LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19221, 9 January 1926, Page 7

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

WHAT'S IN A NAME? Sir, —I would like to express an opinion protesting against naturalised aliens being allowed to adopt English names. I have recently had dealings with a firm, the name of tho principal of which could suggest nothing but British birth. Now I am told that the head of the firm is of an alien nationality, which, during tho war was Britain's enemy. Is it right that an alien should be permitted to enter our Dominion, become naturalised and adopt a name which places him on a footing with British-born competitors. I feel sure that thousands are still loyal enough to want no -dealings with anyone who, quite a short time ago, was an enemy subject and who has been mado "British" by a name which camouflages his real nationality. W. DUNEDIN EXHIBITION. Sir, —Having jnst- returned from a visit to the New Zealand and South Seas Exhibition at Dunedin, I ask permission for a little space to express my great appreciation of tliis wonderful exhibition. The British Government Court is worth the trip to see. It contains Britain's historical treasures, and to seo these alone is an education to all Britishers. There is also in tho British Court a raised map of the world showing all the trade routes with models of ships passing to and fro and calling at all the world's ports, which is exceedingly interesting and instructive. The exhibit is similar to that shown at the Wembley Exhibition, but with New Zealand as tho central geographical point. It is in many cases hard to judge the exhibits, as they aro all very fino. They aro all in complete harmony with one another, except for ono discordant note, and that comes from tho Auckland Court; it is very poor as compared with the others—just an apology. I do not know whether the court is finished, but I am speaking of what it is at present. Aucklander. AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND. Sir, —I read in Thursday's Herald of the approaching visit of a French sloop and Japanese training ship, which aro to receive a warm welcome'* in New Zealand with free trips to Rotorua. Mention is also mado of the visit of three units of the Australian fleet—Adelaide, Sydney and Delhi, but nothing is said of welcoming them or granting any free trips. Why? In another column we aro told Mr. Peake, manager of tho touring New Zealand cricketers, is advised by wire that tho South Australian Cricket Association has donated the whole net proceeds of tho match there, amounting to £455, to the New Zealand Council. What a contrast of kindness and generosity there is between the two countries. Do not you think that sometimes New Zealand might try and make a little return for the.many kindnesses showered on her by Australia? Proud Aussie. THRALDOM' OF MEN. Sir,—l think tho discomfort of men's clothes is not anything like as great as it is sometimes mado out to be. Ono must remember that it is practically impossible to dress to suit all. temperatures, for to do so, one would have to carry three or four changes with hjm daily, so that he might be comfortable morning, noon and night. If he did that his thraldom would be much more real than it is now. Another thing is that a general average must bo struck, and it should be noted in this connection that most of our purses x are strictly limited, many men being unable to afford but one suit per •annum. I think that if men wore a medium to heavy suit with underclothes in the winter, and a medium to light suit without underclothes in the summer they would not suffer :uiy more inconvenience from too much heat than from too much cold, and thus we would havo a good, General Avx'Oage. Sir, —Really when one come,3 to think of it we must be a timid folk in these parts and well qualified to excel in lamb production. Some men, it appears, are afraid to discard winter clothing for proper summer garb unless authorised thereto by fashion. Looking up and down Queen Street no ono would imagine that Auckland maledom was the victim of such a tyranny. It is an old saying that a poor man must dress better -- than ho can afford, while a rich one may dress as shabbily as he pleases. 'Now let me say that there are men and women who can dress anyhow without wounding public sensibilities. They have what is called good taste and would be self-possessed even in dungarsea. Conversely ohe can quite understand why Bome dread to appear conspicuous. The mistake is to assume that beach suits, for example, must necessarily be slovenly. The donning of whites calls for more fastidiousness on tho part of tho wearer than does the garbing in tweed. No need to wait until Auckland responds to the evangel! If the weather calls for " whites " let us wear whites, but do not wear tennis togs to a funeral. "A Wee, Just." THE BATTLE OF JUTLAND. Sir, —It iB a matter of surprise to me that, notwithstanding the • voluminous comments, articles and books written about the Jutland naval action, no contributor seems to havo realised the most important factor of all, i.e., that, inasmuch as modern naval armaments have relegated personal heroism into the secondary sphere, tho admiral of a fleet when confronted by tho armada of an enemy Power, is more in the position of a statesman than that of a fighting commander. At Jutland., both Jellicoe and Yon Scheer had tho destinies of the whole world to decide. Behind tho British admiral was tha supremacy of an Empire dependent solely upon naval superiority, while tho German admiral represented another pewerful empire in tho making relying upon its militarism, which at that time waß the greatest in tho world's history. Therefore, it appears to mo that even if the German Navy was absolutely annihilated, Teuton military strength would still have enabled her to keep going. On tho other hand, 'the British admiral fully realised that his duty was not to defeat tho enemy fleet only, but to return to his naval bases in the samo position as he left, viz., the supreme naval Power of the wor.'d. Would it have been politic for Jcllicoe to have entered into a ding-dong action when the fading daylight would considerably reduce his chances of an overwhelming victory 1 I havo no doubt whatsoever about the utter defeat of tho enemy had such an engagement taken; place, yet it must be clear to everybody that in the accomplishment thereof our losses would havo been proportionately severe to reduce the British Empire to a third or fourth-rate naval Power. Hence, I would ask all political students to consider the powerful and influential position which is held by British diplomats to-day when seated at important international conferences, and then again for them to picture the different status they would hold were Britain not tho great naval Power that she is. I havo taken part in several naval actions, and therefore am in a position to state that when Jellicoe declined to even risk his country's naval prestige, fought down the battle instinct, flung asido the opportunity for an historical, heroic garland, and manoeuvred, as he did that fateful evening, he performed one of those almost superhuman tasks of heroism which can only be achieved by the clearest brain mastering the body. I conscientiously believe that the most critical moment of the war was that instant, when Jellicoe executed his " turning movement." Critics who never sniffed gunpowder, and neurotics who desire heroes to worship, are to-day opposed to his actions, but future historians, looking at things with a, calm and cool mind, will be compelled to admit that Jellicoe sacrificed gallery applause and proved a clear, far-seeing statesman in that memorable and, to him, fearful moment. We emerged from Jutland so politically victorious, that Germany's navy was of no use to her; we retained our world's naval supremacy, yet, by the irony of fate, tho cool-headed admiral responsible has received more criticism than eulogy. Frederick Burke.