Convenient Friendship.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14972, 20 May 1914, Page 8

Convenient Friendship.

fhere is a widespread feeling in America that in pressing on Congress in earnest and emphatic language the repeal of tho discrimination against foreign vessels using the Panama Canal, President Wilson was actuated by another motive besides love of honourable dealing. Had there been no consideration but honour, no doubt Mr Wilson would have asked Congress to keep faith with Great Britain, but it is felt that the terms of the President's messago and his subsequent anxiety ou tho question, arc partly duo to i his desire to conciliate England, and use her friendship to prevent serious consquences arising from disputes in other international directions. The subject is dealt with in a most interesting way by Mr Maurice Low, the well-informed and judicial correspondent of the "Morning Post." He says that now, just as in IS9S, war threatens, and there is fear of an alliance against the United States, and now. as then, there is a disposition to look to England for help. Ho recalls that in 1898 he met a Boston editor, who found it profitable in normal times to praise the Irish, then in control of tho eity"s politics. | and abuse tho English. The editor laughingly told him that ha was now permitted to refer to England as "tbo "Mother Country' , "without fear of

"losing half our readers or having our " proprietor ask us if wo didn't know " that tho only Mother Country Boston "acknowledges is Ireland." This was during tho war with Spain. When the war and fear of international complications were past, the newspaper referred to England at best as '-the stony- •' hearted step-mother." To-day, when tho international situation is dark, Americans take comfort in the fact that under no circumstances could England join a movement against their country-

Those who havo read that most interesting biography and history of diplomacy, tho "Life of Lord Lyons." will remember that Lord Lyons, during the critical time of the Civil War, when 'feeling ran high against England, repeatedly said that American truculence was duo to a conviction that under no circumstances would England fight. Today Americans havo tho same conviction, and with much more justification. The "Morning Post's" correspondent explains this by tho fact that of late years England has repeatedly yielded to the United States, in disputes; by the growing community of interests so that nothing can be permitted to endanger them ; and by the feeling that in Canada the United States has a hostage for Great Britain's good behaviour. Americans take it for granted that if England is irritated, she will merely protect, and then let the roatter drop. Consequently the British protest against tho disgraceful violation of tho Hay-Pauncefote treaty was not taken seriously, whereas if Germany or Japan had been in Britain's placo, there would havo beeu anxiety. But if Americans do not fear Britain, they value her good offices, and circum-

.stances have arisen in which these offices may be very useful. One of the correspondents at Washington to whom tho President regularly talks about affairs, says that ."confronted by the "daily increasing probability of being " forced . . into an invasion <>l " Mexico, tho United Statos finds itself '• without a single sympathetic friend

'■' among the other strong nations of " tho earth; and further, there is a "strong possibility of one aggressive " nation seizing "upon tho moment when " we arc most deeply involved in Mexico ' to take reprisal for fancied injuries." Tho idea underlying the desire to conciliate England is that England can ace as a counterpoise to Gorman ambitions in America, and help to settle difficulties with Japan. If all this is true, and it has every appearance of beinn so, the situation may well make tho cynic smile. Mr Low appropriately adapts Kipling t-o tho situation:

It's England thie, an , England that; an , "F-ngland go away"; But it's "Thauk you, Mother Country, dear," when the band begins to play. England, of course, has no option _ tho matter. Friendship with America, however much America may blow hofc and cold, is an integral part of British foreign policy. The people to be sorry or arc th«t Irish-Americans and anti-English German voters in tho United" States, and their tail-twistirjg representatives in Congress. Considerations of high policy do not concern them; they only sec, with rising wrath, their country seeking tho friendship of a Power which they believe, or affect to believe, stands for everything that is evil.