THINGS IN AMERICA.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 16304, 3 December 1918, Page 8

THINGS IN AMERICA.

AS SEEN BY AN AUCKLANDER. THE RECENT ELECTIONS: MR. WILSON’S HIGH HAND. Mr. L. V. Moses, of the firm of Holman and Moses, architects, has returned to Auckland from a visit of several months to the United States. Mr. Moses snout much of his time in California, and also visited Eastern cities, including Boston. The purpose of his tour was professional, hut he found time to gather a good deal of information about America’s war effort and the political situation, in the course of a. short interview, Mr. Moses said that tho recent defeat of the President s party in the Senate need cause no apprehension, for the party truce was not actually very real. Whilst public criticism of Mr. Wilson was tabooed and even penalised, private criticism, in the seclusion of homes or offices, was often severe and proceeded along party lines. The Republicans resented the President’s dictatorial support of certain Democratic political candidates, and felt particularly sore at his implication that a Republican majority would mean res laxed war efforts. They claimed a right to help Uncle Sam win the war, and said that they had been treated curtly by Mr. Wilson in his anxiety to “steal all the thunder.” A Republican majority, they insisted, would deal even more (irmly with the enemy than did the present executive head. The Germans, therefore, would receive small comfort from tho President’s nominal defeat.

FRIENDS AND ENEMIES. Asked if lie saw any signs of enemy activity, Mr. Moses said that it was difficult to dissociate the I.WAV. from the German agents, for both kept the police busy. “No crime is too moan for those social outlaws,” he continued. “When I was in Philadelphia- a- munition worker was caught red-handed in the act of hammering the wooden screws into aeroplane parts; the damaged thread would not, of course resist any strain when the machine was flying. In Chicago I witnessed an attempt to bond) the Federal buildings, the net result of which was four innocent passers-by murdered and others injured, but I suppose some organisation was satisfied. However, the American social conscience is good, and the authorities have the support of the mass of the people in the mast dmstic restrictive measures to curb the activities of these 'low-browed anti-social elements.’ ”

One thing that impressed the traveller was the surprising cordiality of the Americans to strangers. Australasians, lie found, were highly regarded. When lie was in New York 1500 Australians passed through, and the citizens could not do enough to show their appreciation of these “Anzacs,” who were idolised by everybody, from tho small boys up. fie personally was often greeted ns "an ally” simply on account of his un-American mode of speech, and he found people inclined to broach tho subject of the anti-British feeling fostered until very lately by the biassed history textbooks used in their schools. In every case they declared themselves reallv glad that this prejudice had been ended by the war. “I used to toll them,” said Mr. Moses, “that tho Boston Tea Party had signed the charter of our colonial liberties in Australasia, and that there had never been apy ill-feeling in our‘ part of the world.” HOMES AND TOWN PLANNING.

Most of the Aucklander’s time was spent in studying new developments in American building. He found that the Californian bungalow was beginning to show signs of decadence, through the adoption of crazily grotesque outside embellishments, though the wonderfully convenient interior fittings were retained. 'Hie people were now turning to adaptations of the English, Italian, and early American domestic styles, with excellent results. Practically every typo of building structure in America had markedly improved in both design and construction in recent years. So complete was the mechanical equipment of one very largo crockery warehouse that a manager and five men could compass the whole of its work; Concrete was increasingly used for building, but it was to be noted that comparatively few structures had exterior walls entirely of the material. The latest schools were veritable palaces compared with what New Zealanders were used to, and wore becoming recognised community centres. Tho sums spent on educational institutions seemed fabulous to a colonial. For instance, the new Boston technical college, of which Dr. Maelanrin, an old Maorilander, was principal, cost nearly £1.500,000 without its site.” The system of “boulevards” in residential areas greatly impressed Mr. Moses, who considers that if New Zealand city, dwellers would only take tho matter np in earnest they could beautify their streets out of knowledge with trees, grass plots, 1 and—above all—the absence of fences. He was surprised and pleased one day to see school children spending a holiday simply in planting flowers in public plots. He was also struck by the beauty of tho cemeteries. In these no grave mounds or fences were permitted, and no flowers might he grown except in plots set aside for the purpose. These cemeteries were simply great stretches of wellkept lawn, dotted with beautiful trees. The monuments stood on the grass, and were to bo found Imre, there and everywhere, set on hillocks or in hollows, under trees or in the open. He knew of no New Zealand 1 cemeteries that would compare with them.