ON HATING AMERICA [To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.]
American might easily reply to " An Englishman in India," whose letter appeared in your issue of March 20th, on his own ground. He might 'point out that Amerietins too dislike " cant." That, during the War, the leaders of the Alliei repeatedly assured them of their high moral purposes when they had already entered into secret bargains which, they must have known, made such assurances empty words; and that this was borne out by their subsequent conduct at the Peace Conference. Now the nations which greedily Carried off the lion's share of the spoils pillory the United States as a' Shylock because she demands only a part of what is'adniittedly owing to her.
There is, however, no point in taking this line. MI moral comparisons between nations are unfair and futile. Enlightened self-interest alone has always been the foundation of all successful national policy. Enlightened self-interest, not benevolent intentions nor any great regard for morality, built up the American and British Empires. I fear your correspondent does not bear this in mind for he says : " Page himself loved and admired England, but it is abundantly clear that his Government did not."
Had the United States Government loved and admired England it would have been derelict in its duty. The sole duty of the United States Government was, and is, to protect American interests everywhere, impartially, and without fear or favour. As for the American people, in their feeling towards England they fall into three groups : 1. An actively hostile minority, very noisy, composed principally of Irish. 2. An actively friendly minority, smaller, quieter, but dispro- portionately influential, counting in its ranks many intellectuals and persons of wealth and position. 3. The majority, primarily indifferent, inclined, as far as they have any feeling at all, to. be .passively unfriendly. I have spent much time in England and can testify that the attitude of the man in. the street towards foreigners . is about the same in both countries ; more ready to- hear and repeat evil than good,
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In conclusion, I should . say: that.. the. _great need in.: the : promotion . of Anglo-American friendship is to emphasize realities. Some time ago. The Landmark,. organ of the English- Speaking Union, printed the letter of -an American woman who resigned from the Union after a trip to England. Contact with realities melted all her sweet illusions. Doubtless, -the poor lady had taken some of the outpourings of after-dinner oratory seriously, and so was bitterly disappointed because the first porter she met on Southampton dock did not fall on her neck and weep. Mr. Maxse and his National Review are not all wrong.—I am, Sir, &c.,
JAMES M. HOLZMAN.
New York, April 5th, 1926.
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