US. VISITS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 69, 22 March 1941, Page 7

US. VISITS.

WHITE FLEET.

**ORIES OF 1908.

• (By J.c.) ,too-l»rief visit of a squadron of Navy to Auckland brought neg of the arrival under very difinternational circumstances of the J* of the U.S.A. fighting ships /.ft, 19 08, and of the New ZeaPJjWnmlent', felicitous greeting to iocwvelt iw A° Prcsident Theodore e memories to most H ( Si ,ther vague. It is a pity lot quota a our or ators this week did fn P? ra " ra ph or two from this Hi wj\\ F ]? et ' 8i * ,led V Sir ' on »ed tlie 1 t Pl "mie Minister. PJ e f ace to a special book pMented ' a Co P>' of w hich was ""■"lierinß .i, °"' cer ' n the Fleet, 120(1 «« •° a thousand (an edition *cwio B) T 169 T as Pointed for the I!'° from tliat message NttCdalW ex I pve ? S€<l British J colonial British sentir'WJTjlt '^ le 'nana of Theodore "•kitten : !l opped that of all rival ( *'<lif« r »^i ent ac 't word !? mtinnoi . r , e .^ ec t3 and voices our Mm «n ,C 3 anr ' aspirations. t§VonU 1— your nation we, too, ind live that strenuous life honour, fair dealing and *38 in the love of God The **? v elt in this Dominion Mtional righteousness, and Honoured and revered. We ®.-as has been said of one ?rtal 9 , that he has 'never j, ~0 sorvp the hour, nor eternal God for power,*l . typifies to us our own' ideals. We look to him counsellor and friend. The 1 ttwici, and above all y ;PUt majestic instruments liOlit • the aims of higher t inL-' 60 * stands f° r peace, |«,ce, not aggression— ■■•mmv ■ x^s."

Across the j It fe recalled, too, that the visit of thirty-three years ago found New Zealand on the top of a wave of-prosperity. Sir Joseph Ward was at the head of affairs and money was plentiful. The Treasury was wide open; New Zealand spared nothing that would please and entertain the twelve thousand sailors of | Uncle Sam. "Hands Across the Sea" was the sentiment of the hour. How lavishly the Government and the people Wassailed the U.S.A. is a glad memory. No stint was there in the good liquor that flowed; we poured out the red wine, and New Zealand beer, and every other liquid promoter of good accord. There wars no lack of pouring out of dollars on the part of the Great White Fleet, a one way flow into the pockets of Auckland's business folk.

One item particularly is remembered. The woollen rugs made by two or three big mills in Xew Zealand amazed the Yanks by their splendid quality and their cheapness. When it became known that one of those rugs, artistic as well as useful, could be bought for a pound— five dollars—they were rushed, and in a day or two not a rug was to be had in town. "Arkland? Arkland," a sailor in the Connecticut or the Vermont would; say long afterwards, "that was the placet where we bought the loveliest rugs fori five dollars; we'd have paid twenty-fivei dollars for them and thought it cheap." Supplies Run Out. The fame of Navaho Indian-weave blankets and rugs was quite eclipsed by "Noo Zealand" quality. By the time Arkland shopkeepers in that line had realised the true value of the goods they sold and were urgently wiring for supplies the 100,000,000-dollar fleet was off on the round-the-worla march again. Happy, happy world, this old globe of ours in 1008! The madhouse of the nations was building even then, but no one realised it. Plenty money, plenty work, nil hands satisfied. Old Man Trouble was sneaking around; but he had not shown his teeth. Yet only a. year later there was a reaction; the slump jand retrenchment. The Public Service idid not escape. It had expanded and expended generously, like the re£t of the J world. And "five year# onward the spark jwas dropped into the world's powder 1 barrel.