"HOME AGAIN"

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 102, 27 October 1925, Page 6

"HOME AGAIN"

AN AMERICAN'S RETURN

EX-CONSUL WILBER.

Mr. D. F. .Wilbur, retired former United Stales ..■Consul-General for Now Zealand, arrived in Wellington yesterday, via San Francisco. To.a reprcsen (alive of "The Post" he confessed, "I feel just; as if I was home again now that I am in Wellington. Here I have a host of friends, and it was quite easy for me to feel as if I was coming home when I booked to New Zealand."

Mr. Wilber is accompanied-by a per-, sonal friend, Mr. W. S. Whipple, of New, York, and. one of the leading business men in that city. .'" Together they leave for Rotorua to-morrow. "Mr. Whipple and I are very old friends," explained Mr. Wilber," and we were talking about New Zealand one day. He said, 'I think I'd. like to go there, from what you say about it.' I said, 'Very well, go—and I'll go with you.I can assure you a warm welcome from kindly people- who mean what they say.' And here we are. When we have done Rotorua we'll go down to the Palmerston Show I would not miss that and the renewal of old friendships and seeing familiar faces there for anything." _ Mr. Wilber was asked about his public life now that ho had returned to his home State, of New liorlc.. ..,,, "Public life? I'm leading a life of indolence," he replied. "Summer time the family and I spend up in a little place that I have in the woods in the State of Maine, quite close to the Canadian border; thcyest of the time I spend at my home in . Oneonta, Otsego County, New York. I .have led a. fairly active business life and now it is my Indian summer."

Speaking of trade and industry in America, Mr. Wilber said they were in a quite flourishing condition, everywhere, so far as he was informed. The country, taken as a whole, was very prosperous. Confidence is well established and the volume of business this fall •is expected to be the heaviest recorded.

When, the recent visit of tho American fleet to Australia and New Zealand was referred to, Mr. Wilber said: "You might not have seen much of the good effects of that visit in our papers, but you can take it from me that all tho thinking people of America were deeply impressed by the cordial reception given to the fleet in Australia. They too, did not say much about it at the time the fleet was in these parts, but I know and have tho best 1 of reasons for knowing, that Americans at home' highly appreciated tho kindness shown to the fleet visitors of every degree. That feeling will do an immense amount of good in bringing the great English-speaking peoples close together. It is absolutely necessary for the peace of the worldLeague of Nations or no—that those peoples should know and understand ono another, for the peace of the. world, lies in their hands. Speaking as one, what nation or nations, dare gainsay them?" During, the conversation reference was made' to the Wilber Cup. This massive example of the art of the silversmith was given to the Manawatu A. and P. Association to stimulate interest in the Friesian breed of dairy cattle.. It was a memento of Mr. Wilber's sojourn in New Zealand as Consul-General.

■ "It was rather funny about that cup," he said. - Frank Lethbridgo was president that year, and he said to me, 'Before you go we'd liko something to remember you by—a little cup or something.' I replied, 'You'll get no little cup from me before I leave.' He looked surprised. Then I added, 'But if you wait until I got back home I'll solid you one from there.' That's nil there is to it. I'm glad they HUo the cup. It gave me more pleasure, I'm sure, to give it' than them to receive it."