MERRY TIMES IN BUENOS AIRES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 153, 24 November 1914, Page 4

MERRY TIMES IN BUENOS AIRES.

j THE BANK CRISIS. j A NEW ZEALANDER'S EXPERIENCES*. j In an interesting letter to his parents,. I Mr. Harold Jenningp, who was in theI local Bank of New Zealand for soma time, a son of Mr. W, T. Jennings, the Liberal candidate for the Taumaruimi seat, says:— "We have just had the most remarkable ten days that I ever experienced in my banking experience. The banks hartbeen closed for ten days, and reopened yesterday (August 12). The scenes of excitement were such as one •would expect to see at the present time in Europe. Buenos '.Aires is very cosmopolitan, most of the banks .being" branches of foreign office 1 :. In the one street there are four English, two German, one French, two Italian, two Spanish, and two Argentine banks, i and when war was declared people got •panicky, and the Government paesed an order, "closing the banks for ten ..days. The buildings were guarded night aid day during the time by fully-armed mounted police, who kept people from loitering in the streets where banks axtt situated. ' "On the opening morning the streets were lined with thousands of and all traffic was suspended. Thom sands of police and troops were every" where. The crowd occupied four streets, and extended for a quarter of a mile in ' each, being one dense mass. At the British bank, where the writer is eri« glided, no less a sum, than 20,000,000 dol< lars was ready to meet the Tush. Fight' ing was frequent, and mounted police 01i their horses were forced by the crowdl right into the banks. Some fool fired ft revolver, but no damage was done. .'There are whole colonies of French* English, and Germans, and at night iaf the different quarters one can hear the singing of our National Anthem, "The Marseillaise," and ''Hoeh der Kaiser, after which a fight is sure to follow*' the French and Germans generally being the participants. f "In the British bank two of tha writer's comrades were taken in charge for fighting the Germans, but as thai 1 head of the Police Department was & Frenchman, coffee and cakes was the punishment meted out to our two boya. "I saw an Italian liner taking away, the German reservists one day. There was liot a bit of enthusiasm, but on the following day, when an English linen took the Frenchmen off for home, the excitement was intense. The crowds were enormous, and gave them a great; send-off. bands playing both English andQ French National Anthems, the English." and French boats in port dipping their, flags to the departing steamer. "At the wharf a French and Germaji were berthed side by side, but owing to the fighting day and niglit among the crews of the two boats the' harbor officials had to send the Frencß steamer to another berth. With a nunw bcr of others from the bank, I have sent' in my name as one prepared to join the] colors. "We are now drilling regularly, and 1 find that the experience I have had in! rifle-shooting at the Australian Banks'. Club in London and the manual drill aii St. Patrick's College stand me now iti good stead. I will cable you, if possible, should I get orders to go to the front." In a further letter, dated September '.ll, the writer says:—"The mails Jas# now are very irregular, hence my not' writing as usual last fortnight, but this will be soon remedied, as two cruisers r have been sent along to protect the' route. I will not get any letter from .you for over two months, as the Ntevi Zealand boats are not calling. I aes that New Zealand took Samoa. That ia( fine, and I expect. there have beeili .considerable excitement when tho newa came through. There w»e here, at any, .rate. We have all got the war fever* and this applies mainly among the youngj .fellows in the banks. I have just comai back from seeing six of our boys oft toj England to join the colors. On the boat they went by were some 300 Frencli reservists, and when they were not sing* ing 'The Marseillaise' or cheering 'Angle* terre,' we were singing 'God Save thai King' or 'Auld Lang Syne.' It was very] fine and exciting. "I am one of six more from the banH who are to leave in a month's time.Don't worry, as I know, you would be' one of the first to make the sacrifice that millions of other mothers are doingw The bank has treated us well over the matter, and keeps our positions open* besides allowing us part of our ealarjj and half return fare back again. It was up to the New Zealander to offer when' the opportunity came. We expect to leave by tho Arlanga on October 9."

Mr. and Mrs. Jennings have now tlivoe sons representing them at tile wall —surely a record to be proud of. ( (