ANGLO-AMERICAN RELATIONS. (To THE EDITOR Or THE " SPECTATOR.")
Sns,—I think the enclosed letter from a business friend of mine in New York would interest your readers.—I am, 'Sir, &c., ENGLISHMAN.
[The following is an extract from the letter :-
" I spoke of right thinking. Is it possible to make the people in England and America think right and act accord- ingly? I am not expressing my own feelings and judg- ment, because you know I am pronouncedly pro-British, but in my talks with business men and with some of our real statesmen and people who have the welfare of society at heart. all have the same judgment and feeling. Recently an English- man, who has for years enjoyed the hospitality of the people in the United States, and is familiar with American affairs, expressed in the most loathsome terms the contempt of England for the Americans. He has left us now, but he has left behind him a feeling of contempt and indignation. I suppose it is fair to infer that some contemptible Americans in England have expressed similar, obnoxious ideas, which appear to have made more impression in England than have those of the person to whom I refer. We are informed that England is indignant because we say 'we won the war.' It is only in England or on the Continent that some fool Americans say that we won the war. Since the Armistice I have been in contact with all types of people, business men, labouring men, legislators, and over seven thousand of the disabled men in our hospitals, and I can truthfully say I have never yet known of but one case where such a boast was made. . . . Another feature is the effort to stir up hostility by reason of trade competition. It is absurd to allege Great Britain hates us because we have a new Merchant Marine with which we are to control the carrying trade of the world. The history of Great Britain is, she always maintained a friendly competition with other nations and held her own, and continued friendly with those nations. I do not want to appear to be unpatriotic, but it will be many years before the United States can be a great competitor in Foreign Trade. We have the ships, that is true, but we have not the men ' to man them.' We have not the trade organizations to use them. As a matter of fact we are in the primary school of the shipping trade. At a recent dinner given to Sir Auck- land Geddes, I was very near him when he delivered an address which was one of the most impressive that was ever delivered by a British or any other Ambassador. He was so earnest and so anxious because of the apparent growth of misunderstand- ings and the possibility that they would increase because of trade rivalry, ho was tragic. I have never seen a man whose whole soul expressed an overwhelming fear such as he expressed. He had the vision, a disturbing vision, and it was a solemn occasion when five hundred men unanimously rove and told him that they understood him. Getting back to earth, I fear there will be another cause for misunderstanding after the fourth of March. President-elect Harding believes the best way to stabilize the world's conditions is to stabilize our- selves first—to put our house in order as it were—and then help England and France with such resources and moral strength as we can commend. In developing this policy, I have no doubt many things will be misunderstood by our friends abroad; and however aggressive the administration may be in this policy, it will be unfortunate if it be not regarded as a policy for international as well as national welfare."
—ED. Spectator.]
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