The American Fleet.

Waikato Argus, Volume XXIV, Issue 3785, 19 May 1908, Page 2

The American Fleet.

By Telegraph.—Press Association, Auckland, Last Night.

While the delegates of the Auckland Rugby Union were in Wellington last week attending the anunal meeting of the New Zealand Rubgy Union, they interviewed the offiicals of the Wellington Rugby Union with reference to the suggestion introduced by Mr Froude at a recent meeting of the Auckland body that an effort should be made to arrange for the annual contest between Wellington and Auckland being played here during the visit of the American fleet.

The chairman of the Wellington Union promised to call a special meeting of the committee to go into the question with the Auckland delegates; but later on informed the latter that owing to the sitting of the New Zealand Union he had been unable to get the members together. However, the question would be brought up at the ordinary meeting of the Wellington Union on Wednesday next, and the chairman undertook to advise the Auckland Union as soon as a decision was arrived at.

The Wellington officials stated, when the proposal was first mentioned, that they had already decided to suggest August 20 as the date for the match; but, seeing that the fleet was to be at Auckland from August 9 to August 15, they felt confident that Thursday, the 13th, the date suggested by the Auckland representatives, would in all probability be confirmed by the Wellington Union. Mr Pricket, the American ConsulGeneral, has today mailed the following communication to the American Consular Agents at Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin: — "I am informed by the State Department that*the American fleet ,will be at Auckland, August ninth to fifteenth; Sydney, August twentieth to twenty seventh, and Melbourne, August twenty ninth tc September fifth."