THE BUBBLE REPUTATION.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 25, 29 July 1911, Page 3

THE BUBBLE REPUTATION.

"CONFIDENCE MEN" FROM NEW ZEALAND. '(From "Onr Own Correspondent.) LONDON, 16th June. In this expectant hour the ru?h towards London is quite Unprecedented, and New Zealand, as I havo already ehown from the High Commissioner's book, is almost the most prominent of the Dominins. If ire are to believe Scotlnnd Yard, it is even more prominent than a good New Zealender would desire. During the last month or po Scotland Yard has been in close and energetic touch with most of the foreign detective forces, who are 00-operating in reporting and shadowing suspects, both anarchists and pickpocket*. At the present moment there is a considerable detachment of detectives from the Berlin headquarters working with those of Scotland Yard' in the streets of London. Russia, France, i and Italy have also repotted the ■departure of despeirate characters towards the present, hub of the universe, and have sent detectives to assist Scotland. Yard in watching their movements here. This is all very pleasant reading, but the average New Zealander in London was horribly shocked to find that his own countrymen enjoy something of a reputa* tion in the same company, "By far tha larger class of thieves who have come to London," said the Daily Mail yesterday, "are confidence men. The United States and New Zealand in particular have criminal representatives in the mefcro« pc-lis who are considered by the detectives As the cleverest in the world. Fault* lessiy dressed, of ea-sy manners and with a quick appreciation of the weak point in human nature, they are formidable persons to outwit." * • With thi& new light, t made A careful search through the columns of the visitors' book at the High Commissioner's bnt could not detect any of the names so well known at the criminal sessions in New Zealand. Nor in the well-dressed, well-to-do, respectable stream of New Zealanders that passed in and out could I see one who Would not have resented the imputation against his countrymen. In conversation with Dr. Findlay this morning I mentioned the statement to him, and he suggested, as a possible ex planation, that New Zealand's popularity with the English people was recoiling upon her reputation, tt is popular in England to say one is » Now Zealander, rather than any other nationality of over, sea Brit-ion, and Dr. , Findlay thinks it possible that confidence men Use this for the purpose of getting into their victims' confidence. To say one is a New Zea* lander is the open eesame wlith • many good folk in the Old Countiy.