"YOU DO US PROUD!"

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 203, 17 August 1908, Page 4

"YOU DO US PROUD!"

HOW AN AMERICAN PUTS IT. IMPRESSIONS AND EXPRESSIONS. When an American is an ollicer and a gentleman, he is one of tlie world's best products, and lie' ivhoiu 1 have just met- and interviewed is all that, and more. On the understanding mat I would not publish his name, he freely consented to a. little "talk,"'to use his own phrase, and he proved not only an excellent, talker, but he greatly enlarged my knowledge of tilings American. Ily way of introduction, 1 shall tell vonr readers that the subject of this nrtie'e is an ollicer very highly placed ill the fleet, and what die does not know abom naval affairs is not worth troubling about, lie is as keen as a Kipling, as methodical as a Mahan, as busy as a lieiesford, and as well-informed as u newspaper man. THE 1!IX ACROSS.

Although I was urgent to put tin ipiestion, What do you think of Auckland and its reception? 1 put a curb on, and opened lire with an enquiry concerning the mission of the licet and its run into and across the Pacific Ocean. He replied that it was obviously out of place for him to speak of tlie mission of tlie licet. Hadn't Admiral Sperry already spoken thereupon? The mission was peace ami practice. The commonly quoted tinder-truth? Well, who knew twelve months ago what was going to happen in the Pacific I Relations were strained between U.S.A. and Japan, and the White was very much im against the Yellor. There was a large section of Hie best people it\ America who felt a very lively interest in the movement of a White Australia. A White New Zealand'; Well, he would be perfectly frank—to the great bulk of even well-informed Americans our Dominion was regarded as a suburb of the, city of Australia? Auckland'; Well, that was thought to be an island of which Wellington was the chief town. (I smiled). THE COLOR LINE.

'I can well imagine what it must be like taking a dose of the spring medicine that mother used to give us, but it's a downright solid ijjael that we known a good deal less of New Zealand than we are supposed to know. Jim let me. put the oilier view. What do you know about us? 'Do you know where Yellowstone Park, our Rotorua region, is'.' When we speak of the Eastern and Western States, do you know the dividing line? And do you know why we don't like tlie use of the term

•Yankee'? You will smile when [ tell you that the hoys in this llect of ours expected to sec black men as your statesmen and congressmen. Sir Joseph Ward was thought to be a Maori! And the boys were wondering how the tenor line was going to be drawn here; lor you are perhaps aware how line we draw it over home. Hut this ignorance is not so truly awful when you come to .make comparisons. The native with us is either the lied Indian or the negro, and our school honks tell us about the Australian blacks, who are lowest of the low-down black folks. Well, that's pretty bad. considering we look upon the negro of the South as the scum if the earth. New Zealand being a suburb of Australia, it is only natural we should think her people as black as ours. And Hie postcards we have been sendi tg

awav by the million will only confirm that impre.-sioii at home. They all picture tin- .Maori. Our people will ask us: If there are while -people over in Ne.v Zealand, why don't they pill them on their photographs? .MOKE UIX'ITTiK. ■•Then there's another thing over which we have had some" considerably mixed ideas. Take polities. Over home in my country we are much interested in politics. Some of us are absorbed in it locally, others take Stale politics as seriously as an attack of measles, and others again go in for the national disease only when tfce Presidential fever rages throughout the country. My land! hut yon want to he in L".S.A. just. about this time of. your life to see how and why the heathen rages and (he people imagine some! Now, many of us came here with the preconceived notion that New Zealand was a Mew I'topia. modelled along Hie lines laid down by 11. lieorge. No strikes! No millionaires! \'o drink! No gambling! \o horse-racing! No newspapers on Sundays! (Say. lint your newspapers are line!) No poverty! No slums! Kvcry man residing in n palace built by the State out of Kdison moulds! And then, too, we thought your Sir Joseph Ward was a funny kind' of Social-Demo-crat to have all aristocrat's title; and it was odd that the Conseravtive leading" boss, your Mr. Massey—(Oh, yes, I've learned some since coming here!)--should not have a title. It's very remiss of King I'M ward, not to create Mr. Massey a duke or something"with a handle. You smile again! Now, if I were to get you talking about American politics you would make me laugh out loud. Do you know a Mugwump or a Democrat, or a liepub.i Not yon! Do you know the dilleronce between the national and the State machine or how an election is run over our way? No, sir. And yet you smile. Well, we're all 'having a good time, so why not ■

. HACK. TO Hl'-SIXKSS. l'.llf I suggi'slcd that We had hefler have (lie smile and the controversy, and get to sea again. What about the encage? The naval expert at once became dominant. The voyage to San Kit'.!:, (lie meant Tri-co) liad already convinced Admiral Fvnns and the authorities at Washington that it. was achieving iis purpose. "And you proliab'y know that we. are pretty lax ill out nnvv. There has to he discipline and devotion to duly on this trip. Our boys don't lake the life a, seriously as do the boys of the llritish navy, but they alibiing preitv good on this journey. I lliink that by the time we get back—(Oh. ves. we're going hack to Dixie all right!) —we will be such experienced sailors that every man Jack will be for ever afterwards addressed as an admiral. Yes. sir! Do I think I'.S.A. will permanently maintain a Pacific licet? Whilst thai is a question of policy, ami we are rather outside thsphere of politics. I think this llcetin being and this cruise rather commit our country to a. I'acilic fleet. You sy. we've learned a few things on this voviige. ami it. will be good for tin- future of the White races if that knowledge is not allowed to rust.'' (IX TUH ItKCKI'TIOX. When I was about to put another question the American held up his hand. | Would I permit him to volunteer a statement'; ll was (his: "1 want to say something about the reception this great licet of ours has bad in Auckland. Sir. you do us proud! I| is hard to conceive that a nation containing less than one million people all told could provide f'sncli a demonstration and could keep up such colliiuuoils enthusiasm and entertainment. Hut I lie most surprising thing is that, your Houses of Parliament should close* up for snllicient lime to permit nearly all the members of the Cabinet, besides many Senators and Congressmen, to conic up to feslivatc us for--a whole week. Ann look at Ihe (reals provided, including a special race meeting and a train trii to what I am told is the ninth or tenth wonder of the world—liotorua! There, "no the call to amithcr function, and when dulv calls even an American ollicor and democrat must obey. It. has been a ureal pleasure to ineei you- it lias been a dclighl to (iml you a white man—and again I declare that your people have done m proud. Xo Xcw Zcahnulor can now be the same to us Americans as be was before Ibis licet- dropped anchor in Auckland Im''- J hor—beauteous Auckland. From now | on any Xcw Zealander who visits I'.S.A. j will be the special particular guest of | everv American, for you are giving lis the time of our lives!" -Fcildiug Star. |