AMERICAN ATTITUDE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XLIV, Issue 14006, 10 March 1920, Page 2

AMERICAN ATTITUDE.

"BRITAIN ' CRAWLING ' TO US." Recently there was in New Zealand an American who expressed great indignation, through the columns of an Auckland paper, at-, what he termed the anti-American spirit he had encountered yi Australia. His remarks caused no little surprise in New Zealand, for-here, it was maintained, there was nothing hut friendship for America, mixed, it must lie admitted, with amusement at the stated belief of nfauy Americans that they had won the war. Now, however, the other side of the picture is shown by Mr R. Pear-, son, of Wellington, who has just returned from a lengthy visit to America, during which he literally circled the. States, and thus was able to'bjp' serve life there very closely. From the remarks of Mr Pearson to aC Post representative, it is gathered that America has adopted a most peculiar attitude towards .Great Britain. The- picture of Britain, that is being cultivated in America is apparently that of a country which has. had its day trying to stave off the inevitable collapse by leaning unduly on the United States. "You read .in the papers there," said Mr Pearsoir. J 'statements that England is 'crawl-. ing'—l use the exact term employed—■' to Uncle Sam for money; that Britain had been very greedy, and that her greed had brought her to -her knees at last to ask the U.S.A. for money. And the papers add that when the money was secured it was inevitably used for building great battleships. " Despite this, they say the day is fast coming when America will have the biggest navy in the world, and take her rightful position as the greatest nation of all. In pursuance of this idea, you will see everywhere, in the most ' remote parts, great placards calling for men to join the navy for two, three, or four years, as the case may he, inducements being held out that men joining will be taught almost any trade free. You wirl see huge pictures to catch the eye—for instance, an armed man astride a tiger—and underneath something of this sort: 'Now, you want adventure, my boy. Join our navy, which is going to be the biggest in the world. Other nations will have to give way before us.'* The .same efforts are being made in regard to the army. Recruiting agents are sent everywhere, to secure men to join either branch of the. service..". . . •

Mr Penrson said it was impossible not*E(> admire the intense patriotism of the- Americans. Wherever one went, whether- it was to church, theatre* public hall, or garden, the American flag flew; it might, he a small edition of the .Stars and Stripes or a monster flag 20ft by 35ft. but in any case it was described as' "the flag that won the war." . What was particularly striking was that whenever'the flag'appeared the. people _ doffed their hats to it. There was' in this intense patriotism something : that, might well he learnt by.; the British racfe.. 'Mr ' PjeaTsion, added, as one other instance of the reverence; paid to the flag, that in Protestant chinches the flag was carried abreast with the cross at the head of the incoming clergyman and choir. Another fact that interested. Mr .Pearson was the great variety of nationalities going to make up the American nation; in fact, he had it on good authority that 7o per cent, were of foreign extraction, Like every other country, -America was in .need of more labor, and every effort was being made to secure immigration. The Government, \ too, was giving every' encouragement to those endeavoring to open -up new country.' and, in 'this particular, was an Object lesson to many other nations. Mr Pearson touched briefly ,upon «the exchange problem, pointing out. that it was doing one good i thing iri making the Dominion trade mom with'"Brtiain.