DETERMINED HUSBAND

Evening Star, Issue 25745, 19 March 1946, Page 4

DETERMINED HUSBAND

NOT STIRRING FROM STATES MESSAGE FOR RELUCTANT BRIDE "GOT TO LEAVE MOTHER SOMETIME” (P.A.) AUCKLAND, March 19. iMr Charles F. Schmidt, jun., the American husband of the Auckland girl who made a last-minute dash from the bride ship Lurline, which was to have taken her to the United States last week, still has hopes that his wife will go to him, but this much is certain — he will not come to New Zealand. The Auckland ‘ Star ’ called Mr Schmidt at his home in Cincinatti, Ohio, by radio telephone this morning. Mr Schmidt said he had certainly heard all about his wife’s decision not to sail The story had been featured in the American newspapers, and he had also received his wife’s cable. Concerning his he stated his views with no lack of emphasis, asking that the following message be given to his wife:— “ Tell her I can’t go there. My work is here. She told me she wanted to come to the States. Tell her she’s got to leave her mother sometime. Tell her also that her ‘ girl friend left New Zealand to come to the States and has made out all right.” Mr Schmidt was definite on the point that he would not come to New Zealand, on account of his work in the States. In reply to a question, *he said his trade was pipe-fitting. Asked what he would do if Mrs Schmidt would not go to the States, he replied: “ Sure, 1 dunno. If I left my mother she would not interfere.’’ To a question whether he was still in love with his wife, Mr Schmidt replied: “ I think a lot of my wife—that’s why I married her.” “ Yeah,” replied Mr Schmidt, rather sadly, it seemed, when he was asked whether, if his wife would not go to America and he would not come here, the marriage was likely to be one of those unfortunate things. Thanked for giving the interview, Mr Schmidt ended: “You’re welcome.” BRIDE’S REACTION. “What did he say?” asked Mrs Gloria Schmidt, when told by a reporter that lie had spoken to her husband over the radio telephone. When given lier husband’s message, she agreed that it appeared that the refusal of both parties to leave their respectivo countries would result in “ one of those unfortunate things.” “ My husband doesn’t want to live in New Zealand. He is very American,” slio said. “ There was not much work of the kind he did offering in the Dominion. If he did come here he wouldn’t bo happy.” Mrs Schmidt said ~ there were many other reasons, apart from the fact that she did not want to leave her mother, why she had not sailed. It all added up to wanting to be at home. Mrs Schmidt has had some unusual experiences since her story was published on Saturday last. The mother of one of the other brides who sailed in the Lurline has written congratulating her on “ her plucky action in walking off the ship.” _ This mother said her daughter's sailing has almost broken the family’s heart and that she wished her daughter had had the courage to do tho same thing. “ I wish you all the luck in the world for putting your own people first. There are no people like your own folk and no country as good as your own,” she ended. On Saturday' evening a naval officer called on Mrs Schmidt, and congratulated her, shook hands, and dashed off. Mrs Schmidt said this morning that not all the girls who had telephoned her were on her side. “ Some say I am mad for not going, and even my sister is disgusted with me,” she said.