"ONE TONGUE, ONE FLAG!"

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXIX, Issue 7728, 23 February 1909, Page 1

"ONE TONGUE, ONE FLAG!"

Chicago has a representative citizen m Wellington at the present time m the person of Mr George A. Walker, who is special representative for Messrs Fairbanks, Morse and Co., one of the largest machinery firms m the world. Mr Walker is cosmopolitan, and knows the world better than many New Zealanders know their own country. The conversation with a Dominion reporter, turned on a conjecture as to what the real feeling between Americans and Englishmen, and just hoyr would the two people act were H. G. "Well's prophecy of a world's war to come about. " You know, or perhaps you don t know," said Mr Walker, "that our constitution practically prohibits an open alliance with England or any other foreign country, but I am pretty certain that for some years at least there has been an unwritten agreement between England and America. 1 have nothing conclusive to base this opinion on, except that from time to time things have happened that to the observant man show that a game is being worked. What hits one nation hits the other. To indicate what 1 have said I will tell you a story. My business takes me to all parts of the world —and, well, not so long ago, one of the little simmering Repubics boiled over into a revolution,, and after a great old scrap, the; President fled, and the general of the revolutionary-I army entered into the occupation ol.j the "palace and took upon himself,the duties of President. This little affair had been going on before the issue was decided, and the U.S. Government sent down one of our Admirals on hisflagship—l think it was Admiral Davit, —to watch things. By the time x>* warship reached the port the revolu tionaries had got through successfully, and were rioting round the town hkt a lot of boys; A party of officers anc; men, m pi am clothes, landed from tin flagship'on the evening of the arnvu: to take stock of things, and m tin course of their wanderings they savi j the flag of the British Consulate tor) | down and partly burnt. :The officer, reported the affair to the admiral, ant j the next morning he landed m person with a few officers and a squad of men and one of the staff was sent to m form the brand new President that tin j admiral would like to see him. " ' Well, why .doesn't ho come to th< palace?' asked the general. "'He doesn't wish to come to th< palace, but he would very much lik< to see you as soon as possible,, and ex pects you within half an hour.' " ' Feeling the mailed fist under neath, the general adjusted his -toilet and went down to meet the admiral who was coolly waiting on the wharf fo. the country's ruler. When he appear ed, the admiral, speaking soft, toL him what he had heard about the tear ing down of the English flag by the re volutionary troops. " ' Well,' said the general m effect 'v.-hat of it—it is not the America; fla^ they pulled down!' •' ' No, that is so, hut see —the Amer ican and English flags are going t. mean the same thing to you. I'll giv\ you (looking at hi 3 watch) 24 hour, to hoist that flag again, write an apoi ogy, and supply me with a signec copy. If you don't choose to do that the time I have given you will enable you to get the women and children out of the town before I blow it out oi existence.' " It was quite remarkable," said Mi Walker, "how soon the English flag was flying again, and evidence wa; forthcoming as to what a rapid write: the new general was. I think tha is a good instance of what the feeling is between the two nations xinder every thing else. i " I was m Nicaragua last year, anc m the course of a chat with the Ameri can Consul lie told me that they wer< trying to hush up a row then, but dip lomatic relations were then strained U the utmost. You can't do a thin}with them —its the Spanish and nativr blood that can't 6tand a quiet life Taft had to go down there a littltime ago. He is a strong man with r magnetic personality, and is a mai that can get between two bitter fac tions, and m an hour or two will hav< them shaking hands and drinking to ' gether. Taft is a big man all right.'