THE AMERICAN' FLEET.

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume IV, Issue 168, 21 July 1908, Page 2

THE AMERICAN' FLEET.

A PROTEST IN PARLIAMENT/-

REASON: HOT HYSTERIA.^

WELLINGTON, July 16. In the ; House of Representatives this evening Mr T. M. Wilford, member for Hutt, made a spirited prdtesfc against a ' display of hysteria m connection with'- the visit of the American fleet. "We have invited the Americans here," he said, " and therefore we must be hospitable, but I wish to draw the line between being hospitable and making fools of ourselves. .My idea is that the scheme of entertainment- gone m for by the Government is hysterical. A private individual can be generous where a Government cannot be generous^ because a Government is m > the ( position of trustee for the whole of ; the ; people. The American fleet is^in,, ,the Pacific as an object lesson to the Germans ' and otheTS, and it is merely bowing^td us as it passes. It seems to me to be wrong and hysterical to adjourn this Parliament . to enter upon' the expenditure of thousands of pounds. All that is required is that the Prime Minister should go to Auckland and welcome the American; Admiral to our shores. The Prime Minister could tell the Admiral that we are glad see him, and give him a pass to -travel over our railways. Drawing the line between calm, cool reason and hysteria; • I feel that the people of this country -will say that the proposals involve a waste, of money. This is a time when things ire not so good as they were ; it is no use burking the facts. Every member of this House know 6 that he has more people coming to him for employment than at any time for years past. It ill befits us to 6pend thousands of pounds on junketing." Mr Wilford proceeded to refer to the proposed visit of the American seamen, to Rotorua. Everyone knew, he said, the attitude of the Americans towards the black races. He asked, as a young New Zealander, that the Maoris should ,not be requested to make any display for the benefit of the visitors. "I ask that 'our young Maori girls shall mot display, tjheir dances or exhibit themselves m an^7>wa,y to these American people," he contitfued. It had been said that the American people were our cousins. They comprised ils&ery nationality of the world, and, unfortunately, their sympathies wers notywith Britain. He hoped one day to 'see, a Tiflion of the English-speaking people against- the world. 7 • Mr Poole: This is the way to bring; it about ! ■$& .- Continuing, Mr Wilford said he^thd not want New Zealand to be inhospitaole, but he did not want us to make fools of ourselves. It had been* said that^ the Americans were friends of ours, "They are," he said, "fair weather friends.' He stood alone m his view m Parliament, but not' m the country. He still •hopea/. the Premier would go to Auckland arid extend hospitality and greeting to the Admiral of the fleet, and then come back and .tell members all about it. Parliament should .not adjourn. We could be hospitable without making fools of ourselves. The Premier interjected that probably the hon. member was making a fool of himself. Mr George Laurenson asked the member for Hutt to take a broad view of things and rise above parochialism. The Dominion proposed to spend some £5,000 or JBIQ,OOO m entertaining the American fleet. He went on to explain (after apolo- j Rising for having to descend to a sordid i level) that twice that amount would be spent by the 20,000 sailors who would be m port' for eight days. The visit ' of Hhe fleet .was an event of the most far-reaching importance. It was a demonstration that \ the white race, was going to rule the Pacific. Every 6ane man must see m the awakening of China and Japan a menace td the liberty of New Zealand. It was. a pity that the House could not have been unanimous m extending a fitting welcome to the visiors from the other side of rhe ( Pacific. America had as much respect for the Red Indian as New Zealand had for the Maori, and would offer no indignity to the Maori that would be met at Rotorua. • ■'«..'