“TWO MENTAL HOBGOBLINS.”

Hokitika Guardian, 17 June 1929, Page 7

“TWO MENTAL HOBGOBLINS.”

“If anyone is anxious about the Anglo-American relations because there are unsolved problems lie tween the two peoples, L have no words tcomfort him. There will never he a lima when such problems do not exist, i confers frankly l see only one reason for distrust. And that is the existence of two mental hobgoblins. One o< these hobgoblins appears from time to time in America to assure us that Britain is a predatory Power, cynically careless of right and wrong, indifferent to the interests of others, greedy, cunning and waiting only for a favourable opportunity to strike us down. The other appears from time to time in Britain to assure you that as America becomes more conscious of her gigantic strength she will inevitably become imperialistic, and, ruthlessly and tally seeking to exploit others, will use that strength merely to play the bully and l>ecomo a a danger and a menace to the peoples of the world. If these two hobgoblins speak the truth the future is dark indeed. But these- two hobgoblins do not speak the truth. There are no such peoples as those described. The description is false. The real peoples are wholly different. They are made up of millions of kindly, decent, hard-working, God-fearing men and women, who possess innate commonsense, who are -busy about their own affairs, who do not fear one another, who want to live at peace with each other.”—-Mr A. B. Houghton, the retiring United States Ambassador to Great Britain.