LOST ILLUSIONS

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1070, 6 September 1930, Page 27

LOST ILLUSIONS

LORD DERBY IN AMERICA Lord Derby, in his capacity as president, attended a luncheon given in his honour by the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce. Dealing with his 17-days’ sojourn in the United States, he said that he did not go in the smallest degree on a mission. He went principally to enjoy himself—to race and play golf—but. short as the visit was, it had been long enough to dispel many illusions. Considerate Pressmen His lordship said that he had been told that the chief thing they talked about in America was money. It wasn’t. It was Prohibition, and how to avoid it. (Daughter.) The American Pressmen he found most considerate, and as to anti-British feeling, he found none. On the contrary, he had a very friendly welcome everywhere. In Kentucky, Louisville and afterward during racing at Belmont Park, the British flag was hoisted alongside the American flag, while the English National Anthem was played and the people stood up and took off their hats. There could be no hatred of England when the people showed that respect to our National Anthem and flag. In regard to naval questions, ho found what he thought was a complete misconception in America as to Britain’s attitude. He tried to show that

the point of view of a big navy was entirely different in this country from what it was in America. To lose com

mand of the seas would be, for America, a grave inconvenience and nothing more, but for England It would mean death and nothing less. We should also show, to our American friends this great difference between inconvenience and disaster. No Longer Freetrader Referring to the question of protection, his lordship said that he was brought up in a Freetrade school and had been a Freetrader all his life. “But I am one no longer," he continued. “I believe that, as foreign markets have to a certain extent been lost to us—some of them never to be regained—we have got to do all we can to protect our home market. (Hear, hear.) lam myself strongly in favour of legitimate safeguarding, carefully considered, to make sure that in helping one interest we are not bringing destruction to another.”