MAKING FRIENDS

Evening Post, Volume CXXXI, Issue 116, 19 May 1941, Page 8

MAKING FRIENDS

U.S. AND BRITAIN

LESSON OF LAST WAR

PREJUDICES MUST GO

Old prejudices fostered by the history books of Britain and the United States were disappearing as the people of the, two countries became better acquainted. Commodore W. E. Parry. Chief of the Naval Staff, told members of the English-speaking Union at the first luncheon of the union today. The last war had brought the sailors of the two countries closer together, he said, and he would welcome the opportunity of working with American naval men again.

The Navy had, of course, opportunities to meet other people, Commodore Parry said, but he felt that New Zealanders knew the Americans better than the British did. In England there were, unfortunately, many who had prejudices about Americans. However he had found that when the English met Americans they soon became friends. It appeared that prejudices, were started by "rotten" history books. The average schoolboy was taught about British victories and practically nothing about American victories. The British Navy had learned a lot from the American Navy, and the same would apply to the people; Britons could learn a lot from Americans.

On the other side of the picture the American history books had stressed the British!mistakes and omitted the fact that the majority of Britons were in sympathy with American ideals. He believed Britain had done her best during the last century to help America and it was time all prejudices were gone. The last war had done much to bring the two nations together. The American navy had joined the British so wholeheartedly that they became part of the British Fleet. "GRAND FELLOWS." Commodore Parry told several humorous stories of experiences in the last war, and said the Americans were "grand fellows to work with," and he was glad they were with us again. He had visited American ports after the war and there had been prejudices caused by the old question of "Who won the war?" That disappeared later, however, and for many years British and American sailors had been fast friends. The Americans probably led in hospitality, but the British sailors met them half-way and showed that the sailors of the two nations understood each other. It had been a great pleasure to meet the officers of the American squadron which had visited Auckland., What the future held for both countries no one knew, but he would be pleased to be co-operating with the American navy again. It was pleasing to see that the British Commander-in-Chief in the Far East had visited Manila. That was significant. The war was not going to be won in the Pacific, however. The Americans realised that Germany must be beaten before we could win. and as time went on he believed their eyes would be turned eastward rather than westward. That did not mean they were going to let the Pacific down. They would never do that. The Hon. W. Perry, M.L.C., moved a vote of thanks to the' speaker, and in doing -so said that the Army, like the Navy, had appreciated Americans the more as they learned to know them better. /