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Hokitika Guardian, 8 July 1921, Page 2

That eloquent and incisive speaker, Col Harvey, the United States Ambassador, speaking in London on independence Day, had a message to communicate which will afford much satisfaction to those who look with some nope to the future fusion of the i‘.ng-lish-speaking peoples as a firm bulwark to resist international war. To begin with, Col. Harvey pointed the moral which adorned the King’s late speech in Ireland. Js it was aptly put hv •die Ambassador, King George’s latest speech practically bridged the gulf, preventing hitherto a settlement of the rrisli question, and from that Col. Harvey passed on to apprise the very good understanding which subsists between America and Great Britain. The speech was an optimistic one founded i n good sense and a fair realisation of the situation between the two countries. All too frequently press and public speakers are prone to magnify events or remarks in such a way as not only to distort them, but to create an atmosphere of alarm or apprehension tor which in fact there • should be no grounds at all. Col. Harvey is big enough to brush all such extraneous matter aside and from his point of vantage with the fullest inside knowledge of passing international events, is able to view the relations between tiq, great Bowers in the most favorable of lights. The sensible views he expresses in making light of possible naval war in either the Atlantic or Pacific. are in keeping with the sound sense of the times, and if energy and time devoted to falsely magnifying these dormant issues were devoted to promoting greater unity and a more intimate relationship between the two great countries, what a roseate view the international situation would take on, and how much quicker the countries could settl 0 down to more necessary domestic duties and developments and forget about war and its alarms.

It must ho conceded that the Australian cricket team now in England is a super team. The team has bad a wonderful record this season, both in Australia and England, and the performances are capped now in the handsome way that the rubber has just been won in the Home tests. Although the victories read like runaway wins, it must lie confessed that the Englishmen played with dogged determination all through. The game, uphill fight in tip. late test proved the sort of stuff the Englishmen were made of. Their attempts to win against “fearful odds” were typical of the Englishman in his truest character. Cricket of course is 1 1 is game essentially, and it is clear from the cabled reports that the public at Home mak 4 » quite a fetish of the game. The play in the late test com-

menced all to the disadvantage of the Englishmen who went out on a forlorn hope practically. The English critics and th„ criticising public did not spare anyone within the circle ot players and the representatives thus had a very hard row to boo. But their greatest difficulty w-as overcoming th t , Australian fielding. That appears to have been reduced to something approximating an exact science liy the burly Armstrong, who will go down into cricket history with a reputation equal to that of AV. (i. Grace. The games have demonstrated the intense public interest in tin 1 fortunes of the play, even at a time when domestic and external social and political events are in state of tlie greatest turmoil. It is good for a nation that it can turn in that way to the field of sport where the highest spirit of sportsmanship is cultivated and practiced. It is the saving grace of the nation, and it is well indeed that so noble a sport is so delightfully practiced within tin 1 nation itself. It assures the future.