BRITAIN AND AMERICA, THOUGH POLES APART, MUST STAND TOGETHER

Wanganui Chronicle, 3 October 1946, Page 4

BRITAIN AND AMERICA, THOUGH POLES APART, MUST STAND TOGETHER

WANGANUI TRAVELLER’S IMPRESSIONS

As nations Britain and America must stand together for the future of the world, even though the individual people of the two countries now hamlittle or nothing in common.

So considers Miss Beatrice Brown, a former resident of Wanganui, who, during the past seven years, has travelled extensively through America and also Canada.

Americans knew only what America was doing, and nothing about the rest of the world, she declared. This was because to them America is the only country in the world, and everything that America has, or does, is right, and all the rest of the world should live as America lives, whether or not they like it.

Every now and again there was a move to reform Britain to the American ideal, regardless of what Britons might think of the change. However, most Americans were not interested in anything but America. Americfr had a totally wrong impression of England and the “suppressed English,” as the American Press refers to them. If America could only realise it, they had less freedom than the English, who they were pitying. Because there was a certain amount of control on lhe British Press, the Americans thought that there must be control on all other things, too. It would be better foi' America if there was some control of her Press, for then America might get an insight to the rest ot the world which would remove her one-sided attitude to the affairs of other countries, and possibly tone down America’s boasting about winning the last two wars. “America blames Britain for bringing her into the war. forgetting the ; - wartime motto: 'Remember Pearl Harbour-’ They have forgotten Pearl Harbour, and it won't be long before the Japanese in America have recaptured the fruit trade monopoly they held before the war," Miss Brown stated. There was more personal liberty in British countries than in America, though Americans had never heard of it. and would discount it if they did. For instance, in America a parent seen chastising a child could be brought before a Court. Even in a family group in a private house it was illegal to play cards for money.

“Americans will never be able to understand the British because of their outlook on life," she continuer). "I read recently of an American woman saying that we New Zealanders don’t seem to appreciate our country, but just because we don’t go around screeching its praises from the housetops doesn't mean that we don't appreciate it. Rather, it. means that we think so highly of it and we consider its merits speak for themselves."

America’s ignorance in world war affairs was accounted for in part by the low standard of education, which was definitely inferior to that of New Zealand. Miss Brown continued. Many of the youngsters, nine or ten years old, could barely read or write, and a case recently reported was of a youth who had reached high school standard though he hadn't learnt to write! Australia and New Zealand -are two of the countries Americans have a hazy or no idea at all about. Miss Brown mentioned that in 1942 she went to send a parcel to New Zealand, but the post office clerk handed it back to her, asking didn't she kn-'-” better than to try to communicate with a country America was fighting against!