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Hokitika Guardian, 17 April 1928, Page 2

Silt A rsTK.N Ciiamhkhi.ain in his speech before the Rritish House of Commons, reviewing foreign relations, reiterated his conviction that war between England and t lie United States is unthinkable. ft is unfortunate that on both sides of the water, says an American paper, a negligible but noisy ininlity persists in arguing publicly the possibility of serious disagreement between the two nations. Every sane minded person in the United States and Great Rritain realizes the absolute folly of such talk and depreciates its existence. Conflict between the Ounnionwealth <I" Nations and this country would men in a literal sense the sun Hi ng out of modern civilisation. So far from growing disagiv*-

inents, Anglo-American relations wore never in a more amiable and satislaeturv condition than to-dav. What are 1 lie siibieots of discussion that are in the forel'ronl aniniig those which the two governments are (onsidering ! Certainlv they do not, treat of war; on the contrary they deal with it- abolishment. Disarmament appears and reappears upon the agenda. Arbitration looms eißially largo. W illingly or unwillingly and the spirit is ol eager willingness English ami American civilisation must travel hand in hand. Treaties may lie the means of expression of this destiny but the real treaty that will enforce it lies deeper than the written word. It finds its origin ill the hearts of the people of loth nations. Only lunacy would have it otherwise. Questions of grave importance will rise, as inevitably they must, between the supremo and foremost nations of the world, but no matter with what mib i eel they deal they aiv susceptible of settlement through peacelul discussions and arbitration. That Is how they will be handled. If il were not that they are mi hopelessly in error those who talk of an armed conflict might be regarded as dangerous. Perhaps in a sense they are. but opinion is inure inclined to classify them in tin' twilight zone l.eyoml the realms of sanity. More to the point the hardheaded common sense ol hull nations i- coining around to the view o| looking on -siit'li utterances as an inlernat ion,-i I joke. Laughter never brought on a war and we may thus regard in a forgiving spirit those who by their verbal antics are making it mare and more an impossibility.