The Dominion. SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 15, 1917. A DAY FOR TWO NATIONS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3191, 15 September 1917, Page 6

The Dominion. SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 15, 1917. A DAY FOR TWO NATIONS

Speaking in the House of Commons twenty-one years ago, on -an occasion when a detail misunderstanding' aad momentarily clouded the normally good relations between Great Britain and the United States, Me. A. J. Balfoub made some observations which to-day have the force and standing of prophecy fulfilled.. "It can not but be," he said, "thao those, whose national roots go down into the same past as ours, who share our language, pur literature,' our laws, o"ur religion, everything that makes a nation great—it can not be but that a time will come when they will feel that we and they have a common duty to perform, a common office to fulfil, among tho nations of the world." Wo are able to say to-day in all confidence, and with a ,fuller consciousness than was possible when Mr. Baleour spoke of what the bond of common language and common traditions implies, that the time of which he spoke has He said in the same speech that a time would and must come when some one, some statesman more fortunate even that President Monroe, would lay down the doctrine that between English-speaking peoples war. was impossible. So far as formal expression is concerned, even this development of English-speaking unity has yet to be realised, but with Britain and the United States standing'shoulder to shoulder in defence of civilisation it is possible to claim that both the doctrine that war between English-speaking races is impossible and tho greater doctrine that the English-speaking races have a common duty to perform among the nations of the world, have taken shape spontaneously in the stress of world war. It was not by a,', process of diplomacy that tho nations were brought together, though able statesmen on both sides of the Atlantic.have done much to promote an efficient interlocking of purpose and effort, but as the result of the perception on the part of both peoples that when humanity is divided against ltsclr their stand mus> be together, faentimonfc as it is ordinarily understood does not predominate amongst the factors which have produced this result. It is an admitted fact that Americans in general in thenoutlook on this war, in its earlier stages at least, entertained a,n even warmer feeling for, Franco than tor England. Their sontimont _ for Franco docs them honour, for it is a, spontaneous tribute to. her magnificent endurance and uncomplaining horoism. In order to realise tho essential character of tho alliance of-. English-speaking nations which is to-day the hope of'the world, and crasp tho factors which tend to make it stable, it is necessary to look deeper. At bottom this alliance is made possible and takes its character from, a heritage- of common ideals. As Mr. ■Baufour said twenty-one years ago, Britain ami the United States share language, literature, laws, religion, everything that makes a .nation great Based on such a foundation then alliance- is a strong guarantee of tlio maintenance of ideals of liberty and justice, not only in this war, but in 'all the years to come. There is no reason why Britain and tho United States should ever come into conflict. There is every reason that they should combine, permanently, as in their present alliance, to uphold tho ideals they inherit from a common source, and "o perform a service to all mankind. These considerations, truo and justified by every test of history and practical philosophy, commend and give weight to a. proposal which has been advanced in America and has been heartily welcomed by Prominent, public men and leadeis pi thought, both in that country and

in Great .Britain and n number of the oversea Dominions, it is that a clay should be Bet apart annually in comnicmoration of the alliance of the English-speaking races—not as a mere holiday, but as a, day on \yhich tho churches and other "public, assemblies, together with the Press, would combine to foster thosn ideals which unite the different Eng-lish-speaking nations, and are at the same time a potent influence in favour of world peace. One suggestion which has been made in America is that tho centenary celebration of the Treaty of Ghent., which terminated the. last war between England and the United State, should be carried'on and perpetuated. Thero is, however, a much broader basis for the proposed commemoration. As one American writer put it:

Wo [tho English-speaking races] huve a deeper mutual undorslnndinp; of each other than wo havo ever before experienced. AVo appreciate that the idcnls we. venerate and tho hopes wo share have been endangered. We t-eek menus to picvent future wars our civilisation. Our common language which- weaves us into one civilisation, makes possible ninny joint notions to bring us into closer s.viupathy_. One such joint action might well be a' common day of thanksgiving—to celebrate our ideals and the peaceful fellowship of seven nations which has already carried ub so i'nr away from the danger of warring among oursclvc.

It would be easy for t.hc unthinking to raise objections to a, proposal of this kind—to urge that both we and our American cousins lire people given to action rather than to sentimental or ceremonial observance—but the idea of commemorating tho effective union of the English-speaking races commands, and with good reason, tho approval of some of the most enlightened men of tho day. Thought and roflection, as well as energy and determination, must go to tho task of defending and developing civilisation, and nothing is more necessary than that we keep before us as a constant beacon the ideals of our race-•■which have operated in this war as a mighty force making for strength and unity in the struggle against lawless aggression. Such a, oommcnioration as has been proposed would not only make for closer sympathy between the Eng-lish-speaking, peoples and opeiV_ increasing possibilities of joint action, but would assist in a material degree to make tho world safe for humanity in general. The English-speak-ing peoples havo no mad day-dreama of conquest. To foster and promote- tho ideals they havo inherited and uphold is and always will bo to promote the peaceful progress of the world. Tho idea of an annual commemoration with a _ view to _ enforcing and emphasising the principles shared by two great nations linked in language, traditions and ideals, is in every way worthy ol support.