TOUCHY NEW ZEALANDERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14325, 22 March 1910, Page 6

TOUCHY NEW ZEALANDERS.

; TOO SENSITIVE TO CRITICISM. [FROM orin OWN CORRESPONDENT.] London, February 11. Mr. v Foster Fraser thinks •, New iZealanders are abnormally sensitive to criticism. The one thing in which the/New Zealander is not British," he says in an article in one : of the newspapers, " is : his sensitiveness to"' outside opinion. The Englishman . does not ' care twopence what other';nations think of him, except that he is .; more disposed than not 'to ; agree with those who adversely criticise him. The - New f Zealander is perpetually -inviting.; criticism, ;• but' resents; v the slightest suspicion of criticism. I - used, to think j our friends of the United States the most! 'touchy people' on. earth. They are hard- j ened and callous alongside the New Zealander. ■-■ Two.out of every ihree persons | I met in the 'Dominion- fired the stale ! inquiry, 'What do you think of this ! country!' In less than & day >I' discovered j they did not want* to know what I thought •of it; they only wanted; me •to praise it.' There is much, to .praise—such as the wonderful work of. settlement—and that was accepted as all right. v But there are other things ;': wherein .' New Zealand toddles at the tail of the rest of the world. A hint of v these was generally bitterly., resented. J The New 3 Zealander ■is a j fine fellow, but this insularism makes his friends laugh. { Of course, v the i cause; is chiefly due to ; the fact: that Jhe is so far away from the : industrial ; centre; of the J world, and that he lacks \ the opportunity 'r of comparison. j .■ I ' suposc most. of us would have a defective perspective if we were similarly situated." . ;