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THE AMERICAN BOYS.
THE PARENTS' BAMBOET.
FELSENTATION OF FLAG.
The wintry conditions which prevailed
yesterday did not in the slightest degree
chill the warmth of the further manifesta.
tions of welcome which were accorded the
American lads. The morning was not set
apart for any particular event, and the
boys were free to follow their own inclina
tions. In the afternoon the party assembled
at the Y.A.L. rooms and proceeded thence
to Government House, where Major
Peixotto and his charges were received by
the Governor and Lady Barron, and enter
tained to tea.
At night the visitors were entertained by
the members of the Young Australia League
Parents' Auxiliary at a banquet at the
League rooms.. The Acting-Mayor (Cr.
Franklin) presided and among those present
were the Attorney-General (Mr. Walker)
and League officials. The loyal toast of
"The King and the President of the U.S.A."
having been honoured,
The Chairman (Cr. Franklin) proposed
"Our Visitors." On behalf of the Parents'
Auxiliary he welcomed the Americans to'
Western Australia, and complimaented them
on their appearance as a splendid adver
tisement to their great country. Major
Peixotto had claimed to be a dreamer. He
(the speaker) intended also to dream, and
he predicted that his dream would be ful
filled. His dream would be that' Lieut.
J. J.' Simons, in 1915, would again lead
a party of Australian boys to America.
(Prolonged cheering). In common with his
Excellency the Governor and the Premier
he hoped that America and the British
Empire would never be at enmity but would
stand shoulder to shoulder in peace down
through the years to come. In conclusion,
he referred to the natural resources of both
countries and reiterated his hope that the
visitors would have a most enjoyable. so
jour'n in Western Australia.
Major Peixotto, who was greeted with a
call of "Australia" from the Y.A.L.
boys, responded to the toast. The real
success of the Columbia Park Boys' Club
had, he said, commenced when the parents
took an interest in the affairs of the insti
tution, and for that reason he expressed the
pleasure he felt in knowing that the parents
of the boys in the Young Australia League
had banded together as an auxiliary. It was
a glorious thing to contemplate the success
which had attended the work which Mr.
Simons and himself had been engaged in. It
had been won against great odds and ob
stacks. There was in the minds of many a
prejudice against the idea of allowing Lbys
freedom in travelling about the world.. It
seemed to those people that it was impos
sible that a band of boys could behave
themselves. (Laughter.) He felt that the
assistance of the Government was needed
to help to extend the movement, and it
should be experimented with' as part of the
school system. (Applause.) The work of the
Y.A.L. in Western Australia had dbmonstra
ted the capabilities and versatility of their
boys. He promised the Y.A.L. contingent
when they next visited San Francisco a right
royal welcome. (Applause.)
Mrs. J. T. Franklin, president of the Int
dies' Auxiliary, on behalf of that body, pre
sented to Major Peixotto a splendidly work
ed and mounted Australian flag. She ex
pressed the hope that the flag would be
flown by the Americans when they returned
to their country.
The Attorney-General supported the pre
sentation, and said that it was a matter
for congratulation that for a lolng time the
British and American flags had flown to
gether in peace and contentment, without
unpleasant memories of past history being
revived. In characteristic style he referred
to the movement which had separated Ame
rica from England, a5id said that the action
which the English people had at the time
regarded as a small thing had grown to be
a great ,factor which had, in due course,
taught France its lesson in democracy. Had
it not been for the American flag, in his
opinion j there would not have been
the great revolution that created a
republic in Europe, and taught a
lesson to despots, which had been of bene
fit to the world ever since. Under the
flag of the British Empire they enjoyed
the liberties of a Republic in all but
name. They enjoyed privileges'which no
monarchy }ad even enjoyed before. (Ap
plause.) Australia had learned all that
America could teach, and the result had
been that in the Commonwealth they had
a Constitution which was the best in the
world and which "gave the citizens greater
freegom even than that enjoyed by an
American citizen. No gfeater honour
could be done their visitors than to give
theim their Australian flig, the symbol of
all they loved and strived for. He would
like to see the matter go further, and if
the American President and the Aus
tralien Governor could exchange flags as
symbols of unity and fraternity) and to
exchange ideas, it would be to their mutual
advantage. It was in that spirit that they
made the presentation pf the flag. (Ap
plause.)
"In accepting the flag, Mojof Peixotto, on
behalf of the vsitors, thanked the Auxiliary
for the gi?f. Until they had returned to
San Francisco after their lasts visit the
•A'ustralian flag was practically unknown.
His boys would accept the flag in the spirit
in which the Minister for Education had
asked them to, and would fly it proudly on
their return. (Applause.).
The toast of 'The Young Australia
League" was proposed by Milton Dansiger,
of the C.P.B.C., in the naive fashion which
makes his contributions one of the fea
tures of the welcoming gathering. Dealing
with the results of their visit to Australia,
he said that he did not know how much
they had contributed to the matter, but
when they returned and told of the political
rreeaom enjoyea D ynoon men ana women
in Australia the women in California, after
a struggle for 20 years, gained the suffrage.
In more than that particular matter Cali
fornia had gained mucha from Australia.
In America they knew of Australia in many
spheres, among which was that of
pugilism. Had their American champion,
who defeated the Australian man, known the
feelings which existed between the two
nations, he would have "let it go as a
draw." (Laughter.) They, as Americans, did
not want to beat Australians except in foot
ball. (Laughter.) The Columbia Park Boys'
Club and the Y.A.L. were identical in a
great measure, and he looked forward with
feelings of optimism to the results which
their work would have in the future.
The president of the League (Mr. L. T.
Boas), in the course of a brief speech, re
sponded, and during the course of his re
marks said that he trusted that the organ
ising ability of Mr. Simons would never be
lost to the League, and that Mr. Simons
would be found'at the head of the 1915 con
tingent to San Francisco. (Applause.)
Mr. Simons, in submitting the toast of
"The Parents' Auxiliary," referred in appre
ciative terms to the work of that branch
of the League's operations.
Mrs. Rutter, who was supported by Mrs
S. Marks, suitably responded.
During the evening an entertaining pro
gramme was contributed to by Mrs. Allen
Miss Oberman, and Messrs. Hyde and A
W. Thompson. Miss L. Greis contributed
largely to the success of the musical portion
in the capacity of accompaniste.
AT THE Y.M.C.A.
In response to a cordial letter from tie
secretary to makeuse of the Y.M.C.A. rooms
in 3lurray-street, the American boys a' e
making things merry there, the staff doing
their best to make the young visitors feel
at home. Unusual interest was created in
a display of basket ball yesterday, and it is
intended to have some basket ball matches
between the visitors and some of the local
Y.M.C.A. players.
TO-DAY'S ARRANGEMENTS.
With the exception of a rehearsal at the
Tivoli Theatre this morning, the Americans
have the former part of the day free, and
to-night they will be the guests of the Foot
ball League at a dinner at the Moana
Cafe.
As advertised, the visitors will give their
first concert at the Tivoli Theatre to-mor
row, and their second at the same theatre
on the following Monday evening. On Sun
day afternoon on the W.A.C.A. ground the
combined boys' bands, with a total of 125
instruments, will discourse a varied selec
tion of items.In response to numerous re
quests, it has been decided that the march
past of the American and the Y.A.L. boys,
as carried out on the Esplanade recently,
will be repeated at the Association Ground
on Sunday. _ _
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