MR JACK JOHNSON.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10516, 26 July 1910, Page 2

MR JACK JOHNSON.

A "MAN OF CULTURE."

SHARP CRITICISM OF AUSTRALIA

Mr Hicks Hardy, of the Sydney Motoring School, has received a letter from. Jack Johnson, dated &™ n d Hotel, California, 26th June." In this Johnson, in his characteristic style, discusses the coming fight. . He savs, amongst other things. "Each of us has a large following, mostly mediocre boxers. Indeed, I may safely say that all the old trump cards that "have disguested the American public with commonplace exhibitions ior vears are here amongst us. As jo.i. nnTst know, Hicks, old fellow the men who went in for .pugilism five to fifteen years ago were mere thumpers. Science to them was an unknown quantityThey went in for brute force, and the man who succeeded in. getting ma genuine bullock punch first generally tarried off the battle Jeffries has now around him a lot of the old scum of fiehters—men who are uneducated to a dlgree, and have only one idea and that is the asserting or. the brutal element. Corbett, only a middle rater at his best; Sullivan, now fat as a pig with beer; Choynski, who I regard as a 'has been.' and others, all spar with my coming opponent daily They have the poor blacksmith almost out of his sense telling him fairy tales Daily they assure him that nothing like him has ever been seen on this earth before and never will be again. "To me—a man of science and refinement, who finds no pleasure in pugilism, and who only goes in for the sport in order to keep my mind pure and simple —nothing could be more disgusting. Unfortunately I am backed % the Methodists to defeat this unbeliever Jeffries, and for the sake of our cause I must do my best. I need not tell you that in America the racial question is very rampant just now. Our country taken from us is ruled by whites, and any sign of superiority on our part is regarded as a crime. They regard people of my color as little better than dogs. Education does not count and neither does refinement nor high breedin-' Color with them is everything. Now fancy. Could you believe such things possible. Here am I, a cultured man lit to converse oil any topic—from astronomy right down to ancient classics—tabooed by white individuals whom I regard, both as regards race and education, as my inferiors. lhese people these Christians attend church, pray regularly, and yet pick out of the New and Old Testament only those things which are agreeable to themselves. Worse than this, the very cler»-vmeii recognise that unless they pander to the popular taste, they might as well shut up shop. My blood boils as I think of these things, and only deep and solemn prayer calms me. Indeed, I would not be surprised if the fii'ht is transferred to another city, as tlTe Methodists are very strong here, and the opposition camp don't like it. Johnson then goes on to discuss Australia. "You Australians," he writes, "are not what I should call an altogether bad lot. You have your faults, of course. Every young nation is . bound to have a lot of what is termed ' rotters,' and ill this respect I sincerely sympathise with you, for certainly you have more than your share. If there is one thing I admire about vou Australians, it is the great amount of confidence you have in yourselves. I venture to state that during my visit there were not three out of every hundred that did not make a point of gabbling every day about, what they termed remarkable things and places in vour country. If it was not the beautiful harbor, it was the immense post office: and if not the post office, then it was that wonderful and mammoth structure, vour railway station, or else the new 'markets. Had 1 not been a man of toleration, a man who knew, I would have been inclined often to tell you all vour position and show you how vou stood as regards other countries. But let it pass, old fellow, let it pass. "One thing I cannot stand, so never refer to it, for it irritates me, and that is your people's accent. Thank God, I ieft Australia, without picking up even the slightest trace. Now, I hope I am not speaking too candidly, but really you must • admit that a trip round the world by the entire population of your big continent would do a lot of good. It would certainly demonstrate the fact that there are other places on the earth, and other people which, to put it mildly, are nearly as good as yourselves."