DEFENCE OF CHICAGO.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 20966, 4 March 1930, Page 14

DEFENCE OF CHICAGO.

ERRONEOUS IMPRESSIONS FORMED. AMERICAN VISITOR’S VIEWS. An American visitor to Dunedin is Mr R. V. Warman, who has been appointed Australian and New Zealand representative »of the Chicago firm of Montgomery Ward and Co., one of the largest manufacturing and exporting concerns in the-world. Mr Warman is travelling through the South Island in the interests of the company, which intends to establish a direct trade with merchants in New Zealand. The. firm now has representatives in most countries, and some idea of its size is given in the fact that its sales in 1929 amounted approximately to 300,000,000 dollars. '

Coming from Chicago Mr Warman is naturally interested in the impression of his city which has been formed among -New Zealanders.

“ I should like to see corrected the erroneous impressions of Chicago New Zealand people are getting from the cabled despatches which deal with the crime wave (and little else), and which appear in the newspapers,” said Ml Warman. “ This so-called crime wave is something that the average resident or business man of Chicago has never come in contact with. I have lived in the city for five years, and I havo never seen any of this sensational gun-play or anything of the sort. What crime there may be is going on in the outlying • suburbs, which are inhabited principally by the worst class of aliens, and it represents chiefly feuds or gang wars between rival bootlegging factions! One can walk on the streets of Chicago just as safely as one can walk on the London or Paris streets. There is absolutely no indication anywhere in the business or better x’esidential districts of of any unlawful violence. ‘ln the cabled news the word Chicago ’ is often featured and displayed in prominent type and down in the middle of the article is found the information that the bombing or shooting concerned took place in some outlying suburb or other. The evil in tins kind of propaganda is existent even in the Unjted States. Residents of New York have almost the same idea of Chicago ps the impression that is being 01 Gated here, all through some of the sensational newspapers. A further example of the absurd news that is being cabled to New Zealand newspapers is the item which appeared recently about the wolves having been driven down from the northern parts of the country by the intense cold, reaching - the outskirts of Chicago. Wolves could not get within 400 miles of the city,” said Mr Warman. “The country north of Chicago is so well populated that the animals could - not get very far out of their own woods in the extreme north.

"I have found that this news (if one could call it news) is accepted as truth. One cannot blame the New Zealander for this when it is obvious that these cable despatches originate in the United Wliile travelling through* the Dominion I shall be glad to do what I can to correct these wrong impressions of Chicago.” Referring to the effects of pictures and plays dealing with criminal life in Chicago, Mr Warman said that plays we»e popular in New York which woi e based on the life of Chicago gunmen. This was another medium apart from the newspapers which was doing a great deal of harm.

“ It is an actual fact that when a man from Chicago registers at an hotel in another American city ho is immediately made a victim of ‘ chaff ’ about his home town. He will bo asked if be has a gun in his pocket.

“ When I was coming over in the Makura,” continued Mr Warman, “ns soon as it was learned that I was from Chicago the passengers gave me the nickname of ‘ Chicago Pete.’ Whenever I joined the different groups In the smoking room oi* on the deck I was always saluted by having two fingers pointed towards me indicative of revolvers.”

With regard to the financial condition of Chicago, Mr Warmau said that while it might appear to outsiders ns serious, and particularly to those whose salaries had been affected, yet it was all nothing more than an emergency which the city would meet as it had met others in the past.

“It is just n farce,” said Mr Warman on being asked for his opinion of prohibition in the United States. Ho added that one had no difficulty in obtaining liquor, though it was all more or less vile. When the liquor came across the border from Canada, or from any other place, it was always adulterated by tbo bootleggers to ’ make it go further, and they put something in it to 'give it a “ kick.” Whether prohibition would be permanent nobody could tell. . In his opinion, however, it would probably be retained for economic reasons. The production of the American factories had increased, and while an employer of labour might not be in favour 'of prohibition for personal reasons, he would probably vote in favour of it if the referendum which was being talked about wore taken. The working man could not afford the high prices, and had to be content with his home brew. Ho thus had more money to spend otherwise. The main opposition to prohibition came from the middle classes, who obj'ected to the enormous prices which they had to pay for their liquor. As an example of the wrong impression which could be formed regarding the prohibition, he quoted the case of an Australian whom he had met on his way to New Zealand, and who had just returned from a visit to the United States extending over a fortnight. ‘ The visitor stated that he had not soon any liquor or scon anyone under its influence. In addition ho had asked the head waiter in his hotel-for a drink, and had been told that it was not supplied. He was returning to Australia with the intention of making it known that prohibition was a success, but if he had gone to his room and asked the bellboy from r -hom liquor could bo ibtained he would soon have found out. The cost of enforcement was enormous, but it had been found impossible to patrol even the small stretch of river between the Canadian border and Detroit, which was one of the “ wettest ” cities in the United States.

Mr Warman concluded with a reference to the hospitality which had been extended to him in New Zealand. “ Thai is not flattery,” lie stated. •* It has really been surprising to me.”