ENGLISHSPEAKING RACE.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17732, 7 April 1923, Page 8

ENGLISHSPEAKING RACE.

PRIME MINISTER'S HOPE. ANGLO-AMERICAN RELATIONSHIP. (TBOU oub OTW coßiSßPOsraiarr.) LONDON, February 23, Yesterday was the anniversary of George Washington's birthday, and tho Engiish-Speaking Union celebrated the occasion with a luncheon given in honour of the Prime Minister, Mr Bonar Law. Anyone who had not previously come into touch with this organ.sation would certainly have been surprised at its evident power and popularity. Some <OO gueate were prosent —an unusual number ior a luncneon in Lonaon and these included many people whoso names are housenoiii wonts on botn sides of the Atlantic. British Dominions should ah have Deen represented, but Sir James Allen had been temporarily indisposed, and was reserving iuniseii for a meeting of the .Special Committee of the British Empire luxhiition in the aiternoon. The Prune Minister, though reported to be m good health, showed evident signs ot care, anxiety) and overwork. Major the Hon. J. J. Astor, M.P., presiued. Major Astor, a younger brother of Viscount Astor, was originally in the I'irst Guards. H© iost a l£g in the witf\ Since then he has come into prominence by entering politics and obtaining a controlling interest in "Th® 'limes. The principal toast was "Th& K-ing and the President," and the guests remained standing while the "National Anthem" and the "Star Spangled. Banner" were being played by tboJband. Constructive Go-operation| Mr Evelvn Wrench read the follow ing message from tho lion. John Vv. Davis (formerly American Ambassador lit the Court of St. James) ,_ President of the English-Speaking Union of the United States: "New iork, February 19th: —The English-speaking U'mon of the United States congratulates the English-Speaking Union of the British Empire upon having the British Premier us its guest at its "Washington s Birthday luncheon. As Americans we truly appreciate your high observance of this great anniversary. We respond with deepest hone and confidence that all the Engl'sh-speaking peoples will continue to work together for<the establishing of peace and goodwill and constructive co-operation throughout this now sorely troubled world/' The Chairman 6aid that with the broader vision of our times Englishmen co'uid judge truly George Washington as a man and a statesman, jeeing in him not onlv the father or _a people nearest in kin to themselves, but one of the great heroes of their, race. Mr Bonar Law was the head of a Government of whichever its detractors could not deny its patriotism, honesty, and sincerity. They realised thft in present cond'tions the most stable factor in an unstable world was Anglo-American friendship, and Mr Bonar Law Lad earned the of those who saw the brightest hopes of civilisation in a good understanding between the English-speaking peoples. In expressing his convictions a.nd intentions, he used the clean currency of English: Let him be as plain and direct as he liked, and the Engl'sh-speaking peoples would trust him, all the more. I A British. Hero. It was an instance, said the Prime Minister in reply, of which there were many, of the magnanimity of the Britisli p€Op*6 tha; o v ©r 151) y©ars sine© struggle took place thej co-Id welcome the namo of (ieorgo vv who took from us what was now the great Republic of the West, and look upon him. rather as a British hero than as an enemy. (Laughter.) The common language was an immense asset to a common understanding. It made it easy, but. of course, other things had to be added. Men of their race all over the world took a vital m the greatest event In the history of the' world; they all fought in the war, and all fought on the same side. there was nothing but praise and glory for the part played by the Motherland in, that struggle; for the Navy; for young men who were the spearhead ; for those at home, and especially the women, who were the shaft; for the Canadians, Australians, New Zealanders and South Africans: and for the response of Americans. Those who knew him knew the great part played by the late Mr Walter H. Page, and the sinoerity and reality of the views he expressed throughout the war. Our Constitution lent itself to such an emergency. The position of the Prime appointed by the King, and who himself appointed his colleagues, lent itself to what was one of the wise decrees of the Romans, that time of war there should be a dictatorship, and advantage was taken of that. The other branch of the English-speaking people had not that advantage, but a rigid Constitution. - United States and the Old World.

America, through her President, played a great part in the Treaty of but it was found that the President had misunderstood hie people, and' when he went back they rejected his work, and, in epite of the part they took in winning the war and framing the peace, they withdrew and left it as it was.. "I am not going/' continued Mr Bonar Law, "to estimate what was the effect. It is incalculable In my belief, if circumstances had so arranged it that America could have played her -art in the peaoe settlement as she played it in the war, the world would be in a much tetter position to-day. I think tnat truth has entered, or is entering, into the mmds of the great American people. 1 Lope and believe that it has entered the minds of the great American Government, and that when the opportunity offers that Government will no longer stand aloof from the troubles of the Old World. Mr Page, of whom I cannot speak'too highly—for X knew by first-hand knowledge what the world knows by the book—to the great part which he played in tho War—spoke always of what would come after the War, and whafc, he looked forward to was union in action, aa well as in thought, of the English-speaking peoples of the world. It is not, I think, too much to hope that that union may come. I have taken down the words used by Mr Pago about the character of the two peoples. They are true words. He says: 'Our standards of character, and of honour, and of duty are your standards, and life and freedom have the same meaning to us that they hare to you. These are the essential things, and in these we have always been one.' It is a great work for such a body as that represented here j to make the peoples—not the Govern- j ments—of the two countries under- , stand each other, and it is not too i much to hope that tne time may come j when these aspivat'ons of Mr page will be an accomplished fact."