Manawatu Herald THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1919. WHY AMERICA WAITED.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1936, 6 February 1919, Page 2

Manawatu Herald THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 1919. WHY AMERICA WAITED.

THE delay in the entrance of (he United Slates into the war was mentioned by Dr. .James M. Book, the American apostle 1 of Anglo-Saxon union, in a speech in London. “An-glo-American unity, upon whieh the peace of (lie world may in the future so largely rest, depends less upon the expedients of statesmen and obligations of written trinities than upon (he potent sentiment of loyalty to the great destinies of the English-speaking race." he declared. “The great essentials to this unity are appreciation and understanding. To-day, as never before, the two nations appreciate each other. England, on the one hand, can no longer think, as many'of you once did. that America is a nation of dollar-hnnters. You know better now, for you have seen us, without any selfish interest, spending "our lives and treasure like water for the common cause. We, in turn, havo grown to know England belter. We, who have been so often (aught that England was a selfish nation, now realise that she staked her worldwide Empire in 1911 to save France and Belgium. The relations of no two nations more strikingly demonstrate the power of sentiment than

those of England and 1 lie Fink'd Stales. They have been held together by sentiment, and not by economic considerations or (he prudential exponents of statesmen, but by a sentiment largely subconscious —that it would be, disloyal to the destinies of the English-speaking race if these two great political divisions were ever to quarrel. If, then, yon ask me to explain our neutrality, I can only reply that the American people are a very disciplined people. They realised ilia! their Government had a much larger knowledge of the facts than the average citizen could possibly have. They had an abiding faith that (heir Government in due time would vindicate the honour of America. They marked time with all loyally until the (lovernment gave them the order to march forward and take their destined place on the battle-line. There never was a time (Tom (he sinking of the Lusitania when the American people would not have supported a declaration of war; and 1 can best prove it by the fact (hat when our Government gave tho order ‘Forward, march!’ (here was not, north or south, east or west, among the rich or (he poor, by see) or land, any class or section that hesitated or stood aloof from America's determination to light,”