HANDS ACROSS THE ATLANTIC

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 97, 18 January 1919, Page 7

HANDS ACROSS THE ATLANTIC

e.TO A PERFECT'UNDERSTANPG

LARGE POLICING ARMIES ' ;..:..'■.: REQUIRED v ;v ; .;■■•

i 1- Gharles \V. Eliot; president emerit" s tti'v-viird University; in a letter , I l :?' eisor . '&• C. "<de Sufichrast;.: the raioted ijuropeaii ; e(lucntoiv''(loes- not-hesi-tate .to. express belief that in the settle-. ..ment -of: tariffs, and there is & chance- foi\.a. possible future clash .with Britain.' „ .Ho iloes not, liovrever, appear-to.regard as likely the fiijfilmejit'pt . such -an "evil' .chance. 1 ' ■' Hit! entire argument is' for the discovery of a- common ground of-nnderstanding' upon ■ all laree" international'matters:' -1 ; ' '. :;-.p.r:' : Sliot's letteo- follows:— I thank you for your-letter: in which :-you describe ,the : efforts to. .bring .about complete.. understanding betwoon...the people of .Gfeatjßritaiii and the;pe.6pJo.qf -tlie. ; United Stated'' Tliat/object, if at'tained, will :be.one'of the'inost valuable fruits'. of'tlie war; and'' there are' .liia'uy ■ signs that good-''p'rogHsj-'is'-now "being made .toward that attainment. •It seems ; to' be important, that those Who t discuss- a , perfect .-union, between the, British -.people and. the.. American jicople. for the war,., and after, should, .clearly understand what the;',difficulties; ..are,which .The di'flj-j cultie's are 1 serious,' but by- no-means in-' surmountable!' : ' - 'President Wilson's action ' toward •Mexico'lift's'- now converted the --American : •people,.iri'.g'on'eral'.;to; .thinking, .that v-thej American. Government- should-not. protect ■ by forcfe American citizens, who,- injake. heavy investments on'-'the .'.territory' of; backward or - helpless'--people.. The Brit-' nshr.G^rniaiis^.lSrench, and, Dutch have always'ibllwi'ed'-the 'opposite 'policy, and Spain and Portugalaised to.- -If the Brit-; ish 'Empire, and the JJnited States are to, co-operate.to keep the pence, of the:world : when, this war cehiies,■ xt:is essential that; they should comer.to a perfect mider.standing- as- to the treatment of back-; ward 'and'' the ?bf : -ex-.' 'tending 11 trade-'-.-and ' ..protecting - '00111-: inetci'ai adventurers"'% force"of'.'armfe.; -Friendly Sea, Control. ■'' - -I"-; observe that "-there is-; a section ofpublic: bpinion which resents tho . idea; that . Great - Britain ,- needs help • in; brder : ;to.-maintain an-effective control.-of ihe seas-in, her own. interest and- in .the-' interests of! the .world,.. Americans' gene'je.ally .believe.'that';. Britain cannot' do that job;alone: ,I'hey think .that for the safety of''the, 1 'democracies' ■ "Great: Britain, the United 'States, France/ Italy: and- Japan had- tetter agree on a /public Statement "to the effect that -they ' would' keep the seas, free for -everybody in time of; peace; ! but that-there,, was to he ..no. freedom of the-seas for - autocratic' gov--should go to war; and that ..neutrals in time, of.,war 'would be.: able to ..deal only with the allied/free govern- ' jnents.' "J' , • " , -' * ; It seems ito me, doubtful whether Great Britain'"arid the - United' State's think ■' alike' 'about' the serious • - questions, Concerning capital and labour.; The British: : labour- unions' and .the American labour unions clearly do :not. think alike, -the British, tendingstrongly, toward Socialism,, and the American: resenting, every approach.!to-Socialism. . It is highly de-' ' sirable. that the two ! nations get together, before, the':wiir ends with regard'to the treatment of the labour question. American opinion is now 'pretty- well unified ' in' :favour "of. medical ■ and' police, action -under;/national- direction-, against ■alcoholism and venereal disease. .-I-can-not see; that. Great: Britain and are. approaching the. American .frame, of, . mind on -those. two subjects.-., This _qu?s-. ,'tion. .-is' a hot 'biie. internaliyj-.it divides •;smail'''commnnities' sharply; but ,I 'am not clear'that'it would produce danger- ' bus friction : between two nations. ' It'-would contribute ' greatly ' to "an effective and durable union between Great Britain ~ and the United States'if the two . Governments.-could settle on the same general principles . with regard to Customs and' Excise "duties! . I am not enough of .an . international economist to know whether--, the 1 war is likely to bring British. and. American -, opinion together on the subject of.Free-trade... Both coun-tries-"will'need 1 to raise the'.lnrgest' possible revenue for: many years, but ..thus "much one' may confidently affirm—there is a .chance for a: clash'between Great ' Britain and tlio United States on tariffs .and. preferentials., Can- that, evil. chance be. done away with? • Large' Armies Necessary. ' ' The. war .lias, already introduced into Great. Briuiiri.'arid the .United States."the arrangements necessary, fgr .carrying into execution the policy' of universal military service. - Can the"two' countries'coirie.-'to an agreement as to the -kind of'-army which cacli-'shall--maintain"when the present war i_s oycr?>lii.order'to make the democracies' secure, ior. -the future both countries m ust.. maintain. large armies; well trained and well equipped, but for the most -part held in reserve,' and botli countries!will undoubtedly wish to maintail) these-armies without-creating a . 111 ilita.rv,- class. ■ It would ..'-be very wholesome for Germany to see clearly that both Great Bri- . tain ariU tJie tJiiitec) 'States uieiin to maintain national armies always ready, '■ (or linimediate action. - ;Tlie- '"present - ivar would/not-have occurred-if Germany had .not seen: that neither -Great Britain nor -tilt? United States had;any army to-speak ' of., -f thinky.it would, impress -.Germany .very much if our two countries-should !®ie to,an.agreement .'as. to 'the'kind of .army that each,would.maintain. ,;...