5 JANUARY 1924, Page 17

During the last days of the Old Year I received

the following letter from a well-known American journalist— one who has exceptional opportunities of gauging the opinions of his fellow-countrymen and whose name is familiar on both sides of the Atlantic. My friend writes I don't think I ever remember as complete a change in public sentiment in the space of ten years as there has been here toward Great .Britain. It is popular now for the United States Govern- ment to be on friendly terms with the British Government, and there is an amazing amount of interest in British affairs here at all times. For instance, the New York Times, on the day following the British elections, printed not only the results of the elections, but went into considerable detail, printing the results of twenty-five or thirtYdifferent candidatures. In other words, the New York Times considered it was of interest to Americans to learn what all of the first and even the second rank of British political figures were doing. -This was unknown ten years. ago. It all looks very encouraging to me, even though we do not seem to be able between us or with any other agencies to take a very suocessful hand in the European diffletilty."

So much ill-natured criticism has been levelled against Mr. Baldwin for his share in the Debt settlement that it is only right to admit what a large share he had in improving British-American relations.

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