"RUDE AWAKENING"

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17175, 27 October 1926, Page 13

"RUDE AWAKENING"

AMERICA AND BRITAIN '' GROSS MISREPRESENTATION '' "The sooner the British people realise the real attitude of America towards them, the hotter." This opinion was expressed by Sir Joseph Carruthcrs, of Sydney, loader of the Upper House m the New South Wales Parliament, wlia was a through passenger from San Francisco by the Maknra and who, in an interview with a Dominion reporter, spoke freely of the misrepresentation he found in the United States with regard to Britain and the Empire. "I have been on a Jive months' tour in the Pacific and to California for health reasons," said Sir Joseph Carruthers. "It was my third visit to the Hawaiian Islands, where I have now completed my investigations regarding Captain Cook's visit to and death at Hawaii. I have been fontunate in obtaining new material which (dears up several mallei's hitherto in doubt. The people ol: the territory of Hawaii are arranging to hare a great celebration on the 150th anniversary of the death of Captain Cook, anil invitations will bo seal to Great Britain, Australia. New Zealand, and the French Government to bo represented on Jdio occasion. The event will mean the placing of Cook's memory and reputation in its proper place in the American mind.

IMPRESSIONS OF ONITED STATES "I visited the mainland of the Cniled Stales for (lie first (hoe, bul I confined my visit lo (lie iinporla.nl Statu of California. I received most hospitable treatment, especially from the city authorities, and from the University of California, and I toured some thousands" of miles through the fertile Sacramento and San Joaquin Valleys, and also in the Los Angeles district. Whilst greatly impressed with the productivity of California, ] am convinced that neither the land nor the climate there is equal to that of a great part of Eastern Australia. Once wo get the population, Australia will progress even more than California. Land in the farming districts of that State sol's at £6O to £BO per acre unimproved. Better land in the Murray Valley of New South Wales and Victoria, can be procured to-day at about £3 per acre unimproved. "I. was disappointed in some respects in the land settlement of Cali- . f urn in. Many farmers there are doing badly, and must quit farming. Lucerne and oaten bay is selling at from £2 10s to £.'j per lon, and thai price cannot pay. Our fanners get ti much better price. The fad is (hat motor cars have replaced horses in most parts of the t'n i led SI ales, and there is less demand for hay feed except for dairy herds. In every case where I visited a. ranch or farm in -the fruit-raising districts, 1 was informed by the owners that they had discarded the horse entirely. I feel sure that I here are many American farmers who would gladly settle in Australia or New Zealand if they were given the chance and knew our country. "A b'l'DC AWAKENING." "1 got a rude awakouing as to Iho sentiment of the mass of ' Americana ! toward.- Croat Britain and our Em-j pire. Except from cultured men of the university groups, 1 never heard any expression () f sympathy with Croat Britain or the Dominions. On the other hand, (hero was plenty of gross misrepresentation about thoßritish Empire—the result of political propaganda from .men like Senators Borah and liiraiu. Johnson, and by the Hearst press. The big men of the Republican and Democratic parlies are fair-minded and friendly, but they are i'ow and far between in the multitude of Americans. "I am convinced that self-interest is the dominating influence governing Americans in the mass. They prefer to play Ihe part, of the Pharisee and leave the Good Samaritan part for some other people. The sooner the British people realise the real attitude of America towards them the better.

"It is a great pity that Croat Britain rushed in and made its debt settlement before there was a general conference on all the debts due between the Allies. As matters now stand, Great Britain gels no credit for its action, and is treated as a trade rival, to be handicapped rather than helped in the slightest way, America is very prosperous to-day, but its prosperity is deadening its humanity towards those enduring adversity.

"A rudea wakening will come sooner or later, when if is realised that the world is interdependent in its parts, and that no nation can continue to be prosperous if its neighbors are on the verge of ruin, as is the case today,"