Traditional Friendship

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 573, 28 January 1929, Page 1

Traditional Friendship

BRITAIN’S ATTITUDE TO U.S.A. No Differences of Principle _ | British Official Wireless. Reed. 12.45 pan. RUGBY", Sunday. REFERENCES to Anglo-American relations were made by Sir Austen Chamberlain and Mr. Alanson B. Houghton, United States Ambassador, at a dinner at Birmingham last evening.

Mr. Houghton, who first expressed the deep thankfulness felt in America that King George was now apparently on tlie high road to recovery, referred to the ancient ties of friendship between Britain and the United States, and the goodwill which needed no discussion and remained fundamentally unimpaired. Sir Austen, referring to the great extent which Anglo-American relations were discussed in Britain, said: “The reason is not that these relations are impaired, but that we are peculiarly sensitive as a people to anything which even tends to deviate from the close and warm friendship, which is the traditional policy of every British Government, and the fundamental desire of our people to maintain with the United States.” There was, he said, only one differ-

ence which the tw 7 o Governments had encountered, and that was, how they should apply the limitation o£ naval armaments fairly and justly to their different circumstances and conditions.

"But it is important to observe that the difference between us even then was not a difference of principle.” Sir Austen went on.

“We admit freely and willingly the parity between the United States forces and our own. It is an admission which we have never made to any other nation and which we’shbultf have made to no other nation.” “Such differences as have occurred have not therefore been differences of principled but merely differences arising out. of. the difficulties of applying that principle to the very different circumstances and conditions of our two countries: '

“It is inconceivable that, with patience at a proper and opportune moment, friends should not be able to resolve technical difficulties which have hitherto prevented them reaching an agreement, We have a widelyscattered Empire, tiie connections of most of which pass across oceans. The United States is a compact nation upon a continent, separated by an ocean from the troubles and passions, hatreds and -prejudices of the old world, and is self supporting, self contained, and independent. “Between their circumstances and ours there is an immense gulf fixed by history and geography.

“The problem is to find some conclusion by which we can measure our naval ' strength so that the parity, which both nations desire, may be reached at a level which will produce not an increase in the armaments of the world, but a reduction.”