The Dominion SATURDAY, MAY 4, 1929. "AS OTHERS SEE US”

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 186, 4 May 1929, Page 10

The Dominion SATURDAY, MAY 4, 1929. "AS OTHERS SEE US”

During the last three weeks an interesting controversy has been -arried on in the correspondence columns of The Dominion on the “subject, “As Others See Us.” It began with the statement o “A Visitor,” that while we had a charming country,' and in our social intercourse with strangers we were hospitable and affable, we were very narrow in our outlook, and unnecessarily curious about other people’s religion. From that point the controversy has taken the Hne P of comparing our manners with those of the Americans. According to the different impressions formed by the writers, the comparisons at times have been unfavourable to both. The impressions formed by people travelling in other countries depends very much upon the things they see, and the people they meet. Contrariwise, the impressions made by visitors upon the visited depends upon the kind of people these visitors are. Many unsophisticated tourists who have visited Pans, and been permitted glimpses of the gay side of that cosmopolitan city, have been led to the conclusion that France is a very wicked country, and the French a licentious people. Well-informed people who. have travelled extensively in France, and had the pleasure of coming in contact with the real French population, know, however, that Paris is very far from being France, or the Parisians the French lhe fact is that the Paris of certain fiction is very largely what the tourists themselves have made it, a show-place, catering for what their visitors expect to find. To really know people one has to live amongst them, and become familiar with the mainsprings of their manners and customs. It has been alleged of us that we are somewhat brusque in our manners. If in some respects we create that impression it- is due in part to a reserve of speech and emotion which we have not only inherited from an insular race, but perpetuated by settling in a country as insular as that of our ancestors, and much more remote from Continental contacts. To know the average New Zealander is to discover beneath his reserve qualities of courtesy and consideration as sound as those of other peoples. We are not adepts at that form of welcome described as the “glad hand,, and probably never will be, but our hospitality is none the less sincere, even if at times it may be disconcertingly discriminating. From this point of view it is not easy for the average tourist to really know the New Zealanders. For one thing, he has not the time' to make a leisured study of them, and consequently lie is apt to retain his first impression of aloofness. Most of his personal contacts are with officials in railway and steamship offices, hotels, and the post offices. Here it may be frankly admitted that we have not yet acquired the American method of meeting the tourist more than half-way. The American maxim quoted by one' of the correspondents in the controversy, “If you are satisfied, tell others, if you are dissatisfied, tell us,” may be worth more attention than perhaps it receives. If we ask ourselves the question we will probably admit that we do not always receive the complaints, of dissatisfied people with the pleased appearance of hearing something to our advantage. The instances of official churlishness mentioned by one or two of the correspondents are not as infrequent as they should be and are quite inexcusable. In the pressure of handling heavy traffic some abruptness may be unavoidable, but it should never be carried to the point where it savours of discourtesy and causes resentment. It is a little difficult to understand “A Visitor’s” complaint that we are over-curious about other people’s religion. Here again, the truth of this assertion depends upon the kind of people he has. met. This kind of curiosity is not by any means the common experience. Our own religious leaders tell us repeatedly that we do not, as a people, think enough, or care enough, about religion.