PARTING.

Evening Star, Issue 19023, 19 August 1925, Page 6

PARTING.

The best of friends must part, ami before another issue of tho ‘ Star ’ appears Dunedin’s detachment of the groat American fleet will have left this port. Hosts and guests -were unknown to each other ten days ago. There is no doubt that acquaintance has made thorn tho best of friends. The people of Dunedin were glad to welcome the American sailors before they knew them for the sake of their great nation, sprung from the same stock mainly as our own, cherishing the same heritage and tho same ideals, and united to it by so many ties. Now that' they know them, they can feel the strongest regard for them for themselves. Some of their outward ways aro not tho same as New Zealanders’. Apart from tho fact that they aro a much less homogeneous race than ours, distance and new environment, in both cases, have produced divergences from the original type, less in our case than in theirs because there has been less time for them to grow. They do not all of them speak our language precisely as we do. It is far more natural to them to give instant expression to their feelings and thoughts. But those differences are trivial. The wonder is that they aro not far greater. If two Otago families happened to emigrate, one to a continent. the other to some new island, their children’s children would bo puzzled, and perhaps as often amused, by divergences tho first time thoy met. We understand our American cousins now, and we like them. We have done our best to make their stay a pleasant one for them, and it has not been less pleasant for ourselves. In his cordial message of farewell Bear-Admiral Marvell states that the men under his command have had a wonderful time. Ho i-bolievcs that it has also been for them a most profitable and important time. It is not yet entirely ended, because the officers of the squadron will bo tho guests of the mayor and City Council this evening, but we are sorry to think it is so nearly over as it is. This city will bo duller—it will not be better conducted—when our visitors leave. Friendships that have been formed will ho remembered in hundreds of homes on this side, and wo can hope on tho other, of the salt, unplumbod, but not really estranging Tkxcific Ocean. The wise as well as witty Frenchman, Max O’llell, said that if he wore to be born again, and had his choice in tho matter, he would like to be born an American woman. However that may be, we can all agree with the com spondent, making his amends for previous misconception, who gives his estimate of American men, those known to Dunedin in the last few days, as “jolly good fellows, one and all.” We hope that their visit will prove profitable to them, that the world will go well with them wherever they go, and that their guns will never bo required for any more serious purpose than to bo clambered over hy exultant children and peered into by curious landsmen, who will bo all at sea when they attempt to describe what they have seen.