ANGLO-AMERICAN CO-OPERATIVE MOVEMENT

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 58, 24 March 1937, Page 4

ANGLO-AMERICAN CO-OPERATIVE MOVEMENT

It bas long been thought and in many quarters often said that an Anglo-American alliance, based on a cominon desire to check unprovoked aggressive military movements, wonld provide one of the best guarantees for the maintenanco of peace in the world. If one may judge from the utterances of not a few responsible public men in the Old Country, Great Britain is quite prepared seriously to consider the suggestion. In the United States, however? though there may be an occa, sional voice, usually academic, raised in its -favour, the general attitude is that of the fly to the spider. The very great bulk of the American people regard it as a speeions gesture on the part of Great Britain to assure lierself of American aid in case of attack upon herself or her oversea dominions. It is in face of unmistakable evidenees of this widespread feeling in the United States that in Australia they have initiated what is styled the "British- American Co-operative Movement" and, in a Sydney Herald of recent date, the president of this new organisation, Sir Henry Br.addon, sets out what he regards as hopeful symptonss of possible sncqess. These consist mostly of quotations from the set speeches and more casual remarks of prominent men holding high of fice on both sides of the Atlantic, the President of the United States included. It has to be admitted, however, that those coming from the West are very carefully noncommittal. They indicate what might be desirable in the interests of the world's peace rather than what is at all likely to be practicable so long as American sentiment towards possible* involvment in wai on any account remains as it is. However, Sir Henry Braddon and his associates seem to be of opinion that an effort to promote some snch plan is at least well worthy of a trial, and to this they have set themselves in the hope of extending the movement both to the Motherland and her other Dominions and ultimately to America itself. Thqre is this to be said in favour of the movement originating and taking definite shape in the Dominions. That is that both the American people and their Government are much given to liking themselves in, the "Big Brother" role. It has recently been played to great perfectjon at the Pan-American Congress held at Buenos Aires. There a strong reaffirmation was made of the principle of the Monroe Doctrine of "hands off both A,mericas," and the United States delegates had no hesitation in promising that their country wpuld support it, and by force of arms, if necessary. Beyond this the Neutrality Bill now before Congress, while providing every precaution against being drawn into any other war, specificalLv exempts from its operation "American republics engaged in war against a non-American State." Then, again, perhaps the most significant utterancq of President Roosevelt in any way bearing on the subject was given voiee when he visited Canada sorae few months ago. In the course of his reply to the welcome aecorded him he was reported as saying quite spontaneously, that in case of this British Dominion being made the victim of foi*eign invasion it could depend upon the United States "playing the part of the good neighbour, " It may, of course, be said that the United States has good material reasons for thus virtually bringing Canada within the scope of the Monroe Doctrine. At the same time, however, it indicated readiness to co'operate, even to the point of war, with at least oue member of the British Commonwealth of Nations. This lends some little colour at any rate to the possihility of the United States, whose interests in the Pacific are by no means negligible, lending ear to representations coming first from rather helpless Australia and New Zealand when perhaps deaf of those coming from Great Britain herself. Whether this "co-operative movement" has yet been introduced in New Zealand we cannot say. But if and when it may he, it is obviously one that should not lightly be dismissed and which, on examination, might well prove worthy of support by both people and Government.