AMERICAN ATTITUDE.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 March 1920, Page 8

AMERICAN ATTITUDE.

"BRITAIN 'CRAWLING* TO US.", IMPRESSIONS OF MR. R. PEARSON. 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 in Australia. His remarks caused no little surprise in New Zealand, for here, it was maintained, there was nothing but friendship for America, mixed, it must be admitted, with amusement at the stated belief of many Americans that they had won the war. Now, however, the-other side of the picture is shown by Mr. R. Pearson, of Wellington, who has just returned from a lengthy visit to America, durin? which he literally circled the States, and thus was able to observe life there verv closely. From the remarks of Mr, Pearson tn a 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. Pearson, "statements that England 'is 'crawling'—l usc 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 USA. for money. And the papers add that when the money was secured it was inevitable 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, vou 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 be, inducements'icing held out that men joining will be taught almost any trade free. You will see huge pictures to catch the eye—for instance, an armed man astride a tigerand underneath something of this sort: 'Now, you want adventure, my boy. Join our navy, which is going to be the biggest jn 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 eltner branch of the service."

Mr. Pearson tsaid it was impossible not to admire the intense patriotism of the Americans. Wherever one went whether hall, or garden, the American flag flew; it Inight be a small edition of the Stars and Stripes or a. monster flag 20ft by 35ft, 'but in any case it waa 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 be learnt by the British race. Mr. Pearson added, as one other instance of the reverence paid to the flag, that in Protestant churches the flag was carried abreast with the cross at the head of the incoming clergyman and the 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 75 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 cverv encouragement to those endeavorintr to open up new country, and, in this particular was an object lesson to manv other nations. Mr. Pearson touched briefly upon the exchange problem, pointing out that it was doing one good thin" in makmg the Dominion trade more with Bntain.