY 26, 1930 THE WINGS OF FAME

IS there anything any one of the multitude of ordinary folk may * do to become a somebody among all the nobodies in the world s t\ro thousand million people? This question must have been raised m many wistful minds by the universal fame achieved ly an English girl in flying alone from London to Darwin within twenty days. On the first of this month Miss Amv Johnson was merely one of Great Britain’s million of women clerks, bobbed or shmgled, and subject occasionally, no doubt, to sidelong glances from cheeky admirers with the right apparently to call her Johnnie ; today, before the month’s close, she is Queen of the May with millions of applauding subjects. Fxoin the King downward, rulers, statesmen, celebrities and ordinary men and women with but little prospect of-ever achieving anything except a useful life which (let all us hopeless ones hope) may be a great achievement after all, unite in rendering unto this winged comet a tribute Caesar never knew. Even America lias responded with fine enthusiasm to the splendour of the young Englishwoman’s triumph. “The flight is so marvellous (declared Miss Ruth Elder, who flew across the Atlantic) that I wish I could have done it myself. We will invite Miss Johnson to the American women’s aerial derby.” And the British Empire ? With- a chuckling modesty it places a Yorkshire maid first in an Empire s proud acclaim. May we uot all cheerfully thank Heaven that there is really something greater than Hollywood’s greatest celebrities? Apart from the personal glory of .Miss Johnson’s daring adventure and success, perhaps the most remarkable feature of her feat and fame has been the manner and speed with which the story of her final triumph circled the globe. Within two minutes after the lone flier’s reception at Darwin, where the whole of the quaint town, including doubtless its most chivalrous Chinese in a new suit of denims, the news of lier crowning achievement thrilled Auckland. And so all round the world. As an essayist has pointed out reflectively, “Alexander the Great, if he were living today, would weep, not because there were no more worlds to conquer, but because there were no more papers in which his photograph could appear.” A tap-tapping in Morse, a camera click, and a resonant voice at a radio microphone, and almost on the instant the whole world knows that some one in some field or zone of high adventure has streaked, like a brilliant meteor, from the void of obscurity into a‘ clear firmament of fame. Most people are content and have to be content with being celebrities only within a small circle. Does anybody fancy, for example, that the choice of our new Prime Minister and the reconstruction of the Cabinet will have been a breakfast-tabid topic in Tokyo? Only to a few, to vex-y few indeed, is given the celebrity—the wings of fame—that encircles the earth. And there is the speed and safety of flight that Miss Johnson has demonstrated. It is true, of course, that Hinkler’s record over the same long trail still stands, but for half the distance at least she excelled her great rival. The remainder of the gruelling journey, however, proved conclusively that such a flight is as yet really a task for the sturdiest and most valiant of men. The fact that “Johnnie” also conquei’ed does not eliminate tintruth that women should restrain ambition for some time yet to make flying from London to Australia the latest fashion in feminine achievement. Better to dream of Miss Johnson’s courage and triumph and rear boys able to emulate Bert Hinkler. As to speed, a swallow flies at sixty miles an hour, but aviators easily beat that swiftness of flight and look forward to flying over Miss Johnson’s track within a week. It is an age of speed. Today, as has been well said, a horse is fast only if it is running against another horse. “On the x-oads it is too slow now to take part in a funeral.” As to safety in flight, Miss Johnson, with many other conquerors of the air, has proved that even a Moth plane can fly ovex- ten thousand miles without a serious hitch. But at the same time, everybody is glad that the brave girl is safe in Australia.

RUGBY CRITIC’S CANDOUR

WITH the polite interest that hospitality demands, New Zealanders have been listening to the opinions of Mr. James Baxter, manager of the British Rugby team, who has wasted no time in launching a determined attack on special rules applied to the game in this country. Twice in the short time since the tour opened Mr. Baxter has declared himself against the practice of playing the wingforward, and his latest objection refers to players leaving the field at half-time. Blunt and unexpected as they are, these protests must be considered with close attention, for their author comes with an enviable reputation as a shrewd judge and tactician, and a Rugby executive who has behind him a large and important body of opinion in the Homeland. Nevertheless, as a feai'less, candid critic who seems detei’mined to shake New Zealand’s faith in the wisdom and suitability of hex-present-day methods, Mr. Baxter must expect,and accept equally candid criticism of his own eonteixtions. And it is not a trespass of polite hospitality to inform him that many of his views are extravagant and unwarranted. The statement that “the ordinary man who tries to play wingforward is nothing more nor less than a cheat” may have been uttered in the expansive mood of the after-dinner speaker, but it is definitely a slur cast at the Rugby ethics of New Zealand. It is quite absurd to assert that the wingforward “tries deliberately to beat the referee by unfair tactics,” for the off-side x-ule applies equally as to that player as to any of his colleagues, and no wingforwai-d who gives away penalties is looked on with favour. In the Dominion the playing of the wingforward, though unorthodox to English eyes, is supported as a progressive, strategical move, fairly aixd properly governed by the l-ules of the game. The referee’s responsibilities may be increased, but not unjustly or unreasonably so. Mr. Baxter’s strong criticisms are all the more unpalatable because of the existence in his own combination of a feature unorthodox to ’New Zealanders. Critics who attended the opening match of the tour at Wanganui eyed with a certain amount of disfavour the tactics of the English break-away forwards who appeared to be infringing frequently and—to make matters worse—who carried out their operations txnder cover of the scrums. The most bitter opponent of the wingforward must admit that he works in the open, xxnder the eyes of referee and spectators. It remains to be seen liow this country will react to Mr. Baxter’s decision that player's must remain "on the field during the interval, except by special arrangement with the refex-ee. The practice of players retiring at half-time has always been observed in New Zealand, and it is hardly likely that the new English edict will be popular. Already at the request of the visitors the New Zealand Rugby Union lias conceded two important points—the reduction of each spell from 45 to 40 minutes and the presence of only one ball on the field dui-ing a match. Hospitality may condone pin-pricking and good may result from * a retrial of older methods, but there are occasions when Mr. Baxter might consider doing, when in Rome, as the Romans do.