17 MARCH 1923, Page 8

There have been two small clouds on the British- American

horizon during the past few days, and in these notes in the Spectator I have never attempted to ignore any of our passing difficulties. Our inter-relations are so close that difficulties there will always be ; the one essential is that, as between friends, there can be frank speaking. The two incidents which have received much publicity in the American Press during the past ten days are what Mr. Frederic William Wile, the Washington correspondent of the Philadelphia Public Ledger, calls in the Sunday Times " the Harvey-Balfour duel of dia- lectics " and the correspondence which has been taking place between Downing Street and Washington con- cerning the closing of the American Consulate at Newcastle last autumn.