BRITAIN AND AMERICA.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1710, 29 March 1913, Page 4

BRITAIN AND AMERICA.

SoJie little tims ago, it may perhaps be remembered, a movement was started ill Gteat Britain for a. joint .Aliglo-Anierican celebration of the centenary of the Treaty of Ghent, which brought abottt itn ArigloAmel'ieaii peace which lias never since been broken. There was no little enthusiasm for the project iii Ktiglandj but America was tiOt Very responsive, and it would iiow appear that there is a strong likelihood that the celebration il;rty not take place. So far as Great Britain is concerned,

there will be no difficulties: it is the fashion there to think of the United states as. a natural allj r j and'this although at many points there is a visible gulf between the _ two countries. As we said) when writing On the subject a couple. of months ago, a welcome is dlie to CVery movement that is likely to establish friendly relations between the two countries, even toi the point of a treaty between thenij but it is tu go beyond reason to believe that there is now in America any strong sense of reiil liatiollal kinship with Great Britain. This fact was illustrated very strikingly last month, when Ihti United States. Senate came to consider a Bill for the appointment of a Commission to have change, of the details of the celebration referred to, and to confer with a similar British Commission. The Senate Committee on Foreign Relatioiis, to Which the BiH was referred) brought hi a favourable report, but there was a minority report, signed by Democratic members of the Committee, strongly unfavourable. I'his. minority objected oil foiir grounds) of which the least important was that the Commission would be ft Useless and extravagant thing. The tiiaifl ground Was very significant: ,"In oiir Opinion it is of ho more importance to have an Official or Congressional celebration of a hundred years of peace with Great Britain than it is to a hundred years of peace With Germany, Russia, or France, and we think It dn invidious distinction, more calculated .to arouse feSliiigs of resenttoclitj criticism, and antagonism than otherwise." The Bill passed the Seriate, and was referred to the House Corti: mittee on Fordign Affairs, \vhete it has been shelved. lii the present CongresS) according td the Washington ddrrCspondent of \thc London Homing 2'ostj the chahces are very remote of further action again being taken on the Bill. . One may feel shirty that the celebration may not take place, but it, is just as Well that the real American attitude should be made clear. America is fully entitled' to trfcat Britain as a Power fio fftdre closely connected with her ijifc.il is Germany f France, or , Russia J audi in point of fact: a good iriatiy pt'oplc liiily be inclined td agree that there is much truth in the contention .that ,an ostentatious celebration' o;: the centenary, of Anglo-American peace riiight feinbarrriss America's relations with 'other friendly Powers. < A definite .Arbitration Treaty, drawn Witlilti mote reasonable limits than those which We.re. proposed for the Treaty which fell thrbugh. a couple df years ago, Would involve neither Britain nfli' America iii itiiy embarrassments' wjtll their , friends. The incident will doubtless go some way towards causing the British people to realise that tlifere is little, if any, iviiri'aht far the coiiiniori .eiiougli idea that Ainerica is as anxious 'to' share Britain's .bed as Britain is« discerns td bei: to share hers. It is biittcr' 'td rfciilise the clisfi.piDoirif.iiig fact thail to liVe iii'k fddl's fillrddiSti.