OUR AMERICAN COUSINS.

Western Star, 16 March 1920, Page 2

OUR AMERICAN COUSINS.

A CANDID CRITICISM. Tho following letter has been addressed by a New Plymouth resident to Mr Zane Grey, the well-known American writer:—• “ I am one of your constant readers and have appreciated all your books, but I ami not altogether pleased with’ your latest, ‘ The Desert of Wheat.’ Evidently you, like ail other Americans, think you Avon the war. One does not mind yon thinking this—but to Avrite it hurts the feelings of those who had brothers buried! in Egypt, Gallipoli, France, and Belgium years before America came in. • Oam’.t you Americans see that this constant repetition of Avhat America did is undermining your commercial relations AA’itlx vthe dominions of the British Empire as well asi other countries. No one Avishea to dispute what America did. We are all grateful, but Avlrait did she do? New Zealand, my country, Avith a population of a little over one million, had more casualties than your country, although Ave only had 80,000 men in the firing line, ion don’t see us advertise the fact; we just didi, that was -all. We had no need to; we did) it because of the future of democracy, and w© started ait the start —did not wait three years to get into it. Possibly America had good reason why she didn’t get ini sooner; it is not for. me to judge, but a little more modesty on the part of Americans Avould stand them in good stead. Hustle may be all right; skite may be all right; but both things want something to justify them, and, looking at the war from a broad point of view, America Avas sadly lacking when needed most. One cannot go to a picture shoAV but one gets obsessed with pictures taken in America of Avhat they did and hoAv they did it. We, who lost our loved ones, know what America did, we appreciated her money, but it must be remembered that a good deal of this money came out of the Allies’ pockets in the first place. Secondly, we appreciated your food effort. Hoover was the greatest product you ever produced 1 , but even here you got ...your price. Your air machines were a failure, your shipbuilding, being jerry-built, will also be failures. What counted was your moral support; it did count —there’s no doubt about it. America is a great country, with tremendous possibilities for tho benefit of the human race, but Avhether it is tho mixed population or the way you live you all brag too much about what you do and how you do it. Beadde the British Empire’s, Belgium’s, andi France’s efforts your real effort was insignificant; it was as nought. Get the idea out of your heads that America is the only country in the Avorld; give the other fellow credit for having some brains, even if America thinks it has a monopoly. Honour our glorious dead; honour those who ‘went West' three years before America made up their minds. Remember you are writing for the Avorld to read, not for Americans only, and we are not bad critics. Just freshen yourself up iat bit, raise your standard of judgment, remembering, that fair play is bonny play, that America did her "bit in the Avar; but, in ray opinion, as far as fighting went, she did the least, andi- it is fighting that counts. Be a man; judge as you would be judged; and don’t overstep the canons of good taste by accrediting to your country something which she never did. Look us up on the map; compare our country with yours; compare populations, and then think Avhat avg think when we read your American skite.’