Astray!

A Salute That Went

Douglas Fairbanks's Faux Pas At Papeete.

Letter to the Editor.

WITH reference to your Papeete cor respondent’s article, “Lese Majesty”, I beg a little space to give your widely-scattered readers an explanation which if not exactly interesting, is nevertheless an authentic and accurate one.

Ambitious to become a “Big Shot” on the occasion of his second visit to Tahiti, Mr. Douglas Fairbanks chartered the yacht “Caroline”, and with a brass “mu seum-piece” made a very big noise as the yacht entered Papeete Lagoon, by firing a Royal Salute of 21 guns.

As your correspondent records, the French Government allowed the world famous actor to risk dire consequences to his blood pressure, to his dignity and vocabulary, by coldly ignoring him.

Another incident, I wish to quote pro vides the surprising but quite natural ex planation.

Early in 1936 the French sloop “Savorg nan de Brazza”, visited Auckland, and a salute of 21 guns was given from the British Naval Authorities (New Zealand Squadron) in welcome.

Whereupon, to everybody’s surprise, the Commandant of the “Brazza” went to the British Naval Authorities and de manded an apology for an insult to the French Republic. They had greeted him, he declared, with a Royal Salute, where as a century and a half before the French people had had a revolution to abolish Royalty. They should have welcomed him with a Republican Salute of 11 guns. Apo logies were duly given, the offenders be rated for their error, and promises not to repeat the offence added.

Had Mr. Douglas Fairbanks known, as most citizens of a great sister Republic should be expected to know, that in an attempt to become a “Big Shot”, it is the quality of the shots that tells, rather than the quantity, undoubtedly Repub lique Francaise would have greeted him with something more cordial than the crushing coldness of stony silence. The only possible effect Mr. Douglas Fair banks’ cataclysm of noise could have had (besides shaking Papeete and re-echoeing down the verdant slopes of Oroheno) would have been to raise a sardonic and superior smile on the face of the British Consul for the compliment to himself, and the blunder to the Republic.

After the Assistant Chief of Police had explained these facts to me at Pa peete last July but one:— “What could we do?” he asked, with a gesture of contempt. ‘'He come here in the yacht ‘Caroline’ and behave like that . . . perhaps the British Consul . . . he like it. . . .”.

I am, etc.,

Edward C. Snow.

Pacific Islands Club, Sydney.

Rev. Robert Leek, who has been priest-in-charge and business agent for the Anglican New Guinea Mission at Samarai, Papua, since 1926, arrived in Sydney with Mrs. Leek by the “Mon toro” on January 10. Having reached the retiring age, he will not return for further work in the Territory.