BROTHERHOOD

Press, Volume LXXII, Issue 21975, 26 December 1936, Page 5

BROTHERHOOD

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRESS. Sir, —A few days ago Peter Trolove wrote a short letter in your correspondence columns, on “Brotherhood." He seemed astonished that a pagan Chinese gentleman . culd show kindness and generosity and buy a punnet of fruit for someone. The Chinese are most generous, and never ever remain under an obligation, repaying favours by manifold. The writer also referred to a mandarin making a plea that the Chinese be left with “their paganism and ancestor worship!” I wish his plea for China had been heeded and listened to. I personally think the world's native peoples and pagans would all have been far better, and happier, too, had they been allowed to have kept their religions, and. incidentally, their laws, etc. Would Mr Trolove kindly indicate where that mandarin’s book he mentioned could be obtained? Even in Samoa to-day that old pagan custom (thank God!) remains, of erecting a stranger's house in villages, where visitors stay, are entertained, and fed—free, by these native folk, the ladies and gentlemen of the South Seas. To offer money as repayment would be looked upon as bad manners, and a vulgarity; and they cannot, even yet, understand the Pa’alangi charging and accepting money for food. The “Fa Samoa” fashion allows anyone to sit down and enjoy a share of any food being partaken of at any time and anywhere. Mr Trolove practically called the Chinese “pagans.” whereas they speak of all white folk as “foreign devils,” which they have been, were, and are, to them. As we are now within “cooee” of the Christian’s Christmas, may I respectfully ask our papers (and others) at least to wish all the coloured peoples within this Dominion “a really merry Christmas and a happier New Year,” especially referring to our Maoris. I do not remember having yet seen this done, hence my request, for we are so white that we are almost colour blind. —Yours, etc., ANOTHER PAGAN. December 23, 1936.