The Guardian And livening Star, with which is in corpora ted the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1926. AMERICA AND ENGLAND.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 February 1926, Page 2

The Guardian And livening Star, with which is in corpora ted the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 1926. AMERICA AND ENGLAND.

Wiik.v any important question arises for discussion between America and other nations, the Mercantile Gazette, in a thoughtful article considers a plane of cleavage imedialelv develops. The politicians consider Gist which side they should hack from their point of

view; the justice of the cn'«? is considered only after counting votes, and that .side* must he upheld which will he the richest in n.’sults to ihe persons most interested—themselves. Had Mr Coo I idee taken up Lhe position that England’s indebtedness should lie written off the slate the Republican Party would have gone out of office at the last Presidential election. But in their determination to request payment from

the European nations of whatever moneys America had lent for the prosecution of their individual parts in the war, the Oovednmcnt carried with them a very large portion of the people. No one can deny that during the early days of the conflict tlio Americans did not realise that the German conquest of France and England would be the prelude to a teutonic infiltration of the South American nations, gradually leading up to a German hierachy extending over tko whole of the republics there. Until

this possibility dawned upon the people, there were thousand of the best, men in Amehrica who would have been delighted had England boon humbled into the dust, not that they desired to see her suffer absolute disaster, but such a knock as could have stripped her of some of tin? outlying portions of the Empire. Then when America was forced to become a belligerent nation, and the war terminated, they wore surprised to find that England remained so virile that their utmost efforts to run her merchant ships off tlio seas ended in dismal failure. England was regarded as a trading competitor still powerful, and intimation

was conveyed to her that America was a creditor and requested a settlement. No great party called out “shame.” Thousands of the leading business men said, “collect the money which is clue

to us.” ami England conserved her dignity by acknowledging the liability, and made arrangements to pay. “That puts a handicap upon her. and helps our trade” was the spoken and the unspoken thought of millions. But a I change is coming over the national I sentiment, not that there is any desire

to relieve England from paying to the Inst cent, but. now that the excitement is over, the nation regards with something like dismay what the historian of the future will say when he compares the actions of England in dealing with her war debtors, and that of America in handling the same question. A large number of New York business men to-day would fain retrace the ground. They are beginning to look at the war from another angle, and the part England played in it is more appreciated than it was when in the early days of the armistice they believed that the Allies had been sav-

ed only by the efForts of the American armies in France. The “Manufacturers’ Record” of Baltimore, a paper of great influence throughout the commercial world of America, in its issue of September 21th, last, published a leading article under the caption, “Do we owe the Allies more than they owe us?” in which the writer

claimed that the United States regained her industrial feet Jjv the war, and that she was saved by the blood and money of the Allies, and repaid them by unconscionable and unscrupulous profiteering. “Literally,” added the writer, “our business interests were being fertilised bv the blood the millions of soldiers who were dying on the battlefields of Europe. AYe have often.” be continued, “claimed that we saved Europe; with equal truth we might say that Europe saved America.” The revvw continued. ‘' W e unhesitatingly take the ground that the indebtedness of the Allies to the United .States should be either wiped out or so materially reduced as to change the whole situation. There is not much doubt that before many years arc over the United States Government will want to pose as a generous benefactor and make an offer to review the different debt settlements, but only because the country will have to choose between her tariff and the tribute.” This is the question America will have to settle; she cannot have both, and what a time the politicians will have.