AMERICAN FLEET

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 30, 4 August 1925, Page 7

AMERICAN FLEET

VISIT TO SYDNEY busy, happy days city's Warm-hearted WELCOME. (FROM OCR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) SYDNEY, Mat July. The first week of the Sydney portion of the United States fleet's stay in port has been a notable one. Right into their hearts have officers and men taken this city by the Pacific's western rim, and it is not too much to say that Sydney has taken its visitors to her heart. The senior officers, in all "their public utterances, have been delightful, and the chief among them, Admiral S. S. Robison, will long be remembered as a mo3t distinguished sailor-diplomat, who, by happy idiom and humorous simile, has done more to cement the ties between Australia and America than a decade of purposeful endeavour by statesmen. The junior officers are a, fine type, as typical of the efficient American r.s their well-known business men prototypes. The men, of whom between 70 and 80 per cent, are under 25 years of age, have made themselves conspicuous in the streets, and their popularity, especially with our girls, is undoubted. MANY FESTIVITIES The round of official festivities has been a heavy one, needing, as Admiral Robison remarked, much "intestinal fortitude." On their first day ashore (Friday) the functions included the Parliamentary reception at Parliament House in the afternoon, 'a reception by the New South Wales branch of the Englishspeaking Union at night, and a Y.M.C.A. and church welcome to the'fleet chaplains. The big event, of the Saturday was the Venetian Carnival on the harbour at night. Flinging a silver net from their searchlights into the sky to catch the pale, far moon, the battleships, outlined in electric bulbs, opened at 8 o'clock a display of illuminations and fireworks that vast gatherings at all corners of the harbour were waiting to see. For half an hour the searchlights continued their display, to be succeeded by a similar period of fireworks. This programme -was repeated until at 10 o'clock the moon was again left the sole illuminant of the night. An illuminated aeroplane sped round and round during the searchlight display, weaving its own net of light among the beams. The searchlights were seen as far away as Nbwra, 90 miles south of Sydney. RACES NOT ATTRACTIVE In the afternoon Admiral Robison and his senior officers were entertained oy the A.J.C. at a race moVting at Randwick, but the races, generally speaking, did not attract many of the men, despite an invitation of free admission. They turned up in force at an inter warship baseball match, and some watched the Rugby games. Rugby, according to general opinion among the sailors, is a pretty lame affair comX>ared with their own ferocious football games, of which two' teams, heavily "armoured," gave an exhibition later in the week. A most important function on Saturday night was the Commercial Travellers' Association dinner to Admiral Robison and 24 other senior officers. The Commander-in-Chief's speech was in particularly happy vein, for, he said, "I don't want to set my speech in serious strain, because I am speaking to commercial travellers, and they never take anything seriously." DISPLAY BY CHILDREN ■The feature of Monday's programme wus a children's display, in which 10,000 children combined to form an impressive design on the Cricket Ground. Within a great living shield were stars and stripes, and the letters "U.S.A." and "N.S.W." in the form of a Maltese cross. Admiral Robison described this as one of the most impressive spectacles he had ever seen. Of the vast assemblage of spectators the visitors were the most appreciative, and acclaimed the sight with enthusiasm. It was a picturesque gesture of friendship for and greeting to the great Republic and her sailor representatives from the vivid, pulsating youth of Australia. At night came the Lord Mayor's ball at the Town Hall. Over 4000 guests Were present. It was impossible to dance, so great was the crush, but the magnificent decorative scheme was well worthy of the attendance. • So from day to day the official and unofficial programme progresses. Sailors are taken on excursions to all our famous beauty spots. They Toam the city and suburbs at will, coming more and more into contact with the people. Hundreds have received the hospitality of Australian homes. A few have accepted too much hospitality at hotel bars, but these are an almost negligible minority, and although there have been a few brawls the general conduct of the men has been most seemly. An amazing feature of the fleet's visit here has been the desire of the Sydney puhlic to inspect the warships. Each day during visiting hours the ships have been crammed to uncomfortableness, and on several occasions word has had to be sent ashore to the ferry company to stop bringing out more boatloads.