HAPPY CHANCE MEETING

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 103, 25 January 1939, Page 4

HAPPY CHANCE MEETING

Three American Visitors Entertained Yesterday

As a result of a chance meeting in the Chief Post Office, Wellington, with a foundation member of the Wellington branch of the English Speaking Union, three American women tourists were entertained as the special guests of the local executive committee of the union at. afternoon tea yesterday. Stating that she was a member of the English Speaking Union in New Zealand, a body which existed for the promotion of closer friendship between the United States and other Englishspeaking countries, Mrs. de Castro, Hawke’s Bay, introduced herself to one American visitor, Mrs. Guy J. Dart. Chicago, who happened to be a member of the Chicago branch of the English Speaking Union. Besides Mrs. Dart, the other guests of honour were Mrs. R. J. Whitlock and Mrs. B. D. Stevens, also of Chicago. They were welcomed by Mrs. K. Preston, president, who was acting hostess for the occasion. Bowls of blue and pink hydrangeas and yellow daisies were attractively placed about the reception room on low tables, and after tea had been served, the visitors were officially welcomed by Mr. A. Leigh; Hunt. Mr. Hunt said it was pleasant to think of the warm feeling which existed in matters of sentiment and trade between the United States and Britain. New Zealand was a youthful country like America, and therefore had much the same outlook on many problems. There was only one American attitude toward British people, he said, which he would like altered, and that was, instead of British people being labelled as aliens by the United States Customs, it. would create better feeling if Customs officials would divide disembarking passengers into three instead of two groups, namely, Americans, English-speaking people and aliens.

Mr. Horace Miller, as a fellow American, Welcomed the visitors and spoke of the good work being done by the union in New Zealand and in other important world centres. Saying that the people she had met In the Dominion were the most courteous ever spoken with, Mrs. Dart had words of praise not only for all who had offered polite service, including shop assistants and lift attendants, but for the cleanliness of Dominion iiotqls. Mrs. Whitlock and Mrs. Stevens also spoke. Mrs: Stevens’s husband, who was unable to attend, is first vice-president of the Miehle Company, which manufactures machinery for the printing of paper money for the United States Government.

Among those present were Mesdames Alexander Gillies, wife of the president; de Castro, J. S. Vinson, A. Duncan, X. Burnard, M. G. Phelan, K. Preston, H. Rule. Jenkins (Wanganui), and Miss Gillies. Last week a similar gathering was held to welcome two visitors from abroad—Mrs. Foster (London) and Mrs. Cummings (Sydney).