HOW PEOPLE OF U.S. MAY REGARD MR MACDONALD’S VISIT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18888, 14 October 1929, Page 8

HOW PEOPLE OF U.S. MAY REGARD MR MACDONALD’S VISIT.

“ MERELY AS ANOTHER TRIBUTE TO AMERICA." “Most people look on the Labour Government in Britain as more a Liberal organisation than a Labour one. The composition of the Cabinet is certainly not representative of Labour interests.” This statement was made by Mr R. F. Bell, overseas representative of the National Union of Seamen, who is visiting Christchurch. “I don’t know what is going to come of Mr Ramsay MacDonald’s visit to America, but I’m afraid it may be taken by the mass of the people "as merely another tribute to the United States. “It is all very well for the bands to play ‘Rule Britannia’ and ‘God Save the King’, but both tunes are sung in America to different words from the original.” The public of America did not regard the Labour Government as any different from any other, he added. The only concerii they had was to get their money back. That was the man-in-the-street’s opinion, and it counted more than that of the politicians. The Anglo-Saxon strain had largely disappeared in America, and the population there was largely made up of emigrants from around the Mediterranean, all of whom brought with them small jealousies of Britain.

Tourists made a mistake in regarding America as a part of England just because Americans spoke English.