CAPTAIN SEDDON IN AMERICA.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 August 1918, Page 3

CAPTAIN SEDDON IN AMERICA.

SOME INTERESTING EXPERIENCES. Captain T. E. Y. Seddon, M.P., who went to the United States some months ago as a member of the British military mission, certainly has 'made good" among our American Allies. He has been visiting important people, appearing at public gatherings and addressing meetings of all kinds—meetings of shipyard workers, Red Cross members, schoolgirls, business men and war loan subscribers. The newspapers have given him much attention and it is interesting to notice that many of them have mentioned his relationship to Nev#*'Zealand's great Premier. The labor end social legislation associated with the name of Swddon is regarded with admiration and envy by reformers in the United States, and Captain Seddon is giving his native land an extraordinarily good advertisement. He has been telling the Americans about New Zealand's military effort, describing some of the deals of New Zealand's sons and acquainting large audiences with the fact that the Dominion is "a real live country," with a will and a destiny of its own.

VISIT TO MR ROOSEVELT One day at the end of June Captain ■Seddon paid a visit, to Mr Theodore Roosevelt. "His first question," writes Captain Seddon, was "Are juu a relative of Seddon of New Zealand?" After that wo were friends. He talked of our labor legislation. With clenched fists he disclaimed about America's slackness in following our legislative footsteps. He waxed eloquent and talked about aibitration.and conciliation, punishment for -ijreach of award; he looked iiKe a tornado wrapped in a personality. He is remarkably like his picture. He inspires all around him. His personality is electric. His laugh is hearty and infectious. He asked who were the governing persons 111 New Zealand and quickly following it tip with a question whether we had got rid of the Conservative clement. I told him of Massey, Ward and the political parties, and be threw his lieaa back and roared with laughter as lie said "So you have sufficient Irishmen ill New Zealand to rule you!" Mr Roosevelt expressed his regret that America had not entered the war in 1015. He thought the United States should have declared war 011 Germany without further parley when the Lusitania was sunk. THE "BIG SPLASH," After the "big splash" on July 4th, when over 100 ships were launcned in the United States, Captain Seddon visited the Hog Island shipyards, the largest in the world. He had previously made a speech at the launching of an 8000-ton freighter The Hog-Island yards are turning out two standard ships each week "The sheets of steel,' says Captain Seddon, "arc sent to the yards from all parts of the States. Millions of bolts and fittings' of all kinds are made elsewhere. and at the works the parts are assembled and tlic complete ships produced. It is like sending to a tailor the elotli for suits, already cut for the tailor simply to sew together. The yards are a scene of bewildering activity. Steam engines whistle shrilly and dash about with car-loads of of workers swarm at their jobs and all day long sounds of rat-tat-tatting of the riveters. The din is ceaseless. Boys stand round forges throwing in the rivets. When the rivets are red-hot the youngsters pull them out and throw them from ten to thirty yards to their mates, who hand them to the rivet-drivers. The 'fielding' is wonderful. Tiic flying piece of redhot steel is caught every time. These boys are paid from £5 to £0 a week and they earn it."

, A PLEASING TRIBUTE. Some very nice things are being said of Captain Seddon by his new American friends. The New Zealander and Major I.ankester, another member of the British Mission, were entertained at (tinner by the United States Chamber of Commerce in New York. "We were all of the opinion that we had none of us ever seen a more charming personality on his feet than Captain Seddon," wrote a prominent member of the Chamber afterwards, "lie speaks fluently and to the point, and is exactly the man for such a, gathering of red-blooded men we have at our dinner His tact, his sense of the fitness of things and his conservative presentation of facts were just what one migut expect of a British officer ami a gentleman. Although I have spent a good deal if time in Washington with the representatives of the Allies and in New York as well. I have never attended a more interesting dinner nor enjovert the company of any of our visitors quite so veil'." Evidently Captain Seddon is doing his important work in quite t'ie right way.